Gordon might sub for Earnhardt next week
Sock, Isner give U.S. lead over Croatia
Jack Sock and John Isner gave the United States a 2-0 lead over Croatia on Friday in the best-of-five Davis Cup quarterfinal at Portland, Ore. Sock overcame a two-set deficit to beat Marin Cilic 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, and the 6-foot-10 Isner topped Borna Coric 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in the second match on the Tualatin Hills hard court. The U.S. can wrap up the Davis Cup tie Saturday with a win in the doubles match between twins Bob and Mike Bryan and Ivan Dodig and Marin Draganja. Two reverse singles matches are scheduled for Sunday. The U.S-Croatia winner will advance to the semifinals, playing the Czech Republic-France winner in September. The United States is seeking it first semifinals appearance since 2012, Croatia since 2009. The United States is 157-3 when leading 2-0 in Davis Cup competition. The last time the U.S. blew a 2-0 advantage was the 1994 semifinals against Sweden. Sock, No. 26 in the world, gave the U.S. the lead, though he got off to a sluggish start, as Cilic won the first two sets. But the 23-year-old Sock, playing in his first career home Davis Cup tie, bounced back to tie the match at two sets each, then claimed the dramatic fifth set by breaking Cilic in the ninth game. Sock finished the 3-hour, 13-minute match when Cilic, No. 12 in the world, hit his final shot into the net. Isner, dominating with his big serve that reached as high as 137 mph, had 23 aces to Coric's 3 in his three-set win. The 31-year-old Isner, No. 16 in the world and playing in his 20th career Davis Cup match, broke Coric once in each set. The U.S. last hosted a Davis Cup match in 2014, when it lost in the first round to Britain in San Diego. This is the fourth time Portland has hosted a Davis Cup tie. The United States is trying to break a nine-year Davis Cup title drought. The U.S. won in 2007 when it beat Russia 4-1 in Portland. Croatia claimed its only Davis Cup title in 2005.
Top-seeded Johnson upset at Newport
Eighth-seeded Donald Young knew what to expect from a player he's often practiced against. That made it easier pulling off the upset over top-seeded Steve Johnson. Young beat fellow American Johnson in the quarterfinals of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, 6-2, 6-3. "I played well. Stevie, we know each other well and we train a lot in the offseason and practice throughout the year, so there's no mysteries there," the 26-year-old Young said. "I know how to beat him. You're going to have to play well, so I knew exactly what I had to do, and fortunately I was able to do it." Young saved all five break points in the match. The 26-year-old Johnson connected on just 46 percent of his first serves. Johnson is ranked a career-best 25th this week. Johnson, who will be representing the United States at the Rio Olympics next month, is glad to see a friend doing well.
Loudon, N.H. — Jeff Gordon is ready to pull his firesuit out of storage and come off the bench for one more shot at winning one of NASCAR's crown jewel races.
Gordon might not be done, but Junior just might be, at least for the immediate future.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been parked for this weekend's NASCAR race and more absences could be ahead. Gordon, the four-time NASCAR champion, could make his retirement a brief one and go for his sixth win at the Brickyard next weekend in Indianapolis if Earnhardt is not cleared to return from concussion symptoms.
Earnhardt will sit out Sunday's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and there is no timetable on when NASCAR's most popular driver might return. While retirement talk for the 41-year-old Earnhardt might be premature, his history of concussions could accelerate the process on when he decides to hang up the helmet.
Gordon thought he was finished, walking away at the end of last season and one final championship run from one of NASCAR's alltime great careers: 93 wins, four series championships and more than $150 million in winnings.
But he is the obvious choice to pinch-drive in the No. 88 Chevrolet for Earnhardt, his former Hendrick Motorsports teammate, at one of his favorite tracks. Gordon won the last of his record five Brickyard 400 victories in 2014.
"He's not a bad person to think about to put in the car," Hendrick general manager Doug Duchardt said Friday.
Gordon, who has called NASCAR races for Fox Sports this season and expressed interest in replacing the departed Michael Strahan as Kelly Ripa's new "Live" co-host, tweeted he was in France this weekend, which ruled him out for a potential return at New Hampshire. Alex Bowman will drive the 88 on Sunday.
If Gordon races next weekend, his fellow drivers certainly don't expect any rust from the former champ.
"Just because you go to the nude beach for a couple of months doesn't mean you don't know how to put your underwear back on," Ryan Newman said.
Duchardt said a decision on the Brickyard will likely be made on Wednesday. He did not say if Gordon would continue to drive in the 88 — not his famed No. 24 now helmed by Chase Elliott — should Earnhardt remain out beyond the Brickyard. Duchardt could not say if Earnhardt actually had a concussion and declined to speculate on when he might return.
"When Dale is ready, that's his car to get back into," he said.
Earnhardt missed two races in 2012 when it was determined he had suffered two concussions in six weeks. Earnhardt was involved in a 22-car wreck in Daytona this month and also wrecked last month at Michigan International Speedway.
Earnhardt told his team last weekend at Kentucky Speedway he wasn't feeling well — he thought he had severe allergies — and finished 13th. He felt worse on Tuesday and told his team that they needed to at least consider a backup driver for New Hampshire. When medication for allergies and a sinus infection failed to work, Earnhardt dug deeper and met with a neurological specialist. After further evaluation, it was decided Earnhardt had to sit.