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Isner helps U.S. finish off sweep

FRIBOURG, Switzerland The United States completed its 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the first round of the Davis Cup on Sunday, with Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning the closing singles matches.

Harrison, 19, made his Davis Cup debut, defeating Michael Lammer 7-6 (0), 7-6 (4) . Isner, who stunned Roger Federer in four sets Friday, then beat Marco Chuidinelli 6-3, 6-4 to give the United States its first sweep since a 2004 first-round series against Austria.

"It was really exciting to be out there," Harrison said. "To be part of this week was a huge experience."

The U.S. team will play at France or Canada in the April 6-8 quarterfinals. In other pairings, it will be Argentina vs. Croatia, Austria vs. Spain and Czech Republic vs. Serbia.

In Oviedo, Spain, Nicolas Almagro and Marcel Granollers won reverse singles matches to complete a 5-0 sweep for reigning Davis Cup champion Spain. Almagro opened by beating Kazakhstan's Evgeny Korolov 6-3, 6-4. Granollers then defeated Andrey Golubev 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3.

Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova won her second straight Pattaya (Thailand) Open, defeating Russia's Maria Kirilenko 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3. It was Hantuchova's fifth career title and her first since Thailand a year ago.

Hantuchova, seeded third, won in 3 hours, 14 minutes. Kirilenko already had spent more than 91/2 hours on court just to get to the final, her first on the WTA Tour in nearly 16 months.

Angelique Kerber won her first WTA title by overpowering second-seeded Marion Bartoli 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-3 in the Open GDF Suez final in Paris. Kerber became the first German to win the tournament since Steffi Graf in 1995, clinching victory with a forehand winner.

Skiing

Kostelic's win costly: Ivica Kostelic of Croatia won his second consecutive World Cup super-combined title with a victory on the 2014 Sochi Olympics course in Russia, then hobbled off with an injured right knee that might need surgery.

He was in visible pain during the victory celebration, using his ski poles like crutches and struggling onto the podium on the verge of tears while sister Janica looked on crying.

Kostelic was injured during the initial portion of the slalom, and Croatia team spokesman Vedran Pavlek said surgery was possible.

All of the Americans entered went out in the slalom run.

In Soldeu-Grandvalira, Andorra, Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom in the Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn finished eighth.

Slovenia's Tina Maze finished second and chipped into Vonn's commanding point total with her seventh top-three finish of the season. Reigning World Cup champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch was third.

Figure skating

Canadians win ice dance: For the first time in nearly two years, Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir beat the U.S. team of Meryl Davis and Charlie White in ice dancing. The reigning Olympic champions won gold at the Four Continents Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo., after outdueling Davis and White in the free skate.

Canada's Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje were third.

China's Sui Wenjing and Han Cong won the free skate pairs title. Caydee Denney and John Coughlin, the 2012 U.S. champions, were second, and the U.S. tandem of Mary Beth Marley and Rockne Brubaker third.

Lacrosse

Hounds add to staff: The Charlotte Hounds added three assistants to coach Mike Cerino's staff: Limestone coach J.B. Clarke, former Limestone assistant Chris Phenicie and Charlotte Country Day coach Brad Touma. The Hounds will begin their first season in Major League Lacrosse this spring. David Scott


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