Aussies win doubles, enter semis

LOS ANGELES: Jiri Novak spoiled Pete Sampras’ Davis Cup homecoming, trouncing the 12-time Grand Slam champion as the Czech Republic ended the first day of their quarter-final tie level with the United States.

Andre Agassi, currently leading the ATP champions race, got the hosts back on track with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Slava Dosedel as the day ended with the teams tied 1-1. But Novak’s 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 6-2 victory over Sampras in the opening match clearly rocked the powerful US team, as well as sampras himself. "It’s a shocking situation," admitted captain John McEnroe. "I wasn’t expecting Novak to play that well, maybe I should have. There was a danger of me relaxing a little bit if we got up 2-0, that was quickly dispelled."

RIO DE JANEIRO:Gustavo Kuerten pulled Brazil back into their Davis Cup World Group quarter-final tie against Slovakia here beating Karol Kucera in a five set thriller.

Earlier Slovak Dominik Hrbaty put aside the deafening cheering of the partisan home crowd to easily dismiss Fernando Meligeni in three sets in the opening singles clash.

Kuerten, 23, trailing by two sets to one and a break of serve down in the fourth set, staged a comeback to win 2-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 after almost four hours on court to level the tie at 1-1.

SANTIAGO:The second singles match in the Davis Cup between Chile and Argentina was suspended as an angry crowd started tossing coins, fruits and even bottles to the court. Marcelo Rios had given Chile the first point in the series with a 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 win over Hernan Gumy.

As Argentina’s Mariano Zabaleta led Nicolas Massu 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (1),referee Tony Hernandez of the Dominican Republic suspended the play. "There are no security guarantees to continue to play," Hernandez said as he left the court protected by police shield under a rain of coins and fruits and plastic chairs.

Three police officers and Zabaleta’s father reportedly had minor injuries.

Hernandez said a decision will be made later on whether to resume the match or award the point to Argentina. The partisan crowd was angered after the referee took four successive points away from Massu in the fourth set because of continued booing and noise by fans.

Rios and some Chilean officials made appeals to fans to calm down at no avail.

LIMA:Luis Horna and Americo Venero battled for three hours and 40 minutes to beat Ecuador’s Nicolas Lapentti and Andres Gomez and give Peru a 2-1 advantage in Group One of the American Zone.

The Peruvian doubles team defeated their Ecuadorean rivals yesterday 6-2,6-2, 2-6, 6-7 (7/3), 7-5.

HONG KONG:Hong Kong took 2-1 lead over Kazakhstan after they won the doubles encounter in the Asia-Oceania Zone Group II playoff tie here today.Melvin Tong and Chris Numbers defeated Alexei Kedruyk and Pavel Baranov 7-5,7-6 (8-6), 6-1 to give Hong Kong a crucial edge going into tomorrow’s reverse singles.

TAIPEI:Pakistan scored a win in a doubles match to take a 2-1 lead on the second day of the Asia-Oceania Group II second round today. The Pakistani pair of Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Ahamd Iqbal Wahla defeated the Taiwanese combination of Lin Ping-Chao and Cheng Wei-Jen 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours.