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BELGRADE, Serbia -- Canadas Milos Raonic turned to his most reliable weapon on Friday after rolling his ankle in a key Davis Cup matchup. Raonic fought off a match point and the injury in the third set to pull out a five-set victory over Serbias Janko Tipsarevic to tie the best-of-five Davis Cup at one match apiece. The 22-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., leaned heavily on his booming serve to avoid testing his taped ankle. "I felt like playing aggressively was the key. I started serving in the fourth (set) on and starting going for it more," said Raonic. "That helped me survive a lot of tough issues and then just kept plugging away." Raonic needed four hours 12 minutes to complete the 5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 victory at the Belgrade Arena. Earlier, top-ranked Novak Djokovic had little trouble in a 6-2, 6-0, 6-4 win over Vancouvers Vasek Pospisil. Of his 34 aces served up in the match, Raonic hit 17 in the fifth set alone. Raonic appeared to roll over on his ankle near the end of the third set but didnt receive treatment until the changeover to the fourth set. He got the ankle taped before going out to take the fourth set on the strength of seven more aces. He didnt know the extent of the problem but said he only noticed it on certain movements. After leaving the arena, Raonic was to receive some treatment and was adamant that hell be ready for his reverse singles match against Djokovic that kicks off the action on Sunday. "I wont think too much of it until I get more information," said Raonic. "Its just a waste of energy until I actually know whats actually happening." Heading into the fifth set there was another longer changeover when the referee called for the clay court to be watered. As a result, the fifth set started with the court still damp. Its always the referee who has discretion in such matters but Raonic didnt like how the situation was handled. "I dont think the issue is with it being watered, I think the issue is with how the head referee dealt with it," said Raonic. "I found it very unprofessional without consulting once and just I dont think he did a good job dealing with that situation. "Its disappointing because Im sure hes been in that situation many times." The victory takes some of the pressure off Pospisil and Torontos Daniel Nestor, who will team up in Saturdays doubles match against Ilija Bozoljac and Nenad Zimonic. A Raonic loss would have created a must-win situation for the Canadian doubles duo. Reverse singles matches are on tap for Sunday. The singles draws are flipped with Djokovic to open against Raonic and Tipsarevic to play Pospisil. The winner of the tie will play either the Czech Republic or Argentina in the final in November. The Czechs won both singles matches Friday for a 2-0 lead. Djokovic, who was coming off a loss to Rafael Nadal in the U.S. Open final on Monday, won 12 consecutive games midway through the opening match. He completed the victory in one hour 41 minutes. "Im not going to put up any excuses. Hes the No. 1 in the world for a reason and I thought he played amazing," said Pospisil. "He didnt make any mistakes. I have to play my best tennis to keep it close and I was playing well in the beginning and after I went down a break I started panicking a bit and wasnt playing my best." Pospisil has had a breakthrough season and is up to No. 41 in the world rankings. However, he was unable to put much pressure on Djokovic and committed 75 unforced errors. There was a small pocket of Canadian fans in the 15,000-seat venue and they were in full voice early as Pospisil easily held serve in the opening game. Pospisil had his serve broken in the fifth game and Djokovic took control. Djokovic appeared fresh despite a busy travel week and limited practice time. He needed only 28 minutes to win the second set. "I was forcing it too much and I wasnt in my own skin," said Pospisil. "He makes you do that by just being Novak and playing the way he was playing, he maybe forced me to go for a little too much and there was probably a 45-minute period where it probably wasnt too pretty for my side." Pospisil played better in the third set despite being broken in the first game. He held serve the rest of the way but Djokovic was steady and secured the win when Pospisil put a shot into the net. Canada, which upset Spain and Italy in Vancouver to advance, has never reached the Davis Cup semifinals in the modern era. Serbia, meanwhile, is trying to get back to the final after winning the event in 2010. Scarpe Asics In Offerta .Y. -- Scott Chandler is returning to Buffalo, where he spent the past three seasons establishing himself as the Bills top pass-catching tight end. Scarpe Asics Uomo Offerte . The third baseman whipped the ball across the diamond to second baseman Aaron Hill. He quickly tossed it to shortstop Chris Owings, who flipped over his shoulder to left fielder Cody Ross. http://www.asicsscontate.it/ . Reimer is winless (0-2-1) since returning from a six-week absence due to concussion-like symptoms. The Maple Leafs dropped a 4-2 decision to the hosting Washington Capitals on Friday. Scarpe Asics Saldi .S. military base for UFC: Fight for the Troops 3. This fight card, which takes place in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, has had a number of changes, including headliner Lyoto Machida replaced by fellow Brazilian Rafael Natal. Scarpe Asics Scontate . Bjoerndalen broke the record he shared with cross-country skiing great Bjoern Daehlie, also matching his fellow Norwegians record of eight gold medals. Bjoerndalen earlier won gold in Sochi in the mens sprint biathlon.SAN ANTONIO -- The Portland Trail Blazers were clearly rattled by the San Antonio Spurs in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals, and they were almost snake bit before Game 2. A baby rattlesnake, estimated at about 3 to 4 feet, was discovered in the teams locker room at the AT&T Center about two hours before the game Thursday. It was found by reserve forward Thomas Robinson, who recoiled a few feet after seeing the snake when he moved a bag from his locker. "I didnt (see it)," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "They said it was a young one." Young or not, guard Mo Williams tweeted that it was a scary experience. Rattlesnakes are a venomous species that can grow up to 8 feet and weigh more than 10 pounds. It takes its name from a "rattle" at the end of its tail that produces a rattling sound when shaken to warn predators of its presence. It is unknown if the rattlesnake found in the locker room made any noise, but Robinsons cries were enough to alert his teammates of its presence. "Well, its bizarre to have a venomous snake in your locker room," Stotts said. "I dont know if its ever happened before. That sounds like an ABA story." The Spurs have a history in the ABA and also with critters in the AT&T Center. The stadium hosts the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo each February and its grounds are used for livestock shows during the three-week event. Spurs guard Manu Ginobili also swatted down a bat that was flying above the court at the AT&T Center on Nov.dddddddddddd 1, 2009. Ginobili had to have rabies shots after striking the bat with his bare hands. Fortunately for the Spurs, Ginobili wasnt needed to corral the snake. "I think some people here (captured it)," Stotts said, smiling. "They have them on hand at the AT&T Center. They have a specialist." It probably wasnt a good omen for Portland, which is seeking to even its series with San Antonio. "Or a good sign," Stotts said. "We survived." The Trail Blazers will gladly accept any good fortune after being walloped in their first second-round appearance in 14 years. San Antonio led by as many as 31 points and never trailed in rolling to a 116-92 victory on Tuesday. Tony Parker had 32 points and nine assists, as many as Portland had as a team, as the Trail Blazers never threatened the defending Western Conference champions. Stotts was asked if he thought someone from the Spurs had planted the snake to rattle his young charges. "Youre the investigative reporter, you figure it out," Stotts said, tongue in cheek. Stotts was then asked if he considered returning the favour and planting the snake in San Antonios locker room. "That thing, its like Fort Knox over there. You cant get in," he said. Well, the room with officials Joe Crawford, Bill Spooner, Derrick Stafford and Sean Wright is only about 50 feet away from the Blazers locker room. "And I cant comment on the officials," Stotts said, laughing. ' ' '