Goteborg, Sweden – The United States pulled within one victory of the Davis Cup finals Saturday, riding the big serves and flawless volleys of its peerless doubles team.
Twins Bob and Mike Bryan defeated Simon Aspelin and Jonas Bjorkman 7-6 (11), 6-2, 6-3, giving the Americans a 2-1 lead over Sweden in the semifinals.
Andy Roddick can clinch the best-of-five series when he opens today’s reverse singles against Thomas Johansson. That match is followed by James Blake vs. Joachim Johansson.
The U.S.-Sweden winner will play Russia or Germany in the November final. Germany leads its series 2-1. The Americans have won the most Davis Cup titles (31), but the last came in 1995.
In Moscow, Alexander Waske and Philipp Petzschner beat Dmitry Tursunov and Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) to put Germany ahead in the series. Today, Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko will face Tommy Haas, followed by Igor Andreev against Philipp Kohlschreiber.
TENNIS
Davenport ousted at China Open
Lindsay Davenport lost to Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 7-5 in the semifinals of the China Open in Beijing, ending her bid for a second straight title after nearly a year off to have a child.
The third-ranked Jankovic will play the final against Agnes Szavay, who cruised past Peng Shuai 6-1, 6-2.
Fourth-seeded Maria Kirilenko defeated second-seeded Daniela Hantuchova 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to gain the Sunfeast Open final in Calcutta, India.
Beating Hantuchova for the first time in four tries, Kirilenko set up today’s title match against first-time finalist Mariya Koryttseva, a 7-6 (3), 6-3 winner over Anne Keothavong.
Top-seeded Tatiana Golovin and Katarina Srebotnik reached the final of the Slovenia Open in Portoroz.
HORSE RACING
Going Ballistic pulls off an upset
Going Ballistic ($19.80) won the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, rallying to beat even-money favorite Grasshopper by a length.
Trainer Neil Howard said he hadn’t decided whether Grasshopper will run in next month’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Any Given Saturday ($2.30) continued on the road to the Breeders’ Cup Classic with a victory in the $154,200 Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont Park in New York.
Brass Hat ($10.20) held off favored Fairbanks by three-quarters of a length to win the $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs in Boston.
Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and Derby runner-up Hard Spun will meet again Saturday in the $350,000 Kentucky Cup at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.
NBA
Mavericks, Harris seal the deal
The Dallas Mavericks signed Devin Harris to the five-year agreement they reached earlier this month.
The extension is worth about $42 million and locks up the speedy point guard, who had career-high averages of 10.2 points and 3.7 assists last season, through the 2012-13 season. He would have been entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Forward Michael Ruffin, 30, a graduate of Cherry Creek High School, signed with the Milwaukee Bucks after playing the past three seasons with the Washington Wizards.
FOOTNOTES
S. Africa gains World Cup quarters
South Africa survived a scare to become the first team to reach the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals, and defending champion England stayed alive thanks to the return of Jonny Wilkinson.
The Springboks had to call their top stars off the bench in Lens, France, to defeat underdog Tonga 30-25 for their third straight victory in Group A. England beat Samoa 44-22 in Nantes, France, with Wilkinson kicking for 24 points and setting up three of the four tries.
Denis Menchov of Russia moved closer to his second Spanish Vuelta title in three years and Samuel Sanchez of Spain won the penultimate stage.
Ohio State gave men’s basketball coach Thad Matta a raise of almost $500,000, boosting his salary to just less than $2.5 million a year, and added a year to his contract to extend it through the 2016 season.
