National Sports Briefs

Associated Press

FRIBOURG, Switzerland — Given a supremely tough draw in the Davis Cup, the United States is off to an exhilarating start.

It swept Roger Federer and Switzerland in the first round, with Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan winning the doubles match on clay, a surface selected by Federer to exploit what was perceived as an American weakness.

But Fish and Bryan, paired for the first time in more than three years, were clearly up for this challenge Saturday before a Swiss crowd that at times turned angry. They defeated Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, the reigning Olympic champions, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in front of 7,000 fans.

“This is probably going down as one of the most memorable (wins),” said Bryan, who played on the 2007 winning team.

The doubles victory gave the Americans a 3-0 lead in the best-of-five, first-round series. Fish and Bryan built on the momentum from Friday’s riveting singles matches when John Isner stunned Federer in four sets and Fish outlasted Wawrinka in five.

The U.S. will again be on the road for the next round of Davis Cup, an April 6-8 quarterfinal against France or Canada.

GOLF

MELBOURNE, Australia — American teenager Jessica Korda moved into position for a two-sport, father-daughter Australian double, shooting an even-par 73 in windy conditions to take the Women's Australian Open lead at Royal Melbourne.

Korda, the 18-year-old daughter of 1998 Australian Open tennis champion Petr Korda, had a 4-under 215 total.

ALLIANZ CHAMPIONSHIP

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Corey Pavin and Peter Senior — both winless on the Champions Tour — shared the lead after the second round of the Allianz Championship at Broken Sound Golf Club.

FINE UPDATE

NEW YORK — Salacious claims about the wife of an assistant Syracuse University basketball coach who was fired after claims that he molested boys have no bearing in the slander lawsuit two of the men brought against the team's head coach, Jim Boeheim, a judge ruled.

The hearing in Manhattan was about whether two former ball boys who accuse Boeheim of defamation could get names and addresses of players on the team. The two men say the players may have had sex with Laurie Fine, the wife of fired assistant coach Bernie Fine. The request was part of a broader clash over the university's and Boeheim's request to move the case to Syracuse.

NASCAR

CHARLOTTE — NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne is expected to be ready for Daytona next week following knee surgery.

Hendrick Motorsports says Kahne had torn cartilage in his left knee and underwent surgery Friday at an outpatient facility in Charlotte. He went to a doctor a day earlier because of swelling.

The team says Kahne will not have a backup driver in Daytona. Teams report next weekto begin preparing for the Feb. 26 season-opening Daytona 500.

Kahne had knee cartilage surgery in 2011 on a Monday and raced that Saturday night at Richmond. He also had surgery on both knees in December 2010 to repair buildup of tissue in his knees.

LLOYD HONORED

ATLANTA — Earl Lloyd remembers when he suited up for the Washington Capitols more than 60 years ago as the first black to play in an NBA game and wondering if he would make a good enough impression to stick around.

Lloyd and the Capitols lost the game. But he played well enough to earn a roster spot and break the color barrier in a league that had only three black players in 1950 and now features the highest percentage of African-American athletes in any of the major professional leagues.

Now, as part of Black History Month, the 83-year-old Hall of Famer will be honored for his breakthrough at halftime of the Atlanta Hawks-Miami Heat game on Sunday. The former West Virginia State standout along with six other African-Americans will be recognized at all Hawks home games this month.