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PARIS -- France closed in on its first Davis Cup final since 2010 after Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga gave the hosts a 2-0 lead over two-time defending champion Czech Republic in the semifinals on Friday. Opening on Roland Garros centre court, Gasquet stormed to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win over Tomas Berdych, then Frances No. 1 player, Tsonga, proved too strong for Lukas Rosol, dispatching him 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in 91 minutes. Serving impeccably and limiting his mistakes to 12 unforced errors on the red clay, Gasquet justified his selection over Gael Monfils. "This is one of my best wins ever," said Gasquet, who kneeled on the court after Berdych double-faulted on match point. "The atmosphere was great, this is the Davis Cup, at Roland Garros, and I beat a top player." Spurred on by the vocal French fans on a sunny morning, Gasquet quickly found a good rhythm and lost only five points on his serve in the first set, breaking in the fourth game after the sixth-ranked Berdych missed three consecutive shots. Struggling with his forehand and moving slowly on court, Berdych had 38 unforced errors. The former Wimbledon runner-up was never a threat and admitted he played his worst Davis Cup match. "My body is not ready for this. I needed more time to be fit. I need more time to be better prepared," said Berdych, who reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals last week. "This is the toughest conditions for me, coming from fast hard courts to the clay. I definitely need more time but it was a good choice for France. I need to move on and get over it." Gasquet, who has been hampered by injuries this season, won the first set with a backhand down the line then jumped to 3-0 in the second as Berdych continued to hit erratic shots. The hard-hitting Czech managed to break Gasquet in the next game but his recovery was short-lived. The French No. 2 broke again early in the third set, and Berdych gifted the match with his second double fault. Tsonga made light work of Rosol and thanked his teammate for putting him in an ideal position with his impressive win over Berdych. "The key was the first match. After that, I was playing freely," Tsonga said. "Richards victory hammered the Czechs." Following Monfils good run at the U.S. Open, Gasquet was not expected to play in the singles. But Monfils told France captain Arnaud Clement he was still jet-lagged and struggling to adapt to clay after losing in the quarterfinals at Flushing Measdows. "I quickly found out this week that I was going to play the opening game because Gael was tired," the 21st-ranked Gasquet said. "And I could not have dreamt of a better start." With their 12-tie winning streak at risk, the Czechs should win Saturdays doubles to keep alive the chance of reaching a third straight final. The doubles pits French duo Julien Benneteau and Monfils against Radek Stepanek and Jiri Vesely but both captains are expected to amend their lineups, with Berdych likely to play with Stepanek. "Although we are trailing 2-0, the tie is not over, hopefully Tomas will recover," Czech Republic captain Jaroslav Navratil said. Berdych and Stepanek boast a 15-1 winning record together in Davis Cup. Clement hinted that both Tsonga and Gasquet were possible candidates for the doubles rubber. "They showed they are ready to play over the three days," he said. If France wins this weekend, it will play at Italy or host Switzerland in the final. . As if the individual strands of grey hair or the increasing amount of joint pain werent reminders enough, the impending end of Jeters career is a slap-in-the-face indicator of a generations fleeting youth. . Sure, Josh Browns 45-yard field goal on the third drive of overtime lifted the New York Giants to a 23-20 win over Detroit on Sunday. But the Lions (7-8) dropped themselves out of the NFC North race by losing five of their last six games, blowing fourth-quarter leads in each setback. . Speaking on TSN Radio 1050s TSN Drive with Dave Naylor on Monday, Colangelo said he had no intention of tanking the shortened 2011-12 season, but definitely wanted a high pick in the draft. "I wish that word wasnt used for headline reasons," said Colangelo, "but the story behind it was: how can we fix the system? How can we tweak the system to make it less likely that teams are rewarded for losing records? "I do believe that if youre as transparent as we were at the time - with our season seat holders, our fans, the market place and the media - everybody knew what the plan was and what we were going through. .Y. -- The New York Islanders were seeking a positive finish to a frustrating season on home ice. . The 17-time Grand Slam champion, who lose three straight finals in Monte Carlo to Rafael Nadal from 2006-08, has not played in the tournament since 2011, when he lost to Jurgen Melzer in the quarterfinals.Cristiano Ronaldo coached a lucky group of youngsters. This stream has now concluded. The Real Madrid forward was at the event in Lisbon to celebrate the launch of the new CR7 Chapter 3 Nike boots, and was joined by Manchester United coach Tony Strudwick and pro fitness trainer Jamie Reynolds at the session, hosted by Sky Sports Laura Woods. Ronaldo, 31, discussed his upbringing in Portugal, and his experiences moving to Lisbon as a 12-year-old, while also remembering when he caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson in a friendly between Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United in August 2003. Jamie and Cristiano introduced the first Arrowhead drill, before you get the chance to vote on the second drill by commenting on the Facebook page. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for only ￡6.99. No contract. After the drills, Strudwick will look back on his time coaching RRonaldo at Uniteds Carrington training ground, giving us an insight into his training regime and professionalism while at the club.dddddddddddd Ronaldo, signed five days after the friendly against Sporting in 2003, went on to win three Premier League titles and the Champions League with United, before a move to Real Madrid in 2009. Whos who?Cristiano Ronaldo - three time Ballon dOr winner with over 550 career goalsTony Strudwick - joined United as fitness coach in 2007, and is currently the clubs head of athletic developmentJamie Reynolds - owner and head personal trainer at Velocity Training Club, specialising in personal training for professional footballersLaura Woods - Sky Sports presenterHit play on the video at the top of the page or visit Sky Sports Facebook page or the Soccer AM YouTube channel. Also See: Nev: When I first saw Ronaldo When Ronaldo caught Fergie’s eye Ronaldo: Im far from finished The game that made Ronaldo ' ' '
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