Spanish Soccer: Real stay top after win but Barca keep pace

MADRID, May 26 (Reuters) - Leaders Real Madrid edged closer to the Primera Liga title beating Deportivo Coruna 3-1 in the Bernabeu on Saturday.
Barcelona remained hot on their heels, overcoming Getafe 1-0 at home thanks to a second minute goal from Ronaldinho.
Ronaldinho, however, was sent off before the break leading to a nail-biting finish in the Nou Camp.
Real and Barca stay tied at the top on 72 points, though Fabio Capello's side hold first place due to their superior head-to-head record. Los Angeles Galaxy-bound David Beckham helped set up Sergio Ramos's controversial first-half opener for Real, and crossed for Raul to head the second soon after Depor had levelled in the 55th minute.

Ruud van Nistelrooy wrapped up the win to keep Real on course for their first major title in four years, with two matches left to play.

Spain - Saturday, May 26 Villarreal vs. Valencia Villarreal vs. 3 Valencia 2 Final Deportivo Coruna vs. Real Madrid Deportivo Coruna vs. 1 Real Madrid 3 Final Getafe vs. Barcelona Getafe vs. 0 Barcelona 1 Final

Table

2006-07 Table
Team	GP	W	D	L	Pts	GF	GA	GD
Real Madrid	36	22	6	8	72	61	37	24
Barcelona	35	20	9	6	69	70	30	40
Sevilla	35	20	7	8	67	61	33	28
Valencia	36	20	5	11	65	52	35	17
Zaragoza	35	16	10	9	58	51	37	14
Villarreal	36	16	8	12	56	44	43	1
Atlético Madrid	35	15	9	11	54	40	35	5
Getafe	35	14	10	11	52	38	29	9
Recreativo Huelva	35	14	8	13	50	48	48	0
Racing Santander	35	12	13	10	49	40	43	-3
Mallorca	35	14	6	15	48	40	43	-3
Espanyol Barcelona	35	11	12	12	45	42	48	-6
Deportivo La Coruña	36	11	11	14	44	27	39	-12
Osasuna	35	11	7	17	40	43	47	-4
Real Betis	35	7	16	12	37	33	42	-9
Levante	35	8	12	15	36	30	47	-17
Athletic Bilbao	35	8	10	17	34	40	59	-19
Real Sociedad	35	8	9	18	33	29	42	-13
Celta Vigo	35	7	9	19	30	33	55	-22
Gimnastic de Tarrago	35	6	7	22	25	32	62	-30

PGA Champions: Romero still leads Senior PGA

Kiawah Island, SC (Sports Network) - Eduardo Romero shot a two-under 70 in the second round of the Senior PGA Championship on Friday, increasing his lead to two shots as the first major of the Champions Tour season heads to the weekend.
Accustomed to playing in high winds in his native Argentina, Romero hasn't had a problem with similar conditions at Kiawah Island's Ocean Course.He played bogey-free until the 18th hole in the first round, then went one- under on both sides of Kiawah Island's Ocean Course in the second round Friday.
Romero was at six-under 138, two shots ahead of Japan's Joe Ozaki.

Spanish Soccer: Valencia's title hopes dashed by Villarreal

Valencia, Spain (Sports Network) - Whatever chance Valencia had at winning the La Liga title was crushed on Saturday by Villarreal at Estadio Mestalla as the Yellow Submarines handed Valencia a 3-2 loss behind two goals from Diego Forlan.

The home side started off well as David Villa converted from the penalty spot in the 21st minute, but Forlan answered with his first goal 10 minutes before halftime to level the match. Jon Dahl Tomasson put the visitors in front in the 79th minute and Forlan then added the insurance marker in the 87th minute. Villa scored his second goal from a free kick in stoppage time for Valencia but it was too late for the hosts to salvage a draw.

The loss still leaves Valencia in great position for a Champions League qualifying spot, while the three points for Villarreal moves the club into sixth place, two points ahead of Atletico Madrid for a spot in the UEFA Cup.

Villa gave the Villarreal defense trouble in the first half, and he was brought down inside the area after 20 minutes by Villarreal keeper Sebastian Viera. Villa then stepped up to the spot and drove a hard shot into the bottom left corner for a 1-0 Valencia lead.

French Soccer: Toulouse snatches final Champions League spot behind Elmander

Toulouse, France (Sports Network) - Toulouse clinched an unlikely spot in the Champions League on Saturday at Stadium Municipal with a 3-1 win over Bordeaux as Johan Elmander scored all three goals.

Bordeaux entered the final day of the season needing just a draw to clinch a UEFA Cup spot, and things looked good after 17 minutes when Wendel put the club on top 1-0. However, Elmander had the teams on level terms before halftime and then scored two more times in the second half to secure the win.

Toulouse still needed help on two fronts to get into the Champions League despite the win, but everything fell into place perfectly and the club will now make its first ever appearance in the Champions League. Lens dropped a surprising 3-0 decision to relegation-bound Troyes, and Rennes conceded a late equalizer to Lille, allowing Toulouse to jump into the third spot.

Bordeaux, meanwhile, misses out on Europe as Rennes grabbed their UEFA Cup place with the draw.

Wendel's opener in the 17th minute came with a little help from Toulouse keeper Nicolas Douchez, who failed to pick up Wendel's long-range free kick and allowed the ball to slip between his legs.

Auto Racing: Kenseth steals Busch pole from Wimmer

Concord, NC (Sports Network) - Matt Kenseth went out 46th of 47 drivers and grabbed the pole from Scott Wimmer for Saturday night's Carquest Auto Parts at the Lowe's Motor Speedway. The No.17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford driver circled the 1.5-mile speedway in 30.090 seconds.
The pole victory was Kenseth's first this year and 13th of his Busch career.
Starting next to Kenseth on the front row will be Wimmer, who missed his first career Busch Series pole by just 0.029 seconds.
Greg Biffle (30.230) and Jeff Burton (30.247) will make up row two.
In the championship "race," its all about Carl Edwards (starting 10th). The No.60 Roush Ford driver leads the series by 433 over Kevin Harvick and 599 over third-place David Reutimann. Edwards is tied for the series lead with two wins and owns a series-high eight top-fives to go with 11 top-10 finishes in the season's first 12 races.
Edwards is also the defending Carquest Auto Parts 300 winner. He beat Kurt Busch to the 2006 finish line by a comfortable 2.458 seconds.
The race is scheduled to drop the green flag at 8:00 p.m. (et).

