Tennis roundup
Croatia takes lead over U.S. in Davis Cup match CARSON, Calif. (AP) – Twins Mike and Bob Bryan lost a doubles match for the first time in Davis Cup play Saturday and Croatia took the lead against the favored United States.
Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic defeated the Bryans 3-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4, 6-4 for Croatia’s second win in three matches in the best-of-five first round.
The Bryans were 5-0 in Davis Cup going in against Ljubicic and Ancic, bronze medalists in the 2004 Olympics and playing Davis Cup doubles together for just the second time.
Down 2-1, the Americans’ hopes rest with Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi and their remaining singles matches.
Roddick plays Ljubicic in Sunday’s first match, then Agassi will face Ancic in the fifth and final match – if the Croatians haven’t clinched by then.
Croatia ousted the United States in the opening round of the 2003 Cup play, the only previous meeting between the two countries. Ljubicic won both his singles matches and teamed for a doubles victory in that competition in Zagreb.
America hasn’t won the Davis Cup since 1995, the country’s longest drought in 68 years.
Agassi, who turns 35 next month, is playing Davis Cup for the first time in five years. Ljubicic’s 6-3, 7-6 (0), 6-3 win over him was only Agassi’s sixth loss in 36 Davis Cup matches.
If Agassi does play Ancic in the final match of the round, he will be spotting the Croatian a few years – Ancic, 20, was a toddler when Agassi first played Davis Cup in 1988.
Slovakia 3, Spain 0
At Bratislava, Slovakia, defending champion Spain was eliminated when Slovakia took an insurmountable 3-0 lead with a doubles victory.
Karol Beck and Michal Mertinak, playing together in Davis Cup doubles for the first time, beat Albert Costa and Rafael Nadal 7-6 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (8) to move Slovakia into the quarterfinals for the first time since 2000.
Argentina 3, Czech Republic 0
At Buenos Aires, Argentina, David Nalbandian and Guillermo Canas edged Tomas Zib and Jan Hernych 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 to give Argentina a spot in the quarterfinals. Argentina will face Australia in the quarterfinals.
Australia 3, Austria 0
At Sydney, Australia, Wayne Arthurs and Todd Woodbridge beat Alexander Peya and Julian Knowle, 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 to put Australia into the quarterfinals.
Belarus 2, Romania 1
At Brasov, Romania, Max Mirnyi and Vladimir Voltchkov teamed up to beat Andrei Pavel and Gabriel Trifu 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-4 to give Belarus the lead.
Russia 2, Chile 1
At Moscow, Marat Safin and Mikhail Youzhny beat Fernando Gonzalez and Adrian Garcia 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 to put Russia ahead. In Sunday’s reverse singles, Safin was to play Gonzalez, while Youzhny was to face Garcia.
France 2, Sweden 1
At Strasbourg, France, Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra beat Simon Aspelin and Jonas Bjorkman 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-4 to give France the lead.
Netherlands 2, Switzerland 1
At Fribourg, Switzerland, Yves Allegro and George Bastl fought off three match points to beat Dennis Van Scheppingen and Peter Wessels 5-7, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5, 9-7 and keep Switzerland alive.
Davenport wins Dubai Women’s Open
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport fought off a break point late in the third set and went on to beat 19-year-old Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 Saturday to claim the $1 million Dubai Women’s Open for her 46th WTA Tour title.
Davenport won the final three games of the match, which lasted 2 hours, 11 minutes, for her first title of the season.
“It was a really tough match,” said Davenport, who won her 15th title as a top seed. “Once the match started and I saw how well she was playing, I knew it was anybody’s game out there. It was very close. I was down a break point at 4-4 in the third set but survived.”
Davenport lauded her Serbian opponent, who has risen from No. 362 in the WTA Tour rankings at the end of 2001 to 28th now.
“It was a really long match and she made some excellent retrieves, getting a lot of balls back,” Davenport said. “She is incredibly fast and changes the direction of her shots a lot.”
Jankovic, who was leading Serena Williams 6-0, 4-3 in Friday’s semifinals when the American retired with a shoulder injury, was hampered by 11 double faults.
“I want to congratulate Lindsay for playing an unbelievable game,” said Jankovic, who has climbed 40 spots in the tour rankings in the past year. “I couldn’t do anything. She kind of destroyed me in the end.”
The top-seeded pair of Spaniard Virginia Ruano Pascual and Argentine Paola Suarez clinched their 27th doubles title together, defeating Australian Open champions Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia and Alicia Molik of Australia 6-7 (7), 6-2, 6-1.