Coric, Cilic put Croatia in charge of Davis Cup final

Borna Coric and Marin Cilic put Croatia in complete control of the Davis Cup final on Friday, leaving hosts and defending champions France facing what looks like mission impossible.

France captain Yannick Noah’s odd choice of Jeremy Chardy and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the opening singles rubbers backfired spectacularly as Croatia built a 2-0 lead inside the huge Stade Pierre Mauroy— home to Lille’s soccer club.

Coric gave Croatia a flying start with an emphatic 6-2 7-5 6-4 win over Chardy and the 33-year-old Tsonga, out for most of the season after knee surgery, was pummelled 6-3 7- 5 6-4 by world number seven Cilic.

Croatia need to win one of the three remaining rubbers to claim a repeat of their 2005 Davis Cup triumph while French hopes of extending the contest to Sunday now rest with doubles pair Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert. REUTERS Phil Mickelson has played in Tiger Woods’ shadow for much of his career but got some semblance of revenge on by winning their $9 million matchplay exhibition under the floodlights in Las Vegas.

With the match all square through regulation, Mickelson sealed the win at the fourth hole of a suddendeath playoff when he drained a four-foot birdie putt on a makeshift 93-yard hole after the duo had teed off from a practice green.

Mickelson, whose tally of five major championships is well shy of the 14 held by Woods, savoured the win over a player he had a whitehot rivalry with more than a decade ago and whom he described as the best to ever play the game.

Golf’s first venture into pay-per-view was hyped like a Las Vegas prizefight but proved more of a pillow fight with both golfers in jovial mood, playing for a purse that was put up by sponsors and will go to a charity of Mickelson’s choice.

While the event lacked the tension provided by a Sunday back nine at the Masters, Woods set up a dramatic fin- ish when his bump-and-run from beside the 17th green, with the match on the line, found the cup and brought the match to all square.

“I just did not want the match to end on that hole,” said Woods, who grabbed his only lead at the day with a birdie at 12 but gave it right back at the 13th.

Woods’ shot at 17 pumped some much-needed life into the match as the players headed to the 18th where Mickelson had a 32-foot putt for the win but failed to convert. Nothing was settled when the players returned to the 18th tee for the first extra hole and so they descended on the 93-yard hole where they had to wait as the grounds crew re-cut a hole on the 18th green.

Woods and Mickelson, who are among the world’s highest-paid athletes, put up their own money for the side bets, including a whopping $1 million wager if either made eagle at the ninth hole. Neither golfer was able to cash in.

Mickelson also earned $600,000 for winning three closest-to-the-pin side bets after losing $ 200,000 for failing to make a birdie at the opening hole. Money from side bets will also be donated to charity. REUTERS