LPGA Tour: Creamer one of three leaders at Corning Classic

Corning, NY (Sports Network) - Paula Creamer, a three-time winner on the LPGA Tour, fired a six-under 66 Saturday to grab a piece of the lead after three rounds of the LPGA Corning Classic.
Creamer completed 54 holes at 16-under-par 200 and was joined atop the leaderboard by second-round leader Beth Bader (69) and Young Kim (68).
Mi Hyun Kim is alone in fourth at 15-under-par 201 after a 66 of her own. In- Kyung Kim is three strokes back at minus-12 after a 68 on Saturday.
Creamer carded three birdies on both the front and back nine for a bogey-free 66 at Corning Country Club.
The 33-year-old Bader eagled the par-five second, but gave a stroke back with a bogey at the sixth. Around the turn, she carded seven pars and two birdies to get in a minus-16.
Young Kim, who is winless on the LPGA Tour, flew up the leaderboard with four front-nine birdies to take a two-stroke lead at the turn. She was even-par for the final nine holes with a birdie, a bogey and seven pars.
Na On Min (68) and Becky Morgan (70) share sixth place at 11-under-par 205.
Grace Park and Seon-Hwa Lee each carded rounds of five-under 67 Saturday. They move into a tie for eighth at minus-10 and stand alongside Ai Miyazato, Meg Mallon and Natalie Gulbis.

Horse Racing: Met Mile attracts 10 on Memorial Day

Elmont, NY (Sports Network) - Ten of the country's top sprinters and handicap horses have been entered for Monday's $600,000 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park. Better known as the Met Mile, the race is a one turn competition on the 1 1/2 mile track.
Starting from the inside post will be Lawyer Ron, the expected post-time favorite. The four-year-old will be making his third start of the year and has won his first two races. Owned by Hines Racing, Lawyer Ron dominated last time out in winning the Oaklawn Handicap as the 1-2 favorite.
In his career Lawyer Ron has won 10 of 20 starts for $1.8 million. The chestnut colt will be ridden by Edgar Prado for trainer Todd Pletcher. Prado won this race last year with Silver Train.
Pletcher has also entered Half Ours in the Memorial Day race. The four-year- old will start next to his stablemate with John Velazquez in the saddle. Half Ours is owned by Aaron and Marie Jones, and has won five of six starts for $316,680. He was second earlier this month in the Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs.

WTA: Dementieva claims Istanbul crown

Istanbul, Turkey (Sports Network) - Elena Dementieva of Russia captured the Istanbul Cup tennis title Saturday after France's Aravane Rezai was forced to retire in the second set because of a left knee injury.
The second-seeded Dementieva was ahead 7-6 (7-5), 3-0 when Rezai had to call it quits.
Rezai, who beat fourth-seeded American Venus Williams in the second round and top-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova in the semifinals, is bothered by tendinitis in her left knee.
Dementieva notched her first title of 2007 and the seventh of her WTA career. She won twice last year, but her best finish this year before this event was a semifinal loss to Martina Hingis in Tokyo after the Australian Open.
Seeded 13th for the upcoming French Open, Dementieva -- a 2004 finalist at Roland Garros -- will open her stay in Paris against Germany's Angelique Kerber.
Rezai, who was appearing in her first-ever WTA Tour final, will meet fellow Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli in the first round of the French Open next week.

England's Soccer: Beckham gets England recall from McClaren

London, England (Sports Network) - David Beckham will be back with England for next week's friendly against Brazil and the team's big EURO 2008 qualifier against Estonia on June 6. The former England captain was left off the team by current coach Steve McClaren following the World Cup, but McClaren has had a change of heart due in large part to a number of quality performances for Real Madrid in recent weeks by Beckham. The 32-year-old midfielder has 94 caps for his career but he will not get back the captain's armband, which now belongs to defender John Terry. It was thought that McClaren might have picked Beckham for a pair of EURO 2008 qualifiers in March, but Beckham was unavailable for selection because of injury, making the decision easy.
Ashley Cole, Gary Neville, Andrew Johnson, Micah Richards, Owen Hargreaves and Ben Foster will all miss the upcoming contest due to injury, while Wayne Rooney will not take part in the Brazil match and miss the Estonia contest due to suspension.

ATP: Argentina captures World Team Championship

Dusseldorf, Germany (Sports Network) - Jose Acasuso and Agustin Calleri won a match tiebreaker to lift Argentina past the Czech Republic for the title at the World Team Championship.
The best-of-three series was tied at one match apiece after the singles play, leaving the doubles to decide the championship.
Acasuso and Calleri went up against the Czech tandem of Tomas Berdych and Martin Damm. The Argentines dropped the first set 2-6, then won the final four games to take the second set 6-4, setting up the first-to-10 match tiebreak, which the Argentine tandem captured by a 10-4 score.
The Czechs won the four-nation Blue Group in round-robin play with a perfect 3-0 record to advance to the title tilt and Berdych gave his team a 1-0 lead in Saturday's final with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Juan Ignacio Chela.
Calleri, though, bounced back with a 6-3, 6-1 triumph over Jan Hajek to square the series and set up the decisive doubles match.
Argentina captured this title for the third time, having also won in 1980 and 2002.

European PGA Tour: Broadhurst and Fisher use late birdies for BMW lea

Surrey, England (Sports Network) - Englishmen Paul Broadhurst and Ross Fisher both birdied the final three holes Saturday to share the third-round lead of the BMW PGA Championship.
Broadhurst shot a four-under 68, while Fisher, who overcame four dropped shots at the end of the front nine, posted a three-under 69. The pair is knotted at 10-under-par 206, which is good for a one-shot lead at Wentworth Club's West Course.
Marcus Fraser held the lead for a period of time on Saturday, but a bogey at the 15th knocked him off track. He managed a two-under 70 and is tied for third place with Richard Sterne, who carded a six-under 66. This duo finished 54 holes at minus-nine.
Justin Rose, one of the overnight co-leaders, struggled to a one-over 73 and is alone in fifth place at seven-under-par 209. Miguel Angel Jimenez shot an even-par 72 and is sixth at minus-six.
Broadhurst, who shared the first-round lead, began the round tied for fifth, two shots off the lead. He did not get off to a great start with a bogey at the first, but rebounded with his third birdie in as many rounds at the par- five fourth.
He birdied the sixth and parred out to make the turn at seven-under par for the championship.

