Davis Cup: Croatia leads Argentina 2-1 after doubles

Associated PressNov 26, 2016, 3:21 PM EST

ZAGREB, Croatia — Croatia needs one more point to win its second Davis Cup title after winning the doubles against Argentina in straight sets on Saturday.

Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig defeated Juan Martin del Potro and Leonardo Mayer 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4), 6-3 for a 2-1 lead over Argentina in the final.

Cilic can secure the decisive point for Croatia against del Potro in the first reverse singles on Sunday. If del Potro wins, Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic and Argentina’s Federico Delbonis will decide the final.

“We will push to the end,” Dodig, the hero of the doubles victory, said. “Nothing will stop us now.”

Cilic said he expects a victory against del Potro in a matchup of former U.S. Open champions, “although it won’t be easy.”

“Mentally, it’s easier for me because we have won today,” Cilic said. “Our matches were always tight and some small details could decide.”

Del Potro said he and Cilic are good friends on the tour, “but tomorrow will be a different situation.”

“He is playing really good this year. He will be playing at home and it will be difficult,” del Potro said.

Croatia’s only previous Davis Cup title was in 2005.

Argentina is the only team in the Davis Cup’s 116-year history to have reached four previous finals and not won.

On Saturday, the Croats dominated tiebreakers in the first two sets with Dodig making some spectacular shots and Cilic holding his serve at key points.

The crucial break came in the sixth game of the third set on Mayer’s serve when the Argentine netted a seemingly routine forehand after making a string of mistakes in previous exchanges. The Croatian duo converted the second of three opportunities.

“The second set tiebreak was crucial,” Cilic said.

Cilic closed out the match with a big first serve that Mayer could only send long. The Croats threw their arms in the air and got big hugs from the bench.

In the opening singles on Friday, Cilic defeated Delbonis, and del Potro beat Karlovic.

Diego Maradona led thousands of visiting fans with chants and frantically waved a scarf with the Argentine flag from his executive booth at Arena Zagreb. He was wearing a black band on his arm to mourn the death of Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

“He was like my second father,” Maradona said.

Daniil Medvedev advances to Miami Open final

Associated PressMar 31, 2023, 4:24 PM EDT

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Daniil Medvedev hasn’t won a title in the U.S. since capturing the 2021 U.S. Open, when he turned away Novak Djokovic’s bid for a Grand Slam.

Now the Miami Open’s No. 4 seed is one victory from a fresh American title, beating fellow Russian Karen Khachanov 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals Friday, the same day Wimbledon announced Russians will be allowed back – with conditions.

The other men’s semifinal is Friday night between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannick Sinner. If Alcaraz wins, it’ll set up a rematch of the Indian Wells final; Alcaraz beat Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 on March 19.

Medvedev has won 23 of his last 24 matches – the lone loss to now-world No. 1 Alcaraz – and is in his fifth straight final.

Medvedev has been friends with the 14th-seeded Khachanov since childhood, and they’re each fierce baseliners, with one rally lasting 31 shots.

Medvedev needed a tiebreaker to win the first set, serving it out with the first of 13 aces in the match. Proving a little more consistent in the second set, Khachanov forced a third by breaking Medvedev’s serve early to go up 2-0.

But Medvedev owned the third, surviving an early breakpoint when Khachanov hit a loose backhand into the doubles alley for a rare unforced error.

Medvedev broke Khachanov in the next game to go up 3-1 and a won a wondrous 26-shot rally on match point. Khachanov picked up a drop shot, then retrieved a shot from the baseline between the legs before his friend put away the winner.

Also Friday, No. 15-seed Petra Kvitova and unseeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea were playing to decide who’ll take on Elena Rybakina in Saturday’s women singles final. Rybakina, who has won 13 straight matches, including the Indian Wells title, beat Jessica Pegula in straight sets in a rain-delayed match that ended close to midnight.

Alcaraz turns away Fritz to reach semifinals in Miami

Associated PressMar 30, 2023, 11:43 PM EDT

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The hopes of American men’s tennis rest largely on the talented rackets of Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul.

