Davis Cup News

LONDON (AP) _ Marat Safin saved Russia, and sent the defending champions into the Davis Cup semifinals. The former top-ranked Russian played for the first time in the best-of-five series on Sunday and beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-2 in the deciding match to give the hosts a 3-2 win over France. ``It was a pure accident,'' said Safin, who is 29-18 in the Davis Cup. ``I have not ...

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) _ Andy Roddick leaned back in his chair, drink in hand, and yelled, ``Let's go, Bob!'' With the U.S. assured a spot in the Davis Cup semifinals, Roddick rested his sore left hamstring on a stress-free Sunday. But he remained a cheerleader for a competition he desperately wants to win. The Americans entered the day with a 3-0 lead over Spain in the best-of-five event, making reverse ...

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) _ Andy Murray, bothered by a hip injury, will play the opening singles match for Britain against the Netherlands in the Davis Cup on Friday. Murray was drawn Thursday to play Raemon Sluiter on indoor hardcourts at the NEC Arena. Tim Henman will play Robin Haese in the second singles match. They will swap for Sunday's reverse singles. On Monday, Murray said he might miss the match ...

Admitting he was downright scared, Marat Safin composed himself and won the Davis Cup title for Russia. The two-time Grand Slam champion had 16 aces in beating Jose Acasuso 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) on Sunday in the fifth and deciding match, giving Russia a 3-2 decision over Argentina for its second Davis Cup crown. ``There were some very difficult moments today,'' Safin said. ``It was tough to control the match. Everything worked out.'' Safin lost his opening ...

This time he liked the court. Russia's Marat Safin found his footing Saturday on a surface that had him seething less than 24 hours earlier. He paired with Dmitry Tursunov to beat Argentina's David Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 in the Davis Cup final. Russia leads 2-1 and is one match away from its second Davis Cup title. The comfortable win came a day after Nalbandian levelled the five-match final by beating Safin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, ...

Nikolay Davydenko and Marat Safin will lead Russia against David Nalbandian and Argentina in the Davis Cup final. In the International Tennis Federation announced both lineups Tuesday for the Dec. 1-3 final, which will be played on carpet at the Olympic Indoor Stadium in Moscow. Davydenko and Safin will be joined by Mikhail Youzhny and Dmitry Tursunov. Jose Acasuso, Agustin Calleri and Juan Ignacio Chela are also on Argentina's team. ...

Rafael Nadal could miss Spain's Davis Cup matchup against Switzerland _ and a potential showdown with Roger Federer. ``I don't know if I'll play,'' Nadal said Monday. ``Normally, I don't play the first round and at this moment I don't know if I will.'' Nadal and Federer both play only one Davis Cup series per season, and neither will commit to the first round matchup on Feb. 9-11 in Switzerland. ...

Patrick McEnroe received a two-year contract extension Monday to stay on as captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team, charged with ending the country's longest title drought since the competition began in 1900. If McEnroe does remain in the job through 2008, he would tie Tom Gorman (1986-93) for the longest tenure as U.S. captain. ``I have to say that being the Davis Cup captain has been the biggest honour ...

Canada will host Colombia in the first round of next year's Davis Cup, in the team's quest to regain World Group status. The draw Thursday has Canada playing Colombia, Feb. 9-11, 2007 at home. Team nominations and the venue will be announced at a later date. The winner travels to Brazil in April to play for a chance to rejoin the prestigious 16-team World Group. ``We have enjoyed great success ...

Russia defeated the United States in Davis Cup semifinal action Sunday when Dmitry Tursunov beat Andy Roddick 17-15 in a fifth-set marathon. The Americans trailed 2-1 entering the last day of the best-of-five competition and needed singles victories from Roddick and Blake to advance. But Tursunov put Russia into the title match against Argentina by winning 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 17-15 for a 3-1 lead. His victory made the concluding ...