MLB: Morris shoots for sixth win of year in middle contest with Rockies

(Sports Network) - Matt Morris takes aim at win No. 6 this evening when the San Francisco Giants continue their three-game set with the Colorado Rockies at AT&T Park.

Morris is coming off a complete-game gem in his last outing on Sunday against Oakland, as he allowed a run on two hits, while striking out nine to earn the win, improving to 5-1 on the season, while lowering his earned run average to 2.93. He has surrendered just eight runs over his last four starts, spanning 29 innings.

The 32-year-old right-hander has faced the Rockies 11 times and is 5-4 against them with a 5.46 ERA.

Formula 1: Alonso snaps Ferrari pole streak

Monte Carlo, Monaco (Sports Network) - Spanish Fernando Alonso captured the pole for Sunday's Grand Prix of Monaco Formula One race and ended Ferrari's six-race pole win streak dating back to the Japanese GP last year. The two- time World Champion piloted the No.1 McLaren Mercedes around the tight 2.075- mile street course in one minute, 15.726 seconds.
The pole victory was Alonso's first of the season and 16th of his F1 career.
Starting alongside Alonso will be his rookie teammate Lewis Hamilton, the series points leader, who posted a second-best time of 1:15.905.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa (1:15.967) and Giancarlo Fisichella (1:16.285) will make up row two.
Hamilton won the first session which saw the elimination of Christijan Albers, Takuma Sato, Ralf Schumacher, Adrian Sutil, Scott Speed and Anthony Davidson.
In the second session Kimi Raikkonen clipped the barrier exiting the swimming pool area, breaking his right-front suspension, and leaving him with a 15th- place starting position.
Alonso edged Hamilton on his final lap for the win and McLaren swept the front row.

NBA: Jazz desperate for a win in Game 3 against Spurs

(Sports Network) - The third-seeded San Antonio Spurs attempt to take a commanding 3-0 lead over No. 4 Utah in the Western Conference finals, as the teams square off tonight at EnergySolutions Arena.
Tim Duncan scored 26 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and blocked five shots as the Spurs held off the Jazz, 105-96, on Tuesday at the AT&T Center to take a 2-0 lead in the conference finals.
Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili both scored 17 points, while Parker also dished out a playoff career-high 14 assists for the Spurs, who improved to 6-2 at home in the postseason.
Carlos Boozer poured in 33 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, while Deron Williams contributed 26 points and 10 assists for the Jazz, who have lost 18 straight overall in San Antonio and fell to 2-6 on the road in this year's playoffs.
In the series opener, Duncan scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead San Antonio over the Jazz, 108-100, at the AT&T Center. Ginobili ended with 23 points and 10 assists, while Parker netted 21 in the victory.

Soccer: Owen returns to international play

BURNLEY, England (AP) -- Michael Owen returned to international play for the first time since injuring a knee at last year's World Cup, playing a full 90 minutes for England's "B" team Friday in a 3-1 exhibition victory over Albania.
He set up Stewart Downing for England's third goal in the second half, but the Newcastle forward's best chance came in the seventh minute, steering wide a cross from Aaron Lennon.
Owen ruptured a knee ligament in England's 2-2 tie with Sweden in June and only recovered in time to play in Newcastle's final three games of the Premier League season.

MLB: A's place Robertson on DL

Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - The Oakland Athletics placed pitcher Connor Robertson on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a fractured right thumb. The move is retroactive to Tuesday.
Robertson was selected from Triple-A Sacramento on May 15 and posted an 18.00 ERA in three games for Oakland. He suffered the injury in Monday's game at Chicago.
To take his spot on the roster, the A's selected pitcher Erasmo Ramirez from Sacramento. Ramirez was 3-0 with a 1.27 ERA and two saves in 19 relief appearances for Sacramento. Oakland cleared a spot for him on the 40-man roster by designating pitcher David Shafer for assignment.
Oakland also announced that catcher Jeremy Brown has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Sacramento.

Cycling: Former Tour de France champion Bjarne Riis admits doping

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- Bjarne Riis became the first Tour de France winner to admit using performance-enhancing drugs to win the sport's premier race, further eroding cycling's credibility after a series of doping confessions.
His admission Friday means the top three finishers in the 1996 Tour have all been linked to doping -- and two have admitted cheating.
The retired Dane said he used the blood-booster EPO from 1993 to 1998, including during his 1996 Tour victory, confirming years of speculation that he benefited from banned substances. He also admitted taking cortisone and human growth hormone, but didn't say when.

MLB: Braves' Gonzalez needs Tommy John surgery; season over

Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Atlanta Braves general manager John Schuerholz announced on Friday that reliever Mike Gonzalez needs to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a slight ligament tear in the lower part of his left elbow.
An MRI performed by Dr David Altcheck in New York on Thursday revealed the extent of Gonzalez's injury.
Gonzalez, acquired in an offseason trade from Pittsburgh for first baseman Adam LaRoche, had been dominant out of the bullpen. The southpaw had a record of 2-0 with two saves and a stellar 1.59 earned run average in 18 appearances. He was originally placed on 15-day disabled list on May 16 with a left elbow strain.
Recovery from Tommy John surgery typically requires a full year of recovery.

