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BELGRADE, Serbia -- Vasek Pospisil knows his first career match against the worlds best tennis player isnt going to be easy, so hes happy hell be getting it over with early in Canadas Davis Cup semifinal tie against Serbia. The 23-year-old from Vancouver will face the No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic in Fridays opening singles match at the Kombank Arena. With Pospisil also playing doubles, getting his toughest match out of the way gives him time to rest before teaming up with veteran Daniel Nestor on Saturday in doubles. "Obviously I dont have to talk about how good of a player (Djokovic) is so I know Im going to have a tough day on Friday," Pospisil said after Thursdays draw. "Im happy that Im playing first and to rest for the doubles on Saturday." Djokovic only arrived Wednesday night after losing a gruelling four-set match to Rafael Nadal in the U.S. Open final on Monday. There was a concern that Djokovic may be rested Friday and saved for Sundays much-anticipated match against top-ranked Canadian Milos Raonic. Djokovic assured the large gathering of Serbian media Thursday he will be ready to go when the best-of-five tie kicks off Friday. "Its not the first time that I have two days time to get ready," said Djokovic. "Its obvious that Im tired because Ive had a long hard-court season and jetlag and time changes can play a factor to my adjusting to the conditions but I feel quite healthy and very much motivated and inspired to play for my country." The 11th-ranked Raonic will play Janko Tipsarevic in the second match Friday. The player from Thornhill, Ont., has won all three previous meetings with Tipsarevic but all those wins have come on hard court surfaces. Theyll be playing on clay indoors in Belgrade, a surface that has challenged Raonic in the past. "Im playing much better on clay and even here after the summer Ive had, I have a lot of confidence ...," said Raonic. "Even though its a bit faster than a traditional clay court and clay court atmosphere, its something I feel very comfortable with and I feel like Ive done well with." Canada, which upset Spain and Italy in Vancouver to advance, has never played in the Davis Cup semifinals before. Serbia, meanwhile, is trying to get back to the final after winning the event in 2010. The winner of the tie will play the winner of the other semifinal between the Czech Republic and Argentina in November. Despite being in uncharted territory, the Canadians seemed relaxed Thursday. Raonic and Pospisil warmed up by throwing a football around and kicking a soccer ball over the net before a vigorous training session. Nestor arrived later with the rest of the staff for a final game of soccer tennis before the team marched in for the draw. The Canadian team has a strong connection to the Balkan region with Nestor returning to his birthplace while Raonic was born in what is now Montenegro. Frank Dancevic of Niagara Falls, Ont., who saw action in the first round against Spain in February, has a Serbian-born father and has trained in Belgrade recently. While those connections may earn the Canadians some respect from the 15,000 fans each day, Nestor knows they wont get much support. "If things get close, and we expect them to, I think for sure theyre going to forget about that pretty quickly," Nestor said. "At the end of the day its about winning the tie so theyre going to do what it takes to do that." In the doubles on Saturday, Nestor and Pospisil will be taking on Ilija Bozoljac and Nenad Zimonic. Bozoljac is a last-second change, replacing Dusan Lajovic. Nestor and Zimonic were partners between 2008 and 2010. The pair won three Grand Slam titles together so they know each other well. Nestor is more concerned with Lajovic. "I think Bozoljac brings something new to the table and we have to be prepared for him," said Nestor. "Hes a big hitter and a shot-maker and we have to try and take him off his game." The singles draws are flipped for Sunday with Djokovic opening the day against Raonic and Tipsarevic playing Pospