SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 2016 SPORTS Croatia on brink of quarterfinals in Davis Cup LIEGE: Croatia needs only one more Bemelmans went long. Dodig and Italy, whose only Davis Cup title The winner of the tie plays Poland or ace - one of 17 he served up in the point to reach the Davis Cup quarterfi- Skugor then converted the second of came 40 years ago, will face either Argentina in the quarterfinals. Lorenzi match. Chiudinelli rebounded to earn nals after Ivan Dodig and Franko Skugor three set points in the second set after Argentina or Poland for a place in the won 7-6 (14), 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 7-5 in a match the first break of the match at the start won the doubles against Belgium’s another unforced error from semi-finals in July. which lasted nearly five hours and also of the second set but Lorenzi broke Ruben Bemelmans and David Goffin Bemelmans, and easily won the 22- Switzerland, the champions in 2014, featured the longest tiebreaker in World back twice in succession. He also saved yesterday. minute final set. were without star players Roger Federer, Group history. two break points in the seventh game After a tense first set, Dodig and Dodig, who won the French Open who is injured, and Stan Wawrinka, who The Italian clawed his way back from before going on to take the set with Skugor broke their opponents four doubles title last year with Marcelo opted not to play in the tie in Pesaro. 5-2 down in the final set and, although another ace. times and prevailed 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-1 to Melo, said winning the difficult first set Italy survived scares in both its sin- he wasted two match points, sealed the Lorenzi saved two set points on his give Croatia a 2-1 lead ahead of was “one of the keys,” adding that “it gles rubbers Friday to take a 2-0 lead in win when Chiudinelli hit long. Lorenzi own serve in the third set but gifted Sunday’s reverse singles. helped us stay in the match, then we its Davis Cup first-round tie against a was ranked 92 places above Chiudinelli Chiudinelli a way back into the match In the opening singles on Friday, were able to raise our game.” Today, Switzerland team missing Roger Federer after a fine run of form, but the 146th- when he sent a forehand long. The Swiss Goffin defeated Borna Coric in five sets Goffin will play Cilic, and Coppejans will and Stan Wawrinka. ranked Swiss had a 3-0 head-to-head player then claimed the fourth set as on the clay court of the Country Hall, face Coric. Paolo Lorenzi let slip a two-set lead record against the Italian. well with a superb return to level the and 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin In Rome, Italy became the first team and was forced to save three match Clay is also Chiudinelli’s least favorite match. Cilic eased past Kimmer Coppejans in to reach this year’s Davis Cup quarter- points before beating Marco Chiudinelli surface but he was aggressive from the Meanwhile, China yesterday beat straight sets. finals when Simone Bolelli and Andreas and Andreas Seppi almost did the same start and Lorenzi had to save two break Pakistan in a Davis Cup tie, winning the The Belgian pair led 5-4 in the Seppi defeated Marco Chiudinelli and but recovered to defeat Henri points in the sixth game. There was little doubles match after some good rallies tiebreaker but the Croats held on serve Henri Laaksonen 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 for a 3-0 Laaksonen in four sets, winning 7-5, 7-6 to separate the pair in the tiebreaker too on day two at the Sri Lanka Tennis and converted their first set point when win over Switzerland. (4), 3-6, 6-3. but Lorenzi finally took the set with an Association courts.—Agencies LeBron powers Cavaliers to easy win over Wizards CLEVELAND: LeBron James flirted with a Jersey. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 21 points triple-double before sitting out the fourth for Minnesota, but only six after the first quar- quarter, Kyrie Irving scored 21 points and the ter. Cleveland Cavaliers avenged a recent ugly loss to Washington by throttling the Wizards RAPTORS 117, TRAIL BLAZERS 115 108-83 on Friday night. The Cavs were blown DeMar DeRozan had 38 points, Kyle Lowry out at Washington on Sunday, when James added 28 and Toronto overcame a huge game watched from the bench and the Wizards from Damian Lillard to beat Portland for its built a 30-point lead. But with James ener- franchise-record 12th straight home win. gized after not playing since Monday, and Lillard scored 50 points, one shy of