NBA: Bobcats name Vincent head coach

Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - The Charlotte Bobcats hired Sam Vincent as their new head coach on Friday.
The 44-year old Vincent -- a former Dallas Mavericks assistant -- will succeed Bernie Bickerstaff, who coached the Bobcats in their first three seasons and remains the club's general manager.
"We are extremely pleased to welcome Sam into our organization as our next head coach," Bobcats owner Bob Johnson said. "He is one of the top, young coaching prospects in the NBA and we feel he is the perfect complement for our team."
Most of Vincent's coaching experience is on the international front. He got his start in coaching in South Africa, overseeing a pro team in Cape Town. Vincent has also coached teams in Greece and the Netherlands, but is best known for piloting the Nigerian national men's team to a stunning upset over world power Serbia & Montenegro at the 2006 FIBA World Championships.

MLB: Mariners place Ramirez on DL

Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - The Seattle Mariners placed starting pitcher Horacio Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his left shoulder.
Ramirez felt stiffness in his left shoulder in his start Thursday against Tampa Bay and was pulled following the second inning. The 27-year-old southpaw is 4-2 with a 6.47 ERA in eight starts for Seattle this season.
To take his spot on the roster, the Mariners recalled pitcher Jon Huber from Triple-A Tacoma. Huber is 1-2 with a 4.01 ERA and five saves in 15 relief appearances for Tacoma this season.

Hockey: Former NHL star Tocchet pleads guilty

Trenton, NJ (Sports Network) - Former NHL player Rick Tocchet pleaded guilty on Friday to running a sports gambling ring.
Tocchet, who is currently on leave from his job as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Coyotes, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and promoting gambling, both in the third degree.
"Mr. Tocchet found the quick profits of sports bookmaking alluring," said New Jersey attorney general Stuart Rabner. "Of course, they also are illegal. He will now face a sentencing judge for the consequences of his actions."
Sentencing has been scheduled for August 17. Under New Jersey law, third- degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of five years in state prison and third-degree gambling offenses also carry a fine of up to $25,000.
Tocchet is the third man to plead guilty in the case, which New Jersey authorities named "Operation Slapshot." The others, including state trooper James Harney, are expected to get jail time.
Tocchet was identified by the New Jersey State Police as being the alleged partner and financier of Harney.
According to State Police, the investigation revealed a sports betting system that processed more than 1,000 wagers that exceeded a total of $1.7 million on professional and collegiate sporting events during a 40-day period.

PGA Champions: New Champions Tour event for 2008

Cap Cana, Dominican Republic (Sports Network) - The Champions Tour announced on Friday that a new event will be added to the 2008 docket, emanating from the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Punta Espada Golf Club in Cap Cana.
The 54-hole tournament is scheduled for April 4-6, 2008 with a purse of $2 million.
"The Cap Cana will be a prestigious addition to our 2008 schedule," said Rick George, Champions Tour President. "The pristine setting combined with the Jack Nicklaus design of the Punta Espada Golf Club and resources and amenities of the Cap Cana Resort will immediately establish The Cap Cana as a premier event on the Champions Tour."
The entire 2008 schedule will be announced next month after the Bank of America Championship.

European PGA Tour: Cabrera and Rose on top at BMW PGA

Surrey, England (Sports Network) - Angel Cabrera posted a six-under 66 on Friday to join overnight co-leader Justin Rose, who birdied his last three for a 70, in the lead after two rounds of the BMW PGA Championship.
The pair is knotted at eight-under-par 136 and is one ahead at Wentworth Club's West Course.
Ross Fisher (67) and Marcus Fraser (70) are tied for third place at minus- seven.
Paul Broadhurst, who shared the first-round lead with Rose, shot an even-par 72 on Thursday and is tied with last week's Irish Open winner Padraig Harrington (69), Miguel Angel Jimenez (68), Shiv Kapur (71) and Matthew Millar (69). The group shares fifth place at six-under-par 138.
Cabrera, the 2005 winner and runner-up the previous year, started off with a bang at the first. He hit a three-wood off the tee, then holed his eight-iron approach for an eagle, which was especially impressive considering he bogeyed the hole on Thursday.

French Soccer: Bordeaux tries to hold on to European spot

Toulouse, France (Sports Network) - The race for the final spots in Europe has taken center stage on France's final weekend, with four teams fighting it out for two places.
The final Champions League qualifying spot is still up for grabs, but Lens can put an end to that with a win at relegation-bound Troyes. That leaves the final place in the UEFA Cup as the most likely option for European soccer for three teams, Bordeaux, Rennes and Toulouse.
Two of those teams will get together at Stadium Municipal on Saturday as Bordeaux, who currently holds the final spot, visits Toulouse, who is just two points back. A win by Bordeaux would lock up the last place, while Toulouse must take all three points and get a little help.
Bordeaux coach Ricardo will have to do without Marouane Chamakh, one of the team's top strikers, due to suspension, while Carlos Henrique, Franck Jurietti and Julien Faubert are all out with injury.
Should Bordeaux fall to Toulouse, the door would open for Rennes, who come into Saturday's action with a one-point edge on Toulouse, and who would grab the UEFA Cup place with a win at Lille and a Bordeaux loss or draw.

Spanish Soccer: Red-hot Madrid just three wins away from title

Madrid, Spain (Sports Network) - Real Madrid has won eight of its last nine games, including its last five, to not only climb back into the title picture but to jump into La Liga's top spot with three games remaining.
Now, Fabio Capello's side is just three wins away from claiming its first league title in four years, and that stretch run starts Saturday at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu when Deportivo comes calling.
Roberto Carlos rescued all three points for Madrid last weekend as he scored in the game's final minutes to hand his club a 3-2 win against Recreativo, keeping Madrid atop the table.
Deportivo, meanwhile, has little left to play for over the remaining three games of the season. The club is currently in 13th in the league standings, 11 points clear of the relegation zone and 10 points out of a spot in the UEFA Cup. Although Joaquin Caparros' side is stuck hopelessly in the middle of the table, expect a strong effort from Deportivo as they will try to duplicate their 2-0 win against Madrid earlier this season. They don't have much left to gain this campaign, but they can certainly put a big dent in Madrid's title hopes.

