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NAPLES, Italy -- Italy won both singles matches against Britain in straight sets on Sunday to reach the Davis Cup semifinals for the first time in 16 years.Adam Jones Authentic Jersey . Fabio Fognini pulled off a surprise 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over two-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray to level the best-of-five quarterfinal at 2-2 before Andreas Seppi defeated James Ward 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the decisive match. "A great feat, a great success for all Italian tennis," Italy captain Corrado Barazzutti said. "It was time we got back to the semifinals. Its credit to everyone, to a team which has a great character. It was a victory of character." Britain was looking to reach the semifinals for the first time since 1981 but Fognini was in commanding form to end Murrays run of 19 consecutive singles victories in the competition. Seppi rarely struggled against a player ranked 127 places below him and comfortably served out for the match. Italy will play Switzerland in Septembers semifinal. "Today I just played better than Andy and thats tennis," Fognini said. "I was annoyed yesterday after the doubles. This was a very important victory, its certainly my best match in Davis Cup. I just stayed focused on my game and I managed to win." Fognini triumphed in the match between the countries top players, despite dropping his serve in the first game. The 13th-ranked Fognini managed to save two break points but double-faulted to hand Murray the opening game. Fognini had the opportunity to break straight back but hit long and then netted on another break point as Murray went on to take a 2-0 lead. In a typically lively Davis Cup atmosphere, British fans chanted "Fabio, we are in your head," but he was cheered on by the vociferous home support. Fognini broke Murray to love and earned another break when Murray double-faulted as he won five straight games to take the opening set. Murray almost dropped serve again early in the second set as he had to fend off two break points after being 40-0 up. However, Fognini broke twice at the end of the set following another double-fault from Murray on the first of two break points. The final set went with serve until the final game, when Fognini went up 40-0 on Murrays serve. Murray saved one match point when Fognini netted a forehand, and rescued the second with a crosscourt volley but hit the third into the net. It was Murrays second defeat in 20 singles matches in the Davis Cup. Fognini moved to 14-2 on clay this season. "He played very well today, thats for sure," Murray said. "Hes a very good player especially on this surface, so I knew it was going to be a tough one and I wasnt able to play well enough. I did OK physically, not the best, but Ive been worse." Italy had not lost at home to Britain since 1926, and Seppi protected that record by winning a match that saw seven breaks of serve in the opening set. Seppi was gifted the set after three successive errors from Ward and he held to love to take the opening game of the second. Ward missed a chance to get back into the match in the fifth game and Seppi took a decisive 4-2 lead when Ward volleyed into the net after saving three previous break points. Seppi held to love with a drop shot for a 2-0 lead in the match. Ward had to save another three break points in the first game of the third but Seppi won four games in a row en route to the victory. He sealed the win when Wards return sailed long. J.J. Hardy Authentic Jersey . The third-year pro went shot for shot with Knicks star Carmelo Anthony down the stretch before nailing the most important one of the night. Eddie Murray Orioles Jersey . -- Amid stories about Jeremy Lin and the upcoming all-star game, the Detroit Pistons have quietly become one of the hottest teams in the NBA.HOUSTON -- James Harden had 32 points and Chandler Parsons scored eight points in overtime to lift the Houston Rockets to a 130-125 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. Denver led by one in overtime when Houston made three consecutive 3-pointers to make it 130-122 with less than two minutes left. Parsons made the last two and high-fived with fans on the front row as he ran down the court after sinking the second one. Houston had a franchise-record, 47-point second quarter, but Denver overcame a 17-point halftime deficit to tie it at 88 entering the fourth period. The Rockets then trailed by eight late in regulation before using a 9-1 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Harden under heavy pressure from Randy Foye, to tie it at 117 with 7.1 seconds remaining. Foye made one of two free throws for Denver before Hardens shot. Foye had a chance to win it in regulation, but his jump shot was short. Evan Fournier scored 26 points and Aaron Brooks added 24 points and 15 assists against his former team. Brooks, who was traded to Denver on Feb. 20 for Jordan Hamilton, started for Ty Lawson, who was out with a left ankle sprain. The game was still tied with about nine minutes to go when the Nuggets scored 11 straight points to make it 106-95 midway through the quarter. Fournier made two 3-pointers in that span and Brooks had one. Jeremy Lin scored 19 points, Omer Asik had a season-high 18 points and tied a career best with 23 rebounds, and Parsons finished with 155 points. Chris Tillman Authentic Jersey. Quincy Miller scored a career-high 19 for the Nuggets and Kenneth Faried added 16 points with 13 rebounds. The Rockets, who have already clinched a playoff spot, were playing without Dwight Howard and Patrick Beverley, who both missed their fifth straight games. Howard has missed eight games recently because of a left ankle strain and Beverley is out indefinitely with a torn meniscus in his right knee. The game was tied at 88 entering the fourth quarter. Houston was ahead by 15 when Denver took over, using a 13-2 spurt to get within 79-75 with four minutes left in the third. Miller led the Nuggets in that span, scoring the first seven points of that run. Houston missed three shots and had three turnovers as Denver cut into the lead. A 14-4 run by the Rockets to start the second quarter gave them a 36-31 lead. Omri Casspi and Isaiah Canaan both made 3-pointers in that stretch. Brooks made a layup after that before Casspi hit another 3-pointer to make it 39-33 with about eight minutes left in the first half. The Nuggets got within a basket after a jump shot by Brooks about 2 1/2 minutes later. But Houston responded with a 9-2 run, powered by five points from Harden, to extend the lead to 52-44. Lin had seven points in the last 42 seconds of the first half, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer, to push Houstons lead to 69-52 at halftime. NOTES: The Nuggets made 14 3-pointers, with six from Fournier. ... Canaan had a career-best 15 points. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