his career Cleveland using a “small” lineup as forward high set last month in a 137-105 win over Kevin Love got the night off, the Cavs Golden State. DeRozan went 24 for 25 from the snapped Washington’s four-game winning free-throw line, both career highs. Jonas streak. James finished with 19 points, 13 Valanciunas had 17 points and 10 rebounds for rebounds and seven assists. Timofey Mozgov Toronto. Portland lost the season series to scored 14 points, 12 on dunks, for Cleveland. Toronto for the first time since 1996-97. C.J. John Wall scored 17 and Markieff Morris 13 McCollum added 24 for Portland, but he and for the Wizards. Lillard were the only Blazers in double figures. NETS 121, NUGGETS 120, OT CELTICS 105, KNICKS 104 Brook Lopez had 20 points and tipped in a Isaiah Thomas had 32 points and eight basket with .4 seconds left in overtime to lift assists, Avery Bradley hit a go-ahead layup Brooklyn over Denver. Nikola Jokic missed with 17.7 seconds left and Boston Celtics won badly on a backward desperation shot off an its 13th straight at home. Evan Turner had 21 inbound pass as time expired, and the Nets points and eight rebounds for the Celtics, and beat the Nuggets for the fifth straight time. Jae Crowder finished with 20 points and eight Markel Brown had 21 points to lead the Nets rebounds. Boston trailed by eight points in and Bojan Bogdanovic added 17 points. the fourth quarter but used a series of mini- Bogdanovic made 2 of 3 free throws in the runs to eventually take the lead for good on final seconds of regulation to force overtime. the driving layup by Bradley. Carmelo Emmanuel Mudiay had 25 points to lead the Anthony had a chance to win the game in the Nuggets. Gary Harris added 21 points and closing seconds but badly missed a 3pointer Kenneth Faried had 17 points. off the backboard as time expired. Anthony BELGRADE: (L-R) Serbia’s tennis players Nenad Zimonjic and Novak Djokovic and Kazakhstan’s tennis players Aleksandr Nedovyesov and had 30 points and seven rebounds. Arron Andrey Golubev pose ahead of the tennis match during the Davis Cup World Group first round double match between Serbia and Kazakhstan at GRIZZLIES 94, JAZZ 88 Afflalo added 17 points and Kristaps Porzingis “Aleksandar Nikolic” hall in Belgrade, yesterday. — AFP Zach Randolph scored 25 points and finished with 15 points for the Knicks, who grabbed four rebounds in the final minute to lost their third straight. lead Memphis. Randolph, who finished with eight rebounds, was 9 of 18 from the field as HEAT 112, 76ERS 102 Djokovic beaten as Murray Memphis won its third straight and seventh Hassan Whiteside had 19 points and 19 in the last nine. Lance Stephenson, acquired rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 21 points by the Grizzlies at the trade deadline, had 16 and Miami won its fourth straight. Goran brothers double up for victory points on 8-for-11 shooting, while Mike Dragic added 15 points and 11 assists for the Conley had 12 points. Mario Chalmers fin- Heat. Luol Deng scored 13 points and Joe PARIS: Novak Djokovic suffered his first Davis Nishikori, ranked number six, in the first reverse champions Croatia or Belgium in the quarter- ished with 11 points. Gordon Hayward led the Johnson, Amar’e Stoudemire and Gerald Cup defeat in five years yesterday as Serbia singles. finals. Croatia went ahead 2-1 in Liege when Ivan Jazz with 18 points, including keying Utah’s Green had 12 points each. Ish Smith had 26 slipped 2-1 down to Kazakhstan while Andy and Dan Evans is scheduled to face Nishioka in Dodig and Franko Skugor enjoyed a 7-6 (7/5), 6- offense in the third quarter. Derrick Favors points, eight rebounds and five assists and Jamie Murray gave defending champions Great what may be the decider. 3, 6-1 win over Ruben Bemelmans and David scored 14 points, shooting 7 of 17. Rudy Robert Covington scored 25 points for the Britain a 2-1 lead over Japan. Nishikori is the highest-ranked player Murray Goffin. Gobert had 13 points, 18 rebounds and five depleted 76ers, who were missing several key World number one Djokovic and 39-year-old has ever played in Davis Cup, but he has won Italy became the first team to reach the quar- blocks. Shelvin Mack had 12 points and eight players. Philadelphia has lost 11 straight. The Nenad Zimonjic lost their doubles rubber to five of their previous six matches. “I played well ter-finals when Simone Bolelli and Andreas assists for Utah, which lost its fifth straight, Heat improved to 7-2 since losing Chris Bosh Kazakhstan’s Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr against him last year.