WTA: Mauresmo reaches final; Jankovic pulls out in Strasbourg

Strasbourg, France (Sports Network) - Top-seeded heavy French favorite Amelie Mauresmo landed in Saturday's final, while second-seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic pulled out of her scheduled semifinal bout at the $175,00 Strasbourg International tennis event, a final French Open tune-up.
The former world No. 1 and reigning Wimbledon champion Mauresmo held off her fifth-seeded fellow Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-7 (1-7), 6-3 on the red clay at Ligue d'Alsace de Tennis.
The two-time Grand Slam champion Mauresmo is seeking her second title of the year and 25th of her career. She's 24-21 in 45 career finals, including 1-1 this season.
The world No. 4 Jankovic, meanwhile, withdrew from her match against sixth- seeded Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues due to an illness. Jankovic was last week's titlist in Rome, where she upended French Open runner-up Svetlana Kuznetsova in the finale.
Medina Garrigues, via the walkover, advanced to her 10th career final. She's 6-3 in her title matches and will appear in her first final of 2007.
The 27-year-old Mauresmo is 4-0 lifetime against the 24-year-old Medina Garrigues.

ATP: Czechs will meet Argentines in World Team finale

Dusseldorf, Germany (Sports Network) - The Czech Republic, led by Tomas Berdych, secured a berth in Saturday's final at the 30th ATP World Team Championship, where they will meet Argentina in a best-of-three affair.
The Czechs bested the 2006 runner-up Germans 3-0 here on Friday, as Berdych blitzed Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-2 before Jan Hajek propelled them into the final with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 decision against Florian Mayer. The Czechs closed out their round-robin activity for the week with a 6-4, 6-4 doubles victory by Berdych and Martin Damm over a German tandem of Benjamin Becker and Michael Kohlmann.
The Czechs, who haven't titled here since 1987, won the four-nation Blue Group with a perfect 3-0 record. The Germans settled for a 1-2 mark this week, while Spain went 2-1 in the group and Belgium rounded things out with a dismal 0-3 showing.
In a meaningless matchup, the Spaniards beat the Belgians 3-0 on Day 6, including singles victories for French Open hopefuls David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro.
Two-time champion Argentina (1980, 2002) captured this week's Red Group with a 2-1 record, followed by 2-1 Chile and the 1-2 United States and Sweden. The Argentines defeated the Chileans 3-0 here on Thursday to secure their berth in the title round.
Saturday's singles in the final will pit Berdych against Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela and Hajek versus Argentine Agustin Calleri. The potentially- deciding doubles match will be announced later on Saturday.

Horse Racing: Great Hunter pointed toward Belmont Stakes

Elmont, NY (Sports Network) - The field for the 139th running of the Belmont Stakes continues to remain in flux, as the field of 10-12 three-year-olds is taking shape two weeks before the 1 1/2 mile race.
Highly-regarded colt Great Hunter appears to be a definite starter for the third leg of racing's Triple Crown. Trainer Doug O'Neill is making plans to ship Great Hunter to Belmont Park several days prior to June 9.
"He's either going to New York on June 4 or 5," O'Neill said from California. "That will give him a couple of chances to school in the paddock there."
Owned by J. Paul Reddam, Great Hunter was third to Street Sense in the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He opened this year by winning the Robert B. Lewis Stakes and then was a troubled fifth in the Blue Grass Stakes. Great Hunter was 13th in the Kentucky Derby after starting from the far outside post position.
Wood Memorial winner Nobiz Like Shobiz is now doubtful for the Belmont Stakes.
"If it were a walkover or a two horse race, I would run," trainer Barclay Tagg said. "A $1 million race is a $1 million race. Right now, I'm planning on races like the Dwyer, Jim Dandy and Travers."
Nobiz Like Shobiz was 10th in the Kentucky Derby. He won the Holy Bull Stakes in February, but then finished third in the Fountain of Youth.
Two weeks until the Belmont Stakes the probables include Street Sense, Curlin, Hard Spun, Tiago, Slew's Tizzy, Sightseeing, Rags to Riches, Great Hunter, Imawildandcrazyguy, Circular Quay and Chelokee.

MLB:Devil Rays hold off Mariners in slugfest

St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Dioner Navarro was 2-for-4 with three RBI and his run-scoring single was part of a seven-run third inning which helped Tampa Bay outlast Seattle, 13-12, in the finale of a three-game set between the clubs at Tropicana Field.
Carl Crawford finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored for the D-Rays, who salvaged a game in the series and snapped a five-game skid. Ty Wigginton had a solo homer among his two hits, knocked in a pair and scored three times, Josh Wilson collected two hits, an RBI and a run scored, Delmon Young collected a pair of RBI, and B.J. Upton scored and knocked in a run.
Jae Seo (3-4) managed to get credit for the win despite yielding 13 hits and seven runs -- six earned -- over five full innings. Al Reyes had a shaky ninth, but held on to post his 13th save.
Jose Lopez was 4-for-5 with a triple, a homer, four RBI and two runs scored for the Mariners, who had their two-game win streak snapped. Jose Vidro finished 3-for-5 with a double, Ichiro Suzuki had three hits including a home run, two RBI and scored twice, Ben Broussard collected three hits and also scored a run, while Kenji Johjima had a pair of hits and scored twice.
Sean White (1-1) took the loss, allowing six hits and seven runs over two- thirds of an inning of relief. Horacio Ramirez only went two innings in his start for the M's, allowing three hits and three runs, walking two and striking out none.

PGA European: Rose, Broadhurst share lead at Wentworth

Surrey, England (Sports Network) - Justin Rose continued his strong play this season as he opened the BMW PGA Championship with a six-under-par 66 Thursday to share the first-round lead with Paul Broadhurst at Wentworth Club's West Course.
Rose has four top-five finishes in seven worldwide starts during the 2007 season, including a win at the MasterCard Masters. That event was played in November as part of the early portion of the European Tour's 2007 International schedule.
Francesco Molinari, the 2006 Italian Open champion, shares third place at minus-five with Shiv Kapur, Simon Khan and Marcus Fraser.
With 2006 champion David Howell out of action this week due to a back injury, world No. 5 Ernie Els headlines the field. Els has won the HSBC World Match Play Championship six times at Wentworth and last year did some redesign work on the course. He carded an opening-round 68 and is tied for seventh place.
Rose was preparing to start his round as Broadhurst was ending his. Rose opened with a birdie on the second, but dropped a shot at the next. He got back into red figures with a birdie at three.

