With no fans in the stands to give host Japan a boost, Ecuador took an insurmountable 3-0 lead on Saturday to secure a place in November's Davis Cup Finals in Madrid.
Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo beat Ben McLachlan and Yasutaka Uchiyama 7-6 (3), 6-3 in Saturday's doubles played at an empty stadium amid fears about the spread of the coronavirus.
“The situation with no fans helped us," Hidalgo said. “It was weird, different, to play in a stadium without spectators, and I think that it evened up the tie.”
Ecuador's Diego Hidalgo, front, makes a return as his compatriot Gonzalo Escobar looks on in their double match against Japan's Ben McLachlan and Yasutaka Uchiyama during their Davis Cup qualifier in Miki, Hyogo prefecture, western Japan, Saturday, March 7, 2020. With no fans in the stands to give host Japan a boost, Ecuador took an insurmountable 3-0 lead on Saturday to secure a place in November's Davis Cup Finals in Madrid.(Nobuki ItoKyodo News via AP)
Emilio Gomez beat Go Soeda 7-5, 7-6 (3) and Roberto Quiroz followed with a 7-6 (4), 2-6, 7-6 (8) victory over Uchiyama in Friday's singles.
“These guys work very hard and are very committed to Davis Cup and representing their country," Ecuador captain Raul Viver said. "I’m so happy for them. I know the effort they put into their tennis, and sometimes with not much financial support,”
In addition to the Davis Cup, Japanese preseason baseball games and sumo are being held in empty stadiums. The Japanese professional soccer league wiped out the first month of its season.
Ecuador's Gonzalo Escobar, rear, serves as his compatriot Diego Hidalgo looks on in their double match against Japan's Ben McLachlan and Yasutaka Uchiyama during their Davis Cup qualifier in Miki, Hyogo prefecture, western Japan, Saturday, March 7, 2020. With no fans in the stands to give host Japan a boost, Ecuador took an insurmountable 3-0 lead on Saturday to secure a place in November's Davis Cup Finals in Madrid.(Nobuki ItoKyodo News via AP)
Japan was without top-ranked Kei Nishikori, who is injured.
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 18 points, LaMelo Ball had 17 and the Charlotte Hornets built a 47-point lead in the first half of a 150-95 rout against the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
It was the second-biggest win in franchise history for the Hornets and their largest on the road.
The Hornets bounced back from a pair of frustrating losses in a big way, having fallen to Toronto by one point and Indiana by two in their last two games. Charlotte pounded the NBA champion Thunder by 27 in Oklahoma City before those defeats, previously the Hornets' most lopsided victory of the season.
Tre Mann led the Hornets with 20 points in 12 minutes off the bench. Miles Bridges and Collin Sexton each scored 15 in a game Charlotte led by 57 in the second half.
Ryan Kalbrenner and Grant Williams returned from injuries for Charlotte, which outscored Utah by 45 points behind the 3-point line in the first half. The Hornets were 16 for 36 while the Jazz hit one of their 12 attempts.
Brice Sensabaugh scored 26 points for the Jazz, who rested leading scorer Lauri Markkanen and were without injured starting center Jusuf Nurkic.
Williams, playing for the first time since November 2024 after recovering from right knee surgery, hit consecutive 3-pointers to cap a 23-2 run that made it 39-8. The Jazz went scoreless for more than five minutes as Charlotte scored 17 straight points.
It was 45-14 after one and the Hornets extended it to 77-30 on Bridges' 3-pointer with 1:41 left in the half. Utah scored the final eight points of the half.
Kalkbrenner had 12 points and nine rebounds after missing 10 games with a sprained left elbow.
Hornets: Visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.
Jazz: Visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) passes the ball as he is defended by Utah Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)
Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski (22) drives to the basket as Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, left, defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)
Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams (2) catches a rebound as Hornets forward Moussa Diabaté, left, assists during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)
Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski (22) reacts as Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green comes down the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) looks to pass the ball as Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)
