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SPORTS Saturday 24 November 2018
Croatia eases to 2-0 over France in Davis Cup final

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN for Cilic and Coric, who had
Associated Press to quickly adapt to clay af-
LILLE, France (AP) — France ter playing last week on a
captain Yannick Noah's hard court at the ATP Finals
gamble on players and in London. Cilic played in
court surface backfired the elite event, while Coric
against Croatia in the Davis practiced as a reserve.
Cup final on Friday. But the Croats were un-
Noah chose Jeremy Char- fazed and excelled in front
dy and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of a hostile crowd.
to meet Croatia on in- Tsonga faced an onslaught
door clay, and they were from Cilic in the opening
thrashed in straight sets on set and had no answers.
the first day, leaving the The seventh-ranked player
Croats on the verge of their won his first three service
second Davis Cup crown. games at love, broke for
Borna Coric dismantled 4-2 after Tsonga made a
Chardy 6-2, 7-5, 6-4, and couple of backhand errors,
Marin Cilic defeated Tson- and held at love again to
ga 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 at Pierre seal the opener.
Mauroy Stadium in the The Frenchman played too
opening singles. short when not hitting too
Croatia, which won its sole Croatia's Borna Coric returns the ball to France's Jeremy Chardy during the Davis Cup final long, and exposed himself
title in 2005, leads 2-0 and between France and Croatia, Friday, Nov. 23, 2018 in Lille, northern France. to Cilic's ferocious forehand
can relieve the Davis Cup Associated Press attacks.
from the defending cham- players — Richard Gasquet es became obvious, as he the final at the ATP Finals In a tight second set, Cilic
pion in northern France by pulled out injured while was second-best in all as- last week and is slightly fa- coped with the pressure to
winning the doubles on Sat- Gael Monfils and Gilles Si- pects and injured toward vored against Mate Pavic save two break points in
urday. mon were overlooked — the end of his match. and Ivan Dodig on Satur- the eighth game, and Tson-
The Croatians clearly have Noah decided to open When asked about his se- day. ga cracked with unforced
the best players, who have with Chardy instead of Lu- lections, Noah said, "You "As long as we are not defi- errors.
not lost away from home cas Pouille, who clinched can try to rewrite history, nitely dead, we always try A backhand wide handed
since 2015. History also the 2017 final. Playing in his but it does not work that to hang on to something," Cilic a 6-5 lead and the for-
plays in their favor: Not first Davis Cup final, Chardy way." said Noah, who guided mer U.S. Open champion
since Australia in 1939 has was demolished by Coric. A glimmer of hope remains, France to three previous wrapped up the set at love
any team recovered from Tsonga was sidelined by though, thanks to Nicolas Davis Cup final triumphs, on serve. He broke again
a 2-0 deficit in a final. a knee injury for seven Mahut and Pierre-Hugues but none from behind. for 3-2 in the third set after
With the French missing months until September. His Herbert. France hoped the slow sur- a Tsonga double fault, and
their three highest-ranked lack of competitive match- The French pair reached face would be a problem held on.q

Bairstow hits 110, England 311-7 in final test v Sri Lanka

By REX CLEMENTINE moted to that position in
Associated Press Colombo.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) He made the most of the
— Jonny Bairstow marked opportunity by hitting his
his return to the England third test hundred against
team with a sixth test hun- Sri Lanka, adding 100 runs
dred to help the tourists to for the third wicket with
311-7 at the end of the first captain Joe Root (46) and
day of the third and final 99 for the fourth wicket
test against Sri Lanka on with Stokes (57) after Eng-
Friday. land won the toss.
Bairstow scored 110 off 186 "The emotion and hard
balls, with nine fours and a work that has gone into
six, in his first game since getting back out on the
twisting his ankle while field is massive," Bairstow
playing football almost a said.
month ago during the ODI "I was given an opportunity
series against the Sri Lank- to bat at No. 3 today. Long
ans. term, who knows what's
The injury created an op- going to happen?
portunity for Ben Foakes In the last year I think I've
to earn selection as wick- batted at No. 7, 6, 5, 4 and
etkeeper in the first test, England's Jonny Bairstow plays a shot during the first day of the third test cricket match between 3."
Sri Lanka and England in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Nov. 23, 2018.
and his century on debut Associated Press England is bidding to clinch
meant he was retained a 3-0 win in the series.
for the second test at Bair- a specialist batsman after because of a side strain. Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes Only Australia (2004) and
stow's expense. allrounder Sam Curran was England had experiment- at No. 3 in the previous two India (2017) have white-
Bairstow made his return as ruled out of the third test ed unsuccessfully using tests and Bairstow was pro- washed Sri Lanka away.q