LILLE, France- - Borna Coric and Marin Cilic put Croatia in command of the Davis Cup final on Friday, leaving hosts and defending champions France facing what looks like mission impossible.
France captain Yannick Noah's odd choice of Jeremy Chardy and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the opening singles rubbers backfired spectacularly as Croatia built a 2-0 lead inside the huge Stade Pierre Mauroy -- home to Lille's soccer club.
World number 12 Coric gave Croatia a flying start with an emphatic 6-2 7-5 6-4 win over an erratic Chardy and the 33-year-old Tsonga, out for most of the season after knee surgery, was then pummelled 6-3 7-5 6-4 by world number seven Cilic.
Chardy, ranked 40th, and Tsonga, now down at 259, were both trusted ahead of world number 32 Lucas Pouille.
Zeljko Krajan's team need one of the three remaining rubbers to emulate their 2005 Davis Cup triumph while French hopes of extending the contest to Sunday rest with doubles pair Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
TEXAS--Dak Prescott threw for a season-high 289 yards with two long scoring passes to Amari Cooper, and the Dallas Cowboys celebrated Thanksgiving by working their way into a tie for first place in the NFC East with a 31-23 win over the Washington on Thursday in Arlington, Texas.
WOKING, England- - Fernando Alonso is leaving Formula One after Sunday's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but McLaren say they will not hesitate to seek his services again if needed.
FRANCE --Captain Yannick Noah sprang a surprise at Thursday's Davis Cup final draw ceremony when he named Jeremy Chardy and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as his singles players for the opening day's action in Lille.
PARIS-- France striker Kylian Mbappe went off nursing a shoulder injury as they beat Uruguay 1-0 with an Olivier Giroud penalty in a rematch of their World Cup quarter-final on Tuesday.
