Croatia celebrates Davis Cup title
Tennis
Croatia won its first Davis Cup title, with Mario Ancic beating Michal Mertinak of Slovakia, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3, 6-4, in the decisive fifth match yesterday in Bratislava. Dominik Hrbaty had pulled host Slovakia even at 2-2 by defeating an ailing Ivan Ljubicic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Ancic then defeated Mertinak to clinch the five-match series between two first-time finalists. Croatia's Nikki Pilic became the first captain to win the trophy for different nations. He led Germany to Davis Cup titles in 1988, 1989, and 1993. ''There is no comparison," Pilic said at the victory ceremony. ''Today I won with my people." Croatia became the 12th champion in the competition's 105-year history. This was Croatia's biggest team success since the country became independent in 1991 during the violent breakup of Yugoslavia. The soccer team's third-place finish at the 1998 World Cup had been considered Croatia's sports highlight. ''I am not sure people realize how big it is to be at the top of the pyramid," Ancic said. Goran Ivanisevic, who came out of retirement for the final, added the Davis Cup championship to his 2001 Wimbledon title. He wasn't selected to play singles or doubles but was a member of the four-man squad . . . Paul Haarhuis won the Champions Masters indoor tennis title in London, beating defending champion Jim Courier, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).
Baseball
Dodgers, Furcal reach an agreement
Shortstop Rafael Furcal and the Los Angeles Dodgers have reached a preliminary agreement on a $39 million, three-year contract, his agent, Paul Kinzer, said, noting a physical was scheduled for today. Los Angeles beat out Atlanta and the Chicago Cubs for Furcal, who had spent his entire six-year career with the Braves. A switch hitter, Furcal batted .284 last season with 12 homers, 58 RBIs, 100 runs scored, and 46 steals in 56 attempts . . . The Houston Astros signed veteran righthander Russ Springer to a one-year, $750,000 contract. Springer was 4-4 with a 4.73 ERA after being called up in August . . . The Associated Press reported that free agent starter Paul Byrd is close to finalizing a $14.25 million, two-year contract with the Cleveland Indians. Byrd was 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA in 31 starts for the Los Angeles Angels last season . . . AP also reported the Florida Marlins were close to a trade that would send catcher Paul Lo Duca to the New York Mets for minor league pitcher Gaby Hernandez and a second minor leaguer.
Golf
Miyazato rules Q School to get her card
Ai Miyazato closed with an even-par 72 -- the only time in five rounds she failed to break par -- to finish 17 under overall, 12 shots ahead of Libby Smith of Essex Junction, Vt., and Lee Ann Walker-Cooper at the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla. It was the largest margin of victory at LPGA Q School since it began in 1973. With her record-setting victory, the 20-year-old was among 24 players earning LPGA cards for next year, including 17-year-old Morgan Pressel, the US Women's Amateur champion who shot 70 and wound up in a tie for sixth . . . Jim Furyk won the Nedbank Challenge in Sun City, South Africa, in a four-way playoff, making a 9-foot birdie chip on the second extra hole. Furyk closed with a par-72 to finish regulation at 282 along with Adam Scott (73), defending champion Retief Goosen (72), and Darren Clarke (69). Furyk won $1.2 million. ''We're all out there playing for the title," he said. ''But I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a quite amazing purse." . . . Colin Montgomerie closed with a par-70 to win the Hong Kong Open by one shot at 9-under 271, claiming his 30th victory on the European Tour . . . Former Kentucky star John Holmes, 23, shot a 6-under 66 for a share of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament lead with D.A. Points (67) at 21-under 339 with one round left in the six-round event at Orange County National's Panther Lake and Crooked Cat courses in Winter Garden, Fla.
Snow sports
Austrians sweep super-G, Kildow sixth
Austrian power and American depth were on display on the final day of women's World Cup skiing at Lake Louise in Alberta as Austrians swept the top three spots. US skiers had five of the 14 best performances in the first women's super-G of the season. Alexandra Meissnitzer earned her 14th career World Cup victory in 1 minute 21.73 seconds, Andrea Fischbacher was one-10th of a second back at 1:21.83, and Michaela Dorfmeister was third at 1:22.56. Lindsey Kildow, 21, was the top US finisher at sixth, in 1:23.09. Teammate Kirsten Clark, still working her way back from a staph infection in her knee, was seventh at 1:23.12. Libby Ludlow was a career-best 10th, Caroline Lalive was 13th, and Julia Mancuso tied for 14th . . . Dutch speedskater Carl Verheijen set a world record for 10,000 meters, edging American Chad Hedrick at a World Cup speedskating meet in Heerenveen, Netherlands, to finish in 12:57.92, bettering Jochem Uytdehaage's record by 0.10 seconds. Hedrick finished in 12:58.25 . . . Hannu Manninen of Finland edged American Todd Lodwick by .4 seconds to win a 7.5-kilometer World Cup Nordic combined sprint in Lillehammer, Norway, in 19:47.5.
Miscellany
Real Madrid fires Luxemburgo as coach
Vanderlei Luxemburgo was fired as coach of Real Madrid, one of the world's most glamorous soccer teams with such stars as Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and David Beckham but mired in fourth place in the Spanish league. Juan Ramon Lopez Caro, coach of reserve team Real Madrid Castilla in the Spanish second division, will run the team for now. Luxemburgo, a Brazilian, is the fifth coach to depart the powerhouse in the past two years . . . In Osaka, Japan, Nabunari Oda overcame an early mistake and beat an inspired performance by Evan Lysacek of the United States to win figure skating's NHK Trophy. Oda fell on his opening triple axel attempt but came back to immediately complete a triple-triple-double combination.
