tennis

U.S. takes 2-0 lead in Davis Cup play Andy Roddick and James Blake got the United States off to a fast start in the Davis Cup final with victories Friday in Portland, Ore.

Roddick defeated Russia's Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in the first match.

Roddick threw his hands up in triumph after Tursunov's final return landed long on the hard court in Portland's Memorial Coliseum. The mostly pro-American crowd went wild.

Blake then gave the U.S. a 2-0 lead as he defeated Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 7-6.

Roddick, ranked No. 6 in the world, improved to 6-0 in Davis Cup play this year.

"It's kind of like 'so close but so far away.' There's no celebration," Roddick said. "It's one match. The celebration will be saved for when we win, if we win."

Roddick took the first set after he hit an 146-mph serve that No. 34 Tursunov returned long, ending a game that went to deuce four times. Roddick let out a growl after holding serve, and the U.S. fans went wild.

Roddick went up 2-1 in the second set when Tursunov hit a forehand into the net to finish off the break. He won the set with back-to-back aces.

GOLF

Rose shares lead in Nedbank Challenge Justin Rose shot a 7-under-par 65 in Sun City, South Africa, to share the lead with Trevor Immelman after the second round of the Nedbank Challenge.

Rose and Immelman (66) are at 11-under 133, three strokes ahead of Ernie Els at the Gary Player Country Club.

• Frank Lickliter II followed his two opening 62s with a 4-under 68 for a five-stroke lead after the third of six rounds in the PGA Tour national qualifying tournament at Winter Garden, Fla. Lickliter was at 24-under 192. Jason Allred was second after a 64 and Tommy Gainey shot a 65 to move into third place at 16 under.

• Jane Park shot a 1-under 71 in windy and wet conditions at LPGA International at Daytona Beach, Fla., to take a two-stroke lead over Kelli Kuehne after the second round of the LPGA final qualifying tournament. Park was at 10-under 206.

WINTER SPORTS

Canadian team wins Canada's Helen Upperton and brakeman Jennifer Ciochetti won the season-opening women's World Cup Bobsled event, beating Germany's Cathleen Martini and Janine Tischer by 0.08 seconds in Calgary, Alberta. The Canadian team won in 1:53.86.

• Michael Walchhofer of Austria edged Steven Nyman of the United States by 0.05 seconds to win a World Cup downhill at Beaver Creek., Colo. Didier Cuche of Switzerland was third and Bode Miller was sixth.

AROUND THE HORN

Auto racing: Jimmie Johnson, who won his second consecutive Nextel Cup championship, was honored at NASCAR's annual awards ceremony in New York. Johnson earned $15,313,920 this season, including $7,646,421 from the season points fund.

WNBA: Seattle Storm coach Anne Donovan resigned, ending a five-year stay that included the 2004 WNBA championship. Donovan coached the Storm to a regular-season record of 93-77 (.547) and to four playoff appearances.

College: Steve Pederson, fired as athletic director at Nebraska, was named athletic director at Pittsburgh. ... Iowa State defeated San Diego 25-30, 31-29, 30-19, 25-30, 16-14 and Wisconsin beat Northern Iowa 30-23, 30-21 and 30-24 in the first round of the NCAA Division I volleyball tournament in Madison, Wis. Iowa State and Wisconsin will play at 7 tonight.

FROM NEWS SERVICES