LPGA Tour:Sorenstam (not that one) leads Corning Classic

Corning, NY (Sports Network) - It is not unfamiliar to see the name "Sorenstam" atop an LPGA leaderboard. What is shocking is when it's not Annika.
Charlotta Sorenstam, the non-exempt younger sister of LPGA star Annika Sorenstam, fired an eight-under-par 64 and is front after the first round of the LPGA Corning Classic.
"It was great," said Charlotta, referring to her name being at the top of the leaderboard. "I was hoping they would put a C. in front so everybody knew it was me."
Beth Bader is alone in second place after an opening-round, seven-under-par 65 at Corning Country Club. Paula Creamer, Jamie Hullett and Shi Hyun Ahn are tied for third place at minus-six.
They are chasing the sister of the game's top star.
With her older sister set to return to action next week after a recovery from back and neck injuries, Charlotta Sorenstam took advantage of simple scoring conditions.
She began on the back nine and rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt at the 11th. Sorenstam drained a 12-footer for birdie at 15, then came right back with a two-footer for birdie at 16.

PGA Tour:Kim's 63 leads suspended Colonial

Ft. Worth, TX (Sports Network) - Thunderstorms caused two weather delays Thursday in the first round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, eventually forcing the suspension of play until Friday morning.

Anthony Kim shot a seven-under 63 and had the clubhouse lead at the former Colonial when the round was suspended for good around 4:30 p.m. local time, about 1 1/2 hours after the second weather delay began.
The first delay lasted from 11:23 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
Play will resume Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. local time.
More thunderstorms like the ones seen Thursday are forecast for the remaining three days of the tournament, but because this is an invitational field, there is a better chance things will remain on track for a weekend finish.
Just 57 of 114 players finished their first round Thursday.
Ted Purdy and Jeff Maggert both shot six-under 64s and were one stroke off Kim's lead in the clubhouse. Nathan Green, Jeff Quinney and Peter Lonard had five-under 65s and shared fourth place.

ATP: Injured Fish will miss French Open

Dusseldorf, Germany (Sports Network) - American Mardy Fish pulled out of the 2007 French Open on Thursday, citing a foot injury.
Fish sustained the injury while kicking a football, as he and his American teammates were visiting the Rhein Fire club of NFL Europa. The world No. 31 player sprained some ligaments in the foot while attempting to kick a field goal.
The 25-year-old Fish pulled out of his scheduled singles match Thursday at the ATP World Team event in Dusseldorf.
The French Open will commence Sunday in Paris.

WTA: Mauresmo, Jankovic land in Strasbourg SFs

Strasbourg, France (Sports Network) - Top-seeded French favorite Amelie Mauresmo and last week's Rome titlist Jelena Jankovic were among Thursday's quarterfinal winners at the $175,00 Strasbourg International tennis event, a final French Open tune-up.

The former world No. 1 and reigning Wimbledon champion Mauresmo staved off her ninth-seeded fellow Frenchwoman Emilie Loit 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, while the second-seeded Jankovic stayed red hot by leveling Italian Maria Elena Camerin 6-3, 6-4 on the red clay at Ligue d'Alsace de Tennis.

The Serbian Jankovic upset Russian star Svetlana Kuznetsova in last week's finale in Rome.

Mauresmo's semifinal opponent on Friday will be her fifth-seeded compatriot Marion Bartoli, while Jankovic will encounter sixth-seeded Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues. Bartoli outlasted Russian Elena Vesnina 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 on Day 4, while Medina Garrigues fought back to oust fourth-seeded Chinese Na Li 2-6, 6-3, 7-5.

WTA: Sharapova reaches Istanbul semis

Istanbul, Turkey (Sports Network) - Top-seeded and former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova needed all three sets on Thursday to reach the semifinals at the $200,000 Istanbul Cup tennis event.
Sharapova got past seventh-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 at this final clay-court French Open tune-up. Sharapova's semifinal opponent here on Friday will be upstart Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai, who stunned former top-ranked star Venus Williams of the United States here on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old Sharapova is playing her first tennis following a seven- week injury layoff. The tall superstar hadn't played a WTA match since losing to Serena Williams in Miami back in late March before besting Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova here on Tuesday.
Sharapova was last year's U.S. Open champion and this year's Australian Open runner-up to Serena.
Second-seeded Elena Dementieva joined her fellow Russian Sharapova in the semis with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 come-from-behind victory over Colombian Catalina Castano, while Rezai marched on with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 comeback win against veteran American Meghann Shaughnessy.

The two-time major runner-up Dementieva's final four opponent will be rising Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko, who advanced without even lifting her racquet on Thursday when third-seeded Swiss Patty Schnyder pulled out of their scheduled quarterfinal due to a right leg injury. Schnyder was a semifinalist at last week's event in Rome. The fifth-seeded Bondarenko was this month's Warsaw runner-up to currently top-ranked Belgian stalwart Justine Henin.

ATP: Davydenko, Roddick bow out in Austria

Prtschach, Austria (Sports Network) - Top-seeded and two-time defending champion Nikolay Davydenko and former world No. 1 Andy Roddick were a pair of upset victims in Thursday's quarterfinal action at the Hypo Group Tennis International, a final clay-court French Open tune-up.
Capable Argentine Juan Monaco knocked out Davydenko in 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 fashion at Werzer Arena. The Russian Davydenko beat 2000 champion Andrei Pavel of Romania in last year's finale here and was the 2003 Prtschach runner-up to Roddick.
The U.S. Open runner-up and second-seeded Roddick was upended by French wild card Gael Monfils 7-5, 6-3. Monfils, who will appear in his first ATP-level semifinal in 12 months, is rewarded with a semifinal match against another former top-ranked star, two-time major champion Lleyton Hewitt, who pasted Argentine Diego Hartfield 6-2, 6-2 on Day 5. The fourth-seeded Hewitt was a semifinalist at last week's Hamburg Masters.
The world No. 3 Roddick has failed to title in all six of his events so far this season.
Friday's other semi will pit Monaco against Peruvian Luis Horna, who advanced with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (2-7), 6-1 decision against Spaniard Albert Montanes.

