PARIS -- France closed in on its first Davis Cup final since 2010 after Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga gave the hosts a 2-0 lead over two-time defending champion Czech Republic in the semifinals on Friday.
[b]John Starks Jersey[/b] . Opening on Roland Garros centre court, Gasquet stormed to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win over Tomas Berdych, then Frances No. 1 player, Tsonga, proved too strong for Lukas Rosol, dispatching him 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in 91 minutes. Serving impeccably and limiting his mistakes to 12 unforced errors on the red clay, Gasquet justified his selection over Gael Monfils. "This is one of my best wins ever," said Gasquet, who kneeled on the court after Berdych double-faulted on match point. "The atmosphere was great, this is the Davis Cup, at Roland Garros, and I beat a top player." Spurred on by the vocal French fans on a sunny morning, Gasquet quickly found a good rhythm and lost only five points on his serve in the first set, breaking in the fourth game after the sixth-ranked Berdych missed three consecutive shots. Struggling with his forehand and moving slowly on court, Berdych had 38 unforced errors. The former Wimbledon runner-up was never a threat and admitted he played his worst Davis Cup match. "My body is not ready for this. I needed more time to be fit. I need more time to be better prepared," said Berdych, who reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals last week. "This is the toughest conditions for me, coming from fast hard courts to the clay. I definitely need more time but it was a good choice for France. I need to move on and get over it." Gasquet, who has been hampered by injuries this season, won the first set with a backhand down the line then jumped to 3-0 in the second as Berdych continued to hit erratic shots. The hard-hitting Czech managed to break Gasquet in the next game but his recovery was short-lived. The French No. 2 broke again early in the third set, and Berdych gifted the match with his second double fault. Tsonga made light work of Rosol and thanked his teammate for putting him in an ideal position with his impressive win over Berdych. "The key was the first match. After that, I was playing freely," Tsonga said. "Richards victory hammered the Czechs." Following Monfils good run at the U.S. Open, Gasquet was not expected to play in the singles. But Monfils told France captain Arnaud Clement he was still jet-lagged and struggling to adapt to clay after losing in the quarterfinals at Flushing Measdows. "I quickly found out this week that I was going to play the opening game because Gael was tired," the 21st-ranked Gasquet said. "And I could not have dreamt of a better start." With their 12-tie winning streak at risk, the Czechs should win Saturdays doubles to keep alive the chance of reaching a third straight final. The doubles pits French duo Julien Benneteau and Monfils against Radek Stepanek and Jiri Vesely but both captains are expected to amend their lineups, with Berdych likely to play with Stepanek. "Although we are trailing 2-0, the tie is not over, hopefully Tomas will recover," Czech Republic captain Jaroslav Navratil said. Berdych and Stepanek boast a 15-1 winning record together in Davis Cup. Clement hinted that both Tsonga and Gasquet were possible candidates for the doubles rubber. "They showed they are ready to play over the three days," he said. If France wins this weekend, it will play at Italy or host Switzerland in the final.
[b]Channing Frye Jersey[/b] . It led to his downfall on Tuesday. The Major League Soccer club fired Rennie after a second straight up-and-down season that saw the Whitecaps start strong before limping across the finish line.
[b]New York Knicks Shirts[/b] .Y. -- That hangover from the Big East tournament is gone for Villanova.MINNEAPOLIS -- Rick Adelman trudged off the basketball court for maybe the final time in his professional life and he couldnt hide the disappointment. He was sure his Minnesota Timberwolves were going to respond in the season finale, finishing a year of unmet expectations on a high note against the lowly Utah Jazz. Instead, one of the most respected coaches of his generation watched his team deliver a lacklustre performance that in no way resembled the precise, sophisticated game Adelman has been known for over the last quarter century. Trey Burke scored a career-high 32 points to go with nine assists and seven rebounds and the Jazz avoided the worst record since moving to Utah 35 years ago with a 136-130 double overtime victory over the Timberwolves on Wednesday night. "Just disappointed," a crestfallen Adelman said. "I really thought we were going to win this game. I thought wed come out and play a lot harder, with more energy, and it didnt happen." Gordon Hayward had 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and Derrick Favours added 21 points and 12 boards for the Jazz (25-57), who would have tied the worst record since the team relocated in 1979 with a loss. They also snapped a five-game losing streak and won for just the fourth time in their last 25 games. "Its way better than going out in defeat," Burke said. "Obviously, it doesnt mean much, but its our job. Like Coach (Tyrone) Corbin said, Every time you step on the court, you represent yourself and you want to put on a good showing. I think we did that." Kevin Martin scored 36 points for the Timberwolves (40-42), who missed a chance to finish with their first non-losing record since 2005. Kevin Love scored 19 points on 4-for-15 shooting in what could be Adelmans last game as an NBA coach. The Jazz were cruising with a 19-point lead in the first quarter and a 13-point lead with 10 minutes to play. But Martin scored 14 of his points in the last 5:35 of the game to bring the Wolves roaring back. His free throws with 57 seconds to play tied the game at 107, and Love missed a step-back jumper at the buzzer that would have won it. Jeremy Evans had a career-high 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Jazz and Burke drilled a 3-pointer with one minute to play in double overtime for a 130-125 lead. The Wolves allowed the Jazz to shoot 49 per cent, missed 12 free throws, and Lovee, who also had 10 rebounds and nine assists, was 1 for 9 from 3-point range.
[b]Kristaps Porzingis Jersey[/b]. "If this was coachs last hurrah, its very disappointing," Martin said. "When you dont show up the first three quarters, thats what happens." Adelmans contract has a mutual option for next season. The 67-year-old coach resisted several opportunities to reveal his plans, only saying he would meet with owner Glen Taylor and President Flip Saunders, likely on Thursday, to come to a conclusion. It is widely expected that Adelman will not return. "Ive been doing this a long time and I will say this, every year it does get harder," Adelman said. "The travel gets hard. You always evaluate it every year as you go through. But you also understand you have a job that people would die for and Ive been lucky to have the job for over 20 years. Ive got to really look at it and evaluate and talk to everybody." Things are just as murky for Corbin in Utah. He completed his fourth season on the bench and has presided over a massive rebuild that hasnt given him much of a chance to pile up victories. The Jazz lost 21 of their last 25 games of the season and their fans were worried more about Utahs lottery chances than anything else. A loss wouldve left the Jazz with the fourth-worst record in the league. But because they won and Boston lost, the Jazz are tied with the Celtics, which will bring a coin flip tie-breaker before the draft lottery is held to determine who will have the greater chance to move up. The Jazz certainly didnt play to lose on Wednesday night. "Its a positive note to go out on, we got a lot of room to grow though, and we got to make sure we understand what gave us a chance to win tonight, thats staying together, working hard together, making sure were focused on the attention to details," Corbin said. NOTES: Hayward finished the season as the second player in Jazz history to average at least 16 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in a season, joining Pete Maravich. ... Jazz C Enes Kanter sat out with right quadriceps tendinitis. ... Wolves G J.J. Barea missed the game with back spasms. ... Love crossed the 2,000-point threshold for the first time in his career with a pair of free throws late in the second quarter. He became the first player in NBA history with at least 2,000 points, 900 rebounds and 100 3-pointers in one season. ' ' '
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