Sports briefs for December 3, 2004

Friday, Dec. 3, 2004 | 11:25 a.m.

U.S. falls in 2-0 hole in Davis Cup final

Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish lost opening matches in the Davis Cup final today, leaving the United States in a big hole and Spain in commanding position to win the title.

Rafael Nadal defeated the second-ranked Roddick 6-7 (6), 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-2 after Carlos Moya opened with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 victory against Fish, an inexperienced clay-court player.

Spain, which won the title at home in 2000 against Australia, now needs one more victory in the best-of-five series at Seville, Spain.

Only six teams in Davis history have won after trailing 2-0.

In Saturday's doubles, American twins Bob and Mike Bryan face Nadal and Tommy Robredo. The Bryans are 4-0 in Davis Cup play and have not lost a set. If they win, Sunday's singles would pit Moya against Roddick and Fish against Nadal.

Nadal was sensational on the slow, red clay on a chilly day at Olympic Stadium. He combined power on his sweeping left-handed groundstrokes with touch on repeated drop shots, prompting Roddick to applaud with his racket.

Attendance was given unofficially at 27,200, which would be a record for a sanctioned tennis match. The previous record was set in 1954 in Sydney, when 25,578 watched the United States defeat Australia.

Wilson hanging in

Marion Jones accused

Olympic star Marion Jones injected herself in the leg with human growth hormone while BALCO head Victor Conte watched, he told ABC News in an interview for "20/20," to be aired tonight. Jones also was given other performance-enhancing drugs by Conte, one of four men indicted in an alleged steroid-distribution ring. In excerpts released by the network of the interview, Conte said he started supplying Jones with performance-enhancing drugs in the weeks leading up to the 2000 Olympics, where Jones won five medals.

Owners approve move

Baseball owners gave their conditional approval today to moving the Montreal Expos to Washington next year. Owners voted to approve the move during a telephone conference call. The vote was 29-1, with the Baltimore Orioles dissenting, a baseball official said on condition of anonymity. The decision is subject to the District of Columbia government enacting by Dec. 31 funding for a new ballpark for the team, which would be renamed the Nationals.

Retrial for Williams

Former NBA star Jayson Williams will be retried on a manslaughter charge in the shotgun slaying of a limousine driver at his mansion, a judge in Somerville, N.J., ruled. Williams faces a retrial because of a mixed verdict delivered April 30. The jury acquitted him of aggravated manslaughter but deadlocked on the charge of reckless manslaughter.