Americans Keep Poise With Gimelstob, Rubin

Justin Gimelstob and Chanda Rubin scored a dramatic mixed doubles victory to lift the United States to a 2-1 triumph over defending champion Croatia in a Hopman Cup tennis match that ended early Thursday in Perth, Australia.

Rubin beat Iva Majoli, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), in the women’s singles match, before Goran Ivanisevic, ranked No. 4 in the world, downed Gimelstob, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-5.

Then, the 19-year-old Gimelstob, who plays at UCLA, teamed with Rubin to win the decisive doubles, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7).

The victory gave the United States a 2-0 record in the round-robin tournament. Top-seeded Croatia is 1-1. The Americans can earn a spot in the final by beating Australia tonight.

“The way Justin has been playing is great,” Rubin said. “I didn’t know much about him, but I’m impressed.”

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Britain’s Tim Henman, ranked 29th in the world, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Egyptian qualifier Tamer El Sawy in Doha.

Henman will face Magnus Gustafsson of Sweden, who defeated Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia in a second-round match, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.

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Russia’s Andrei Cherkasov, given a controversial wild-card berth, beat Australia’s Patrick Rafter, 6-2, 7-6 (15-13), in the second round of the Australian Hardcourts in Adelaide. Fourth-seeded Todd Woodbridge of Australia beat Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) and No. 5 American Alex O’Brien also advanced, beating Sweden’s Thomas Johannson, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

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Defending champion Sandra Cacic of the United States advanced to the quarterfinals of the New Zealand Classic, beating third-seeded compatriot Linda-Harvey-Wild, 6-4, 7-5, in Auckland.

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Top-seeded Brenda Schultz-McCarthy of the Netherlands beat compatriot Miriam Oremans, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0, in the second round of the Gold Coast Classic in Australia.

Miscellany

On a day when some of the most meaningful college football games were contested, former Boise State coach Pokey Allen was eulogized as a man whose passions were people and football.

Allen, 53, died Monday at a Missoula, Mont., hospital after a two-year battle with cancer.

“Pokey collected friends. He made us laugh,” said Mike Munsey, one of three close friends who spoke at Allen’s one-hour memorial service at St. Anthony Catholic Church. “He always found something to like in everybody.”

“He did have a passion for football, but I think people were Pokey’s life,” Jon Miller said. “He had a special charisma which was courageously inspiring. Some called it magic. He showed us what strength and character are all about. He was a winner. He taught people to never give up.”

Larry Walker, who founded Basketball Congress International in 1970 to help young players showcase their ability, died Monday of heart failure in Phoenix. He was 82.

Walker, who suffered a stroke in 1992, was admitted to St. Joseph’s Hospital on Dec. 21 because of fatigue. He had a heart attack Saturday.

Walker founded BCI to provide the basketball equivalent of Little League baseball and Pop Warner football. About 63,000 players take part in BCI leagues or tournaments throughout the United States.

Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone and Kevin Johnson are among the pro players who took part in BCI.

Christian Dube and Brad Isbister each contributed a goal and an assist to lead four-time defending champion Canada to a 7-2 victory over Slovakia in the World Junior Hockey Championships in Geneva.

The United States takes on the Czech Republic in one semifinal and Canada will play Russia in the other.

Primoz Peterka, a 17-year-old Slovenian, outclassed the competition with 241.9 points to win the traditional New Year’s Day World Cup ski jumping event in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

The win also gave Peterka 475.6 points, forging a tie for the lead in the overall World Cup standings with Andreas Goldberger of Austria, who finished second with 228.9 points.