But a Spanish roadblock named Carlos Alcaraz is in the way – never more illustrated by the last few days at the Miami Open.

Two days after routing the Australian Open semifinalist Paul, the top-ranked Alcaraz took his spectacular arsenal to the highest-ranked American man in No. 10 Fritz and blasted into the semifinals with a 6-4, 6-2 victory at Hard Rock Stadium.

Before a packed crowd that included John McEnroe and was split in support, Alcaraz broke Fritz’s serve in the first game. He used that one break to squeak out the first set and finished the match in tidy 1 hour, 18 minutes. Alcaraz faced just two break points and turned away both chances as he improved his match record to 18-1 in 2023.

“I took the opportunity of every break point I had,” the Spaniard said. “I was solid and aggressive at the same time.”

This was the first meeting between the two and an opportunity for Fritz to assess how close he is to a breakthrough. The match was postponed Wednesday night, only delaying the inevitable.

“Obviously playing the best player in the world, you can’t just drop your serve to start both sets,” Fritz said. “He doesn’t give you much for free. … All the important points in the match, he won.”

The 19-year-old Alcaraz proved too tough in Miami against two Americans who reside in South Florida. Fritz moved recently to Miami and Paul has lived in the Delray Beach/Boca Raton area for years.

Alcaraz will play Jannik Sinner in Friday’s semifinals, a rematch of their semifinal at Indian Wells, where Alcaraz went on to win the title.

The reigning U.S. Open champion and defending Miami Open champion boasts a glorious drop shot, beautifully controlled groundstrokes and a sneaky net game. Alcaraz’s graceful court coverage is reminiscent of his countryman Rafael Nadal. There are no clear weaknesses, as Fritz found out.

Fritz had one moment to seize, gaining a break point against Alcaraz trailing 2-3, trying to get back on serve. Alcaraz saved the break point in fantastic fashion. Fritz initially made a lovely pop-up retrieve of a would-be winner, but Alcaraz boldly took a chance moments later, rushing to the net to convert a difficult low volley winner.

In an earlier quarterfinal of extreme height, No. 5 Daniil Medvedev ended the career-best run of 6-foot-7 American qualifier Chris Eubanks with a 6-3, 7-5 victory.

For all his accomplishments, the 6-6 Medvedev, who has won 22 of his last 23 matches, had never made the Miami Open semifinals.

It sets up an all-Russian semifinal Friday as he faces Karen Khachanov, who beat Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 6-2. Medvedev holds a 3-1 career advantage against his longtime friend.

“We are from the same age group,” Medvedev said. “I’m almost sure we know how the match is going to go and it’s a question of who’s going to make the best shot.”

Medvedev, who lost to Alcaraz in the final at Indian Wells, has garnered three ATP titles this year (Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai).

Eubanks, a 26-year-old former Georgia Tech star ranked 102nd, had never advanced to a quarterfinal of an ATP event of this level and had actor Jamie Foxx in the stands cheering him on.

“It’s been a dream week for me,” Eubanks said, noting Foxx has followed his career for “the past couple of years.”

Eubanks was on serve with Medvedev early, leading 3-2 before a brief rain delay. Medvedev came back roaring to win the next four games to close out the set. Eubanks said Medvedev made a “tactical change” after the delay, moving in on his second serve.

The other women’s semifinal was finally set with 15th seed Petra Kvitova advancing to face unseeded, 74th-ranked Sorana Cirstea, who beat Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday.

In a quarterfinal postponed by Wednesday night’s rain, Kvitova defeated No. 18 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Shaking off a rash of double faults in the second, Kvitova prevailed in the third, but she could be at a competitive disadvantage without a day of rest facing Cirstea. Neither Kvitova nor Cirstea will have an extra day to prepare for Saturday’s final.

The other semifinal had already been set with Elena Rybakina facing Jessica Pegula Thursday night in a battle of top-10 stalwarts.