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Djokovic gives Serbia lead

Kraljevo - World No 1 Novak Djokovic got hosts Serbia off to a winning start in their Davis Cup World Group first round tie against Croatia on Friday.

Djokovic started both the first and second set with a break easing past 158th-ranked Mate Delic 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in 1hr 30min.

Only in the third set did Delic, 21, show some resistance, winning four games, but without threatening the eight-time Grand Slam winner.

The 27-year-old Djokovic, whose opponent did not have a single break point, relied on a solid service.

"Mate is a talented player with a lot of potential to reach the top in the tennis world, but I'm happy with my performance and that I managed to win," Djokovic said.

In Friday's second tie Viktor Troicki, who returning to the national team after serving a one-year doping suspension, will play Croatia's teen star Borna Coric.

Coric, 18, shocked former Wimbledon and US Open champion Andy Murray at the Dubai Open last month.

Serbia are favourites with Croatia playing without injured US Open champion Marin Cilic.

Davis Cup results:

BRITAIN 1 UNITED STATES 0

Andy Murray (GBR) bt Donald Young (USA) 6-1, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2

followed by

James Ward (GBR) v John Isner (USA)

SERBIA 2 CROATIA 0

Novak Djokovic (SRB) bt Mate Delic (CRO) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

Viktor Troicki (SRB) bt Borna Coric (CRO) 4-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1

KAZAKHSTAN 1 ITALY 1

Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) bt Simone Bolelli (ITA) 7-6 (8/6), 6-1, 6-2

Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Andrey Golubev (KAZ) 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2

BELGIUM 1 SWITZERLAND 1

Henri Laaksonen (SUI) bt Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) 1-6, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-0, 6-2

Steve Darcis (BEL) bt Michael Lammer (SUI) 6-3, 6-1, 6-3

GERMANY 0 FRANCE 1

Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-7 (1/7), 6-2, 10-8

Followed by

Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) v Gal Monfils

CZECH REPUBLIC 0 AUSTRALIA 1

Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) bt Lukas Rosol (CZE) 4-6, 2-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-3

Followed by

Jiri Vesely (CZE) v Bernard Tomic (AUS)

Other ties

Canada v Japan

Argentina v Brazil

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