United States moves within one victory of advancing in Davis Cup play

The United States needs only a victory by either Andy Roddick or James Blake to advance in Davis Cup play.

The way the first round against Romania is going, U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe certainly isn’t thinking ahead to the quarterfinals.

The Americans went up 2-1 in the best-of-5 matches Saturday in San Diego when Victor Hanescu hurt his left side, forcing the Romanian doubles team to retire after losing the first set to Bob and Mike Bryan.

That came a day after the heavily favored Roddick, who was up two sets and had match point against Andrei Pavel, grew nauseous and wound up losing in five sets.

“I’ll expect the unexpected,” McEnroe said of the two remaining singles matches.

Roddick will face Hanescu in the first match today, while Blake will follow against Pavel unless Roddick clinches it.

Defending champion Croatia, Argentina, France, Russia and Belarus also advanced to the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup by winning doubles matches for unbeatable 3-0 leads.

Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo saved a match point to reach the final of the Gaz de France in Paris, beating Tatiana Golovin 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-2.

Mauresmo will face French compatriot Mary Pierce, who beat Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6-4, 6-2.

Hockey

Badgers win at Lambeau Field

Andrew Joudrey, Kyle Klubertanz, Robbie Earl and captain Adam Burish scored for Wisconsin to help the Badgers beat Ohio State 4-2 in the first hockey game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.

It was as much of a spectacle as a hockey game – officials announced there were 40,890 tickets handed out for the stadium that seats 72,601.

The Lambeau game was the third big outdoor matchup in North America, after Michigan and Michigan State played to a tie in 2001 and the NHL’s Heritage Classic three years ago in Edmonton, Alberta, when Montreal beat the Oilers.

Cycling

Hamilton’s doping appeal rejected

Olympic champion cyclist Tyler Hamilton’s appeal of a two-year suspension for blood doping was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said. .

Considered a possible successor to retired seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, Hamilton has denied any doping violation and has criticized the testing methods of cycling’s international governing body.

Miscellany

Indoor 1600 relay record broken

Wallace Spearmon Jr. set a world indoor record for the second straight day, teaming with Kerron Clement, Darold Williamson and Jeremy Wariner to run the 1,600-meter relay in 3:01.96 in the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.

They broke the mark of 3:02.83 set in 1999 by the U.S. national team.

Right-hander Carlos Zambrano and the Chicago Cubs agreed to a one-year, $6.5 million deal and avoided an arbitration hearing.

Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton was released from a Stillwater, Okla., hospital less than 24 hours after being injured in a car accident, the university announced.