Hockey: Leetch hangs up his skates

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Former Rangers defenseman, and 18-year NHL veteran Brian Leetch announced his retirement on Thursday.
The two-time Norris Trophy winner spent more than 16 seasons in New York, ranking as the Rangers' all-time leader among defensemen in goals, assists and points. He concludes his career with 247 goals, 781 assists, and 1,028 points in 1,205 games.
"I have been fortunate to be an NHL player since 1988," said Leetch in a statement released on Thursday. "I missed being in the NHL this past season, but believe it was the right time for me to stop playing."
Leetch was a member of the Rangers' Stanley Cup championship club in 1994. He registered 11 goals and 23 assists in 23 games en route to being awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
He has been voted a First Team All-Star on two occasions (1992, 1997) and a Second Team All-Star three times (1991, 1994, 1996).
The native of Corpus Christi, Texas was originally drafted by the Rangers in the first round (ninth overall) in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. He played one season at Boston College before jumping to the USA's Olympic team the following season.
After the Winter Olympics in Calgary, he made his NHL debut on February 29, 1988 at Madison Square Garden, eventually appearing in 17 games and recording 14 points for the club. His true rookie season, 1988-89, saw Leetch post 23 goals and 71 points in 68 games.
In 1991-92, the Connecticut-raised blueliner scored 102 points, becoming only the fifth defenseman in league history to top the century mark as the Rangers won the Patrick Division regular season title. He was awarded the Norris Trophy as best defenseman for the first time.
A second Norris Trophy came in 1996-97, when he accumulated 78 points in 82 games as the Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals. Upon the departure of then-captain Mark Messier to Vancouver after the season, he was named 23rd captain in team history, a title which he held until Messier's return in 2000.
He remained in Manhattan until a March, 2004 trade sent him to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Following the cancelled 2004-2005 season, Leetch signed with the Boston Bruins, scoring five goals and 32 points in 61 games in 2005-2006.

MLB: Phils say P Myers has shoulder strain

Miami, FL (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Phillies confirmed that pitcher Brett Myers strained his right shoulder on Thursday.
Myers left Wednesday's game against Florida with the injury and Phillies head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan said there was no change.
Myers is currently listed as day-to-day but is scheduled to undergo an MRI at the team's spring training complex in Clearwater, Fla. later on Thursday.
After the Phillies scored three runs in the top of the ninth to take a 7-3 lead on Wednesday, the team turned to Myers get the final three outs of the game. Things got dicey as Todd Linden and Alfredo Amezaga led off the inning with back-to-back bloop singles.
Dan Uggla then roped a line drive to right field and legged out a triple, scoring both runs. Hanley Ramirez followed with a sacrifice bunt, but Phils first baseman Greg Dobbs inexplicably threw home as Uggla easily scored to bring Florida within a run.
Myers then struck out Miguel Cabrera, hit Josh Willingham and struck out Jeremy Hermida for the second out of the inning. Aaron Boone followed with a single to left, and left fielder Jayson Werth's throw home clearly beat Ramirez, who was attempting to score on the base hit.
However, catcher Rod Barajas stood up after receiving Werth's throw and Ramirez slid under his tag to tie the game.
Then, on Myers' second pitch to Miguel Olivo, the right-hander uncorked a wild throw and immediately grabbed his right arm before leaving the game.
Myers began the season as Philadelphia's opening-day starter before he was moved to the bullpen. Tom Gordon was then placed on the disabled list and Myers stepped into the closer's role.

Hockey: Canucks re-sign C Kesler

Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - The Vancouver Canucks re-signed center Ryan Kesler to a three-year contract on Thursday. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Kesler, 22, appeared in 48 games for the Canucks last season, recording six goals, 10 assists and 40 penalty minutes. He missed the last 34 games of the regular season with a hip injury.

In 158 career games -- all with the Canucks -- Kesler has tallied 18 goals, 26 assists and 135 penalty minutes.

Hockey: Ramsay fired by Lightning

Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Lightning relieved associate coach Craig Ramsay of his duties on Thursday.
In his seven seasons in Tampa Bay, Ramsay helped lead the Lightning to four consecutive Stanley Cup Playoff appearances, two Southeast Division titles and a Stanley Cup while focusing on the defense and special teams.
Ramsay joined the Lightning as associate coach during the 2000-01 season and brought nearly three decades of NHL experience with him to the team.
"Associate coach Craig Ramsay has been relieved of his coaching duties with the Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Club," executive vice president and general manager Jay Feaster said. "We thank Craig for his seven years of service to this franchise and for his hard work and dedication in helping us become Stanley Cup Champions.
"Head coach John Tortorella has begun the process of identifying and interviewing coaching candidates to serve as his top assistant. No timetable has been placed on filling the position."

MLB: Bonderman returns to mound for Tigers

Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Detroit Tigers right-hander Jeremy Bonderman was activated from the 15-day disabled list Thursday, and will toe the rubber for Detroit's afternoon game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The 24-year-old starter has missed more than two weeks with a blister on his right middle finger. Bonderman was off to a good, albeit unlucky, start this season, going 2-0 with a 4.20 ERA with five no-decisions. Bonderman only allowed more than three runs in one of those no-decisions, and twice allowed only a single run, yet failed to pick up the win.

The Tigers had opened a roster spot for Bonderman by optioning rookie left-hander Andrew Miller to Double-A Erie on Tuesday.

NBA: Pistons try to take 2-0 lead over Cavs in East finals

(Sports Network) - The top-seeded Detroit Pistons try to take a 2-0 lead over No. 2 Cleveland, as the clubs meet tonight at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.
On Monday, Chauncey Billups' three-pointer with 1:52 left put Detroit ahead and Cleveland came up empty on a pair of chances inside the final 20 seconds, as the Pistons beat the Cavaliers, 79-76, in the opener at The Palace.
Richard Hamilton ended with a game-high 24 points and dished out seven assists for the Pistons in the victory. Billups scored 10 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter for Detroit.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, but missed a potential go-ahead jumper with 15 seconds left for Cleveland, which failed to score a single point in the final 2:08 of the game.
Superstar LeBron James ended with just 10 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Cavaliers, who are 4-2 on the road in the playoffs. James shot 5-of-15 from the field and with a chance to tie the game with under 10 seconds left, he kicked a pass out to Donyell Marshall, who missed a wide-open three-pointer from the corner.
Detroit, which is 5-1 at home in the postseason, has won five straight Game 2s in the playoffs, while the Cavaliers have won two straight Game 2s and are 1-1 all-time in the second game of the East finals.
Game 3 of this best-of-seven series is scheduled for Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena.

