Piedmont's McDonald wins in Davis Cup debut
Piedmont's Mackenzie “Mackie” McDonald delivered on the big stage again on Friday, helping the United States to a 2-0 lead over host Uzbekistan in his Davis Cup debut.
McDonald, who upset Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open, produced a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Sergey Fomin on an indoor hard court in Tashkent as the Americans closed in on a victory.
Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul also provided a win for the U.S., defeating Khumoyun Sultanov 6-1, 7-6 (6) after McDonald's opening win.
The best-of-five-match series finishes today with one match in doubles followed by two in singles. The Americans can clinch a spot in the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals if Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek defeat Fomin and Sanjar Fayziev in doubles.
“A sweep would be nice,” Paul said. “Bring out the broomsticks.”
Paul moved into the top 20 in the ATP rankings for the first time this week by reaching his first Grand Slam semifinal in Australia, where he lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. McDonald eliminated 22time Grand Slam champion Nadal in the second round at the year's first Grand Slam tournament.
There are 12 qualifiers being held this weekend — six on Friday-Saturday, six on Saturday-Sunday — with the winners of each advancing to the Davis Cup Finals group stage in September, along with reigning champion Canada, 2022 runner-up Australia and wild-card recipients Italy and Spain.
Eight teams will then advance to the closing matches of the Davis Cup Nov. 21-26 in Malaga, Spain.
In other action Friday, Switzerland and Germany tied 1-1 Friday in Trier, Germany, despite three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka losing to Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-1. MarcAndrea Huesler defeated Oscar Otte 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 to even things after Day 1.
Also, Serbia grabbed a 2-0 lead over Norway in Oslo, even though the visitors were without 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic after his recent Australian Open triumph. KYRGIOS ISSUES APOLOGY AFTER BEING CLEARED >> Australian star Nick Kyrgios apologized for shoving a former girlfriend to the ground two years ago after he escaped conviction on a charge of common assault.
The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up pleaded guilty in the Australian Capital Territory Magistrates Court to assaulting Chiara Passari during an argument in his hometown of Canberra in January 2021.
Magistrate Beth Campbell did not record a conviction against Kyrgios for reasons including that the offense was at the low end of seriousness for a common assault, was not premeditated and he had no criminal record. LEPCHENKO'S DOPING BAN CUT TO 21 MONTHS >> Former top-20 tennis player and U.S. Olympian Varvara Lepchenko's doping suspension for use of a banned stimulant was reduced from four years to 21 months as part of an agreement with the International Tennis Federation.
The agreeement was reached after Lepchenko appealed her suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Lepchenko's urine sample after a first-round loss at the Hungarian Grand Prix in July 2021 contained the stimulant. She then competed at three other events — including winning a title in Charleston, S.C. — before being provisionally banned for four years, backdated to August 2021.
Her appeal to CAS was based on her later finding, in a travel bag, a bottle of capsules that was determined to contain the substance for which she tested positive — an ingredient that was not listed on the bottle label.
College football
ALABAMA HIRES NOTRE DAME'S REES AS NEW OC >> Alabama is hiring Notre Dame assistant coach Tommy Rees to be its offensive coordinator, multiple sources reported.
The South Bend Tribune was first to report that Rees was leaving his alma mater to join coach Nick Saban's Crimson Tide.
Rees is replacing Bill O'Brien, who left to take the offensive coordinator position with the New England Patriots. The former Houston Texans coach left last month to rejoin the Patriots, where he was an assistant before becoming Penn State's head coach in 2012.
Rees, a former Notre Dame quarterback, has been an assistant there since 2017 and offensive coordinator since 2020. He also spent a year with the San Diego Chargers in 2016.
Baseball LUZARDO WINS IN SALARY ARBITRATION
>> Pitcher Jesús Luzardo became the second player in two days to beat the Miami Marlins in salary arbitration and was awarded $2.45 million rather than Miami's offer of $2.1 million.
AL batting champion Luis Arraez, acquired by the Marlins from Minnesota last month, was awarded a $6.1 million salary Thursday rather than the team's $5 million figure.
Luzardo, a 25-year-old former A's left-hander who made $715,000 last season, was 4-7 with a 3.32 ERA in 18 starts last year, striking out 120 and walking 35 in 100 1/3 innings.
Motorsports FORD RETURNS TO FORMULA ONE >>
Formula One's booming popularity in the United States lured another American brand to the series as Ford said it would return to the globe-trotting series as the engine provider for Red Bull Racing.
The partnership begins with immediate technical support this season, but then Ford engines in 2026 when F1 adopts new hybrid regulations that lured Ford back after a 24year absence.