Spain takes 2-1 lead in Davis Cup

Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco won their doubles match Saturday to give Spain a 2-1 lead over Argentina in the Davis Cup final at Mar Del Plata, Argentina.

Lopez and Verdasco defeated David Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (5), 6-3, boosting Spain’s hopes of winning the best-of-five championship on the road despite the absence of an ailing Rafael Nadal.

Spain could be in good position for its third Davis Cup crown if Argentina’s leading player, Juan Martin del Potro, cannot play reverse singles today because of a leg injury.

Today’s schedule tentatively has Del Potro meeting David Ferrer, then Nalbandian playing Lopez. On Friday, Nalbandian defeated Ferrer in straight sets and Del Potro fell to Lopez in four.

GOLF

Creamer ill, is hospitalized

Hours after becoming one of eight qualifiers for the final round of the ADT Championship at West Palm Beach, Fla., Paula Creamer was admitted to a hospital because of severe abdominal distress.

She was to stay there overnight, and “a decision as to whether or not she plays [today’s] round will be made early [this] morning,” said Jay Burton, the senior vice president of IMG, which represents Creamer.

Creamer said after her round Saturday that she was planning to play but wanted to have a CT scan to rule out appendicitis, something many of her symptoms pointed to, according to the medical staff who evaluated her at the Trump International course.

“If I was going to withdraw, it would have been earlier,” Creamer said.

Provided she can play, Creamer will have a chance to be the first American to win the LPGA’s season money crown in 15 years. All eight players will start tied at par when they embark on an 18-hole shootout for the $1-million winner’s prize. If Creamer cannot play, it’ll be a seven-woman field.

Suzann Pettersen put together the best round Saturday with a four-under 68, shaking off a triple bogey at the par-four fourth with almost flawless golf the rest of the way.

Angela Stanford shot 69, one shot back of Pettersen.

Defending champion Tommy Armour III birdied the final two holes, holing a 30-footer on the 18th, to take a five-stroke lead over Rich Beem at the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational. The tournament features players from the four major tours as well as mini-tour players, club pros and amateurs competing on teams. Champions Tour and LPGA Tour entrants receive distance advantages on tee shots.

SOCCER

Friedel ties record in a 0-0 game

American goalkeeper Brad Friedel equaled the Premier League’s consecutive appearance record, making another stellar performance for Aston Villa and frustrating defending champion Manchester United in a 0-0 draw.

Friedel, who joined Villa from Blackburn in the off-season, made his 166th straight appearance to equal David James’ record.

The 37-year-old former star of the U.S. national team denied Cristiano Ronaldo’s swerving drive in the 14th minute and Carlos Tevez before halftime.

Friedel’s looming presence led to Wayne Rooney’s volleying high and wide with only the goalkeeper to beat in the best chance of the game.

The point enabled Villa to leapfrog Arsenal into fourth in the standings. The Gunners were beaten, 3-0, at Manchester City.

ETC.

Jimmy Connors arrested at game

Tennis great Jimmy Connors was arrested outside the campus arena where UC Santa Barbara and top-ranked North Carolina were playing a basketball game Friday night.

The eight-time Grand Slam champion was taken into custody after refusing to comply with an order to leave an area near the entrance of the Thunderdome following a confrontation, police Sgt. Dan Massey said in a statement.

A police dispatcher said Connors was arrested at the beginning of the game.

A Santa Barbara County jail employee said Connors had not been booked as of early Saturday.

Connors lives in the Santa Barbara area and attends a handful of the Gauchos’ games each season.

Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis would be tempted out of retirement by the lure of a $100-million payday as well as his desire to “save the sport,” he told the Mail in London.

Lewis retired from the ring in 2003 after beating Vitali Klitschko, but the 43-year-old said he could be ready for a title fight after six months of training.

“I don’t have to do this, I don’t need the money and my legacy speaks for itself,” he said. “But boxing needs me. The heavyweight game is so boring now. All the characters are gone. I would like to save my sport.”

Formula One driver Mark Webber had surgery on his broken leg after being hit by a car while on a bike during his charity multi-sports race in Australia.