In Brief | Tennis

Williams puts US up 2-0 over Belarus

WORCESTER, Mass. — Serena Williams was back in the Fed Cup on Saturday for the first time in five years, giving the United States a strong lineup.

Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka was hoping to provide a similar lift for Belarus, but she was sidelined by a lower back injury.

The Americans capitalized with straight-set victories by Williams and Christina McHale for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, which concludes Sunday with two more singles matches and one in doubles.

McHale beat Anastasiya Yakimova 6-0, 6-4 before Williams overpowered Olga Govortsova 7-5, 6-0 in her first Fed Cup match since 2007, leaving the U.S. team just one victory away from advancing in the World Group II series.

Williams was inconsistent in the first set, winning the first three games before sputtering midway through as Govortsova tied it by winning three straight games.

Monfils to face Berdych in Open Sud

MONTPELLIER, France — Defending champion Gael Monfils saved a match point to edge Gilles Simon 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 in an all-French match Saturday and reach the Open Sud de France final.

Monfils will meet top-seeded Tomas Berdych, who beat Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-3, 6-4. Berdych is going for his first title since winning the China Open in October.

Monfils is playing in his second final this season following the Qatar Open last month.

Lacko to face Youzhny in Zagreb

ZAGREB, Croatia — Lukas Lacko of Slovakia reached his first ATP final when he ousted 2007 champion Marcos Baghdatis 7-5, 7-6 (3) in the Zagreb Indoors semifinals on Saturday.

Lacko, playing on the main tour since 2007, will face third-seeded Mikhail Youzhny, who is seeking his eighth title in his 18th career final.

Youzhny advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Michael Berrer of Germany.

Lacko has eliminated three seeded players in Zagreb.

By wire sources