Stars und Sternchen! » semifinals for the first time in 11 years

GENEVA -- Roger Federer won the decisive singles match on Sunday to give Switzerland a 3-2 win over Kazakhstan in the Davis Cup and a spot in the semifinals for the first time in 11 years. Federer cruised to a 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-3 victory over 64th-ranked Andrey Golubev, then ran across the court to embrace team captain Severin Luethi. "Were very relieved and very happy," said the 32-year-old Federer, who has never won a Davis Cup title. "It was a long weekend with a lot of tennis." Trailing 2-1 after losing Saturdays doubles, Switzerland had drawn level when Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka beat Mikhail Kukushkin 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. "Stan gave me the chance to play again today. It was a pleasure," Federer said in French in a courtside interview in front of the 15,000-plus crowd at the Palexpo indoor arena Switzerland will host Italy in the semifinals on Sept. 12-14. The Swiss have never won the Davis Cup, and last reached the semifinals in 2003. Then, a Federer-led team lost to Lleyton Hewitts Australia. Federer converted his first match point when his opponent could not return the serve. He also won in straight sets in Fridays opening singles against 56th-ranked Kukushkin. On Sunday, the third-ranked Wawrinka did not allow Kukushkin any break points in the match, though lost the first-set tiebreaker after a series of misplayed forehands. Wawrinka then used service breaks in the fifth game of the second set and opening game of the third to take control. He forced the decisive break at 4-4 in the fourth, with a forehand crosscourt return for a winner. Wawrinka clinched the match with his 25th ace. Air Max 97 China Wholesale .com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness. Cheap Air Max 97 . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins (5) – He had a brilliant game; it was a huge response for his average games before. http://www.discountairmax97.com/.500 were once common achievements for the Dallas Mavericks. Now, both are season highs as Dallas slowly works its way back into playoff contention in the Western Conference. Air Max 97 Cheap China . -- Isaiah Pead took a stutter step forward, then raced to the left sideline and travelled 60 yards up the field before finally getting tripped up by a leg tackle. Discount Air Max 97 . A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain.TORONTO - Toronto FC manager Ryan Nelsen says hes concerned about the rough treatment being meted out to star striker Jermain Defoe. The five-foot-seven English forward will have to sit out Saturdays game against visiting Sporting Kansas City after receiving a caution last weekend in Houston, when he was essentially hurled to the ground by six-foot-four Dynamo defender David Horst during an altercation. Only Defoe saw yellow, his fifth of the season which triggered a one-game ban. Nelsens beef is that officials seem to be swayed by simulation and the extras that can follow a foul rather the actual incident. "Hes such a honest player," Nelsen said of Defoe. "Especially in England, you dont dive, you dont fall down, you dont complain. You get that sort of treatment and you have to deal with it. "But over here, a lot of players fall and dive and roll. And the referees react on that. Where(as) our guys are sometimes a wee bit too honest and they take the punishment. The league talks about stamping out all that play, but just because our guys dont dive, it doesnt mean its not happening. "Thats the thing that frustrates me the most is that the referees, they react on what happened if its a dive or its a roll or something like that, then they react. And not the actual impact itself, which they should be doing." No stranger to having a target on his back, the 145-pound Defoe has not complained and has shown he can take care of himself, not backing down from anyone.dddddddddddd But the 31-year-old has surprised even himself with the five cautions so far in his first season in MLS. "Which is unusual for me," he said after the midweek friendly with Tottenham. "I dont normally get involved, I dont really get yellow cards and that." Defoe understands, however, that opposing teams are looking to get him off his game. "Well thats their job at the end of the day," he said after the recent 1-1 tie with Vancouver."Youve got to do whatever it takes to win the game. "Obviously Im not in their changing room, I dont know what the manager says or what they do, but at the end of the day, for me, Ive just go to get into the areas where Im going to score goals. And obviously theyre going to try and do stuff, I suppose, to put me off my game. But its not a problem. Its important just to keep focused and as a forward make sure when we get the chances, that we put them away." Going into this weekends round of play, Defoe was one of 13 players with five cautions. D.C. United midfielder Perry Kitchen led the league with seven yellow cards while six players had six cautions. Defoe leads TFC in yellows, despite only having played 14 of 17 league games. Portlands Darlington Nagbe led the league with 61 fouls suffered in 20 games. Defoe was not in the top 10. But as Torontos leading scorer, with 11 of the clubs 26 goals, he is a key to the attack. Defoe ranks fourth in league scoring. ' ' '