NBA: Foot injury scratches Nocioni from Olympic qualifier

Buenos Aires, Argentina (Sports Network) - Chicago Bulls forward Andres Nocioni ruled himself out of the upcoming FIBA Americas Championship with a foot injury.

It was just the latest blow for Argentina. Manu Ginobili and Fabricio Oberto of the San Antonio Spurs and Walter Hermann of the Charlotte Bobcats have already bowed out of the Olympic qualifying tournament in Las Vegas.

"This damn sole (plantar) fasciitis I've been carrying for some months has not fully healed," Nocioni said in a statement released on Argentina basketball's federation web site.

"I cannot explain how angry I am," Nocioni added. "Since making my debut in the national team, I have never been absent from any nomination and I did not want to be absent now."

NBA: Bobcats set to name Vincent head coach

Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - The Charlotte Bobcats have reportedly decided to hire Sam Vincent as their new head coach.

According to the Charlotte Observer, Vincent -- a Dallas Mavericks assistant -- has accepted the job and barring a last-minute breakdown in contract negotiations will be introduced by Friday.

The 44-yeard old Vincent will succeed Bernie Bickerstaff, who coached the Bobcats in their first three seasons and remains the club's general manager.

Most of Vincent's coaching experience is on the international front. He got his start in coaching in South Africa, overseeing a pro team in Cape Town. Vincent has also coached teams in Greece and the Netherlands, but is best known for piloting the Nigerian national men's team to a stunning upset over world power Serbia & Montenegro at the 2006 FIBA World Championships.

Vincent has only been an NBA assistant for one season, but did coach the Fort Worth Flyers in the NBA's developmental league to the championship round before his stint in Dallas.

A former point guard, Vincent played seven NBA seasons and was a teammate of Bobcats' managing partner Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls. He also played for Bickerstaff with the Seattle Supersonics.

MLB: Penny, Dodgers top Brewers

Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Brad Penny tossed seven scoreless innings and Russell Martin tied his career high with four RBI as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-1, in the rubber match of three-game series at Dodger Stadium.

Penny (6-1) scattered just six hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts. The right-hander got back in the win column after he was tagged for a season- high eight runs and eight hits in a setback to the Angels last Friday.

Martin had a three-run double and a sacrifice fly, while Juan Pierre went 2- for-4 and scored a pair of runs for Los Angeles, which has won two straight after putting the brakes on a four-game skid.

ATP World Team Championship Men's Tennis

Dusseldorf, Germany

Total Prize Money: $2,025,000

THURSDAY'S FIRST ROUND MATCHES

Juan Ignacio Chela leads Fernando Gonzalez, 6-3, 3-2 Jose Acasuso vs. Nicolas Massu Thomas Johansson leads Mike Bryan, 6-3, 5-3 Robin Soderling vs. James Blake

WTA: Golovin pulls out of Roland Garros

Paris, France (Sports Network) - French favorite Tatiana Golovin pulled out of the 2007 French Open on Wednesday, citing a right foot injury.

The 17th-ranked Golovin, a native of Russia who plays under the French flag, suffered the injury while playing Fed Cup tennis for France last month.

China's Shuai Peng, ranked 32nd in the world, also announced her withdrawal from the year's second Grand Slam event. She is sidelined with a left ankle injury.

The '07 French Open will commence Sunday in Paris. Justine Henin is the two-time defending ladies' champion at the world's most prestigious clay-court tournament.

NBA: Hill out as Magic head coach

Orlando, FL (Sports Network) - After two seasons with the Orlando Magic, Brian Hill will reportedly not return as the team's head coach.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Hill, who lead the Magic to a 40-42 record and the eighth-seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs this past season, will be offered a position within the organization. Orlando was swept in the first round by the Pistons.
This was Hill's second stint with the team, having guided a Magic team led by Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway to the 1995 NBA Finals. That team was swept by Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets. Hill was fired in 1997 after a player revolt.

MLB: A's place Bradley on DL

Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - The Oakland Athletics placed outfielder Milton Bradley on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a strained left hamstring. The move is retroactive to May 15.
Bradley was hitting .275 with two home runs and six RBI in 15 games for Oakland this season. It is the second time this season that Bradley is on the DL with a hamstring injury.
To take his spot on the roster, the A's recalled infielder Donnie Murphy from Triple-A Sacramento. Murphy was batting .354 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 25 games for Sacramento.

ATP: Czechs, Spaniards notch wins at World Team event

Dusseldorf, Germany (Sports Network) - The Czech Republic (2-0) and Spain (1-1) were Wednesday's round-robin winners at the ATP World Team Championship.
The Czechs stayed perfect in the "Blue Group" with a 2-1 victory over Belgium (0-2), which has been eliminated from final contention. Tomas Berdych gave the Czechs a Day-4 lead with a 6-3, 6-0 spanking of Olivier Rochus and Jan Hajek clinched the point with a 7-6 (9-7), 6-4 victory over Kristof Vliegen. The Belgians won the meaningless doubles match when their pairing of Rochus and Steve Darcis topped a Czech tandem of Berdych and Martin Damm 6-4, 3-6, 10-7.
The Czechs would land in Saturday's finale with a victory against the host Germans here on Friday.
In other Blue Group action, Spain posted a 2-1 victory against the four-time champion Germans (1-1). David Ferrer gave the Spaniards the lead by handling Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 7-5 and Nicolas Almagro sealed the deal for Spain with a 6-4, 6-4 decision against Florian Mayer. The doubles match saw a German tandem of Michael Kohlmann and Alexander Waske best a Spanish pairing of Almagro and Bartolome Salva-Vidal 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 at Rochusclub.