PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- The Czech Republic took a commanding 2-0 lead over Argentina in the Davis Cup semifinals Friday after Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych won the opening singles matches to put the defending champion one win away from a third final in five years.
Tyler Ennis Sabres Jersey . Stepanek overcame a sluggish start to put the Czechs up 1-0 by sweeping aside Juan Monaco 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-2 before the fifth-ranked Berdych survived a second set wobble to stretch the margin with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over hard-hitting Leonardo Mayer. With their formidable 12-1 record in Davis Cup doubles, Berdych and Stepanek have a chance to wrap up the series Saturday against Carlos Berlocq and Horacio Zeballos. "We are 2-0 up, thats what we wanted. Now, the most important thing is to get ready for the doubles," Berdych said. It was a hard-fought victory for Berdych, who looked relieved after he edged his 93rd-ranked opponent in more than three hours. "Im grateful for the result. The first two sets were not ideal from me," he said. He had to save a break point before converting his second match point when Mayer hit a forehand wide. "He had a great start, his game was perfect and he made no mistakes. He was aggressive and took a risk," Berdych said. Berdych had a total of 40 winners, only four more than Mayer, and made 39 unforced errors to Mayers 41. "I tried to attack as much as I could. He was better," Mayer said. In the first set, Berdych sent a forehand long to lose his serve in the seventh game as Mayer before the Czech came back and won the next three games. Mayer took a 4-2 lead in the second set before wasting a break point that would have had him serving for the set with a 5-2 lead. Struggling with his major weapon, Berdych put only 47 per cent of his first serves into play in the second set and was broken again in the ninth game before Mayer served the set out at love. With his serve improved, Berdych took a 3-0 lead in the third set. In his first cup singles this year and just days after his second Grand Slam doubles title at the U.S. Open on Sunday, Stepanek played in his typical attacking style, serving 13 aces and hitting 38 winners on a fast indoor hard court at O2 Arena. "I was trying to be active," Stepanek said. "It was an important match for me. I faced a great opponent, but I wanted to use to my favour the surface and the fans." Stepanek converted his first match point to improve to 5-2 against Monaco. Stepanek also beat Monaco with the same set figures to clinch the 2009 Davis Cup quarterfinal for the Czechs, also at home on a fast court in Ostrava. "Its just coincidence," he said. "But I think I was the better player in those two matches." Seeking its first title, Argentina is without its star player Juan Martin del Potro who skipped the Davis Cup this season. Stepanek is a key player on the Czech team but missed the first-round victory at Switzerland because of a neck operation and was able to play only the doubles in the 3-1 quarterfinal win at Kazakhstan. He and Berdych played all five matches in last years final in Prague and beat Spain 3-2. Stepanek could not find his rhythm at the beginning of the first set and was frustrated at the net by Monacos precise passing shots. The Argentine took advantage of his first break point to go 3-1 up but allowed Stepanek to get back into the set with a double-fault on break point in the following game. "He played so much better than me. I had my chances in the first set but couldnt make it. He impressed me," Monaco said. Stepanek wasted a chance to serve out the first set after Monaco sent an overhead long to go 6-5 down but dominated the following tiebreaker with his volley play. The Czech improved his game in the second, jumping 3-0 up. Monaco still fought back before double-faulting to present Stepanek a chance to serve out the set at 5-3. "I tried to serve little bit faster," Monaco said. The winner of the best-of-five series faces Serbia or Canada in the final in November.
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Evander Kane Sabres Jersey .com) - Maria Sharapova rallied for a three- set win over Ana Ivanovic on Saturday to capture the season-opening Brisbane International tennis tournament.Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers lit up the IPL for the second time in three days to power Royal Challengers Bangalore to a nine-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. Kohli (75no off 51) and De Villiers (59no off 31) pummelled an unbeaten 115 for the second wicket, having each scored centuries while smoking a T20 record partnership of 229 during Saturdays thumping win at home against Gujarat Lions. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers impressed Dominic Cork and Mahela Jayawardene after their performance for Royal Challengers Bangalore Chris Gayle (49 off 31) also returned to form - the Jamaican had notched just 19 runs in five IPL innings prior to the match - as Bangalore reached their 184 target in 18.4 overs to move to within two points of the play-off spots and second-placed Kolkata.Gautam Gambhirs 31st score of fifty or above in the IPL - a record he shares with Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper David Warner - helped Knight Riders post 183-5 from their 20 overs after Bangalore elected to bowl.Gambhir (51 off 34) put on 76 with Manish Pandey (50 off 35), but Knight Riders stumbled once their skipper was run out by Shane Watson, falling from 90-1 to in the 11th over to 125-5 in thhe 16th.
Zemgus Girgensons Sabres Jersey. Gautam Gambhir scored fifty - but dropped Kohli However, Andre Russell (39no off 19) - who later picked up a leg injury while bowling - and Shakib Al Hasan (18no off 11), biffed an unbeaten 58 from 28 balls, during which time Shakib was dropped by Sreenath Aravind at third man.Iqbal Abdulla was the best of the Bangalore bowlers, the left-arm spinner shipping just 22 runs from his four overs as well as picking up the wicket of opener Robin Uthappa (2) caught and bowled.Gayle ensured Royal Challengerss reply got off to a flyer, dominating a 71-run partnership with Kohli before he was pinned lbw by countryman Sunil Narine one run shy of a 19th IPL fifty. Chris Gayle hit four sixes up top for Bangalore Kohli then made Gambhir pay for dropping him at point on 32 by thumping his fifth half-century of the campaign - the Indian has also struck three hundreds - and moving past team-mate Gayle and Mike Husseys record of 733 runs in an IPL season.The Bangalore skipper increased his 2016 tally to 752 by the end of the game, while De Villiers sealed the teams victory in the penultimate over by flicking Piyush Chawla past fine leg for four.Catch more IPL action on Tuesday as play-off hunting Delhi Daredevils visit struggling Rising Pune Supergiants. That clash is live on Sky Sports 2 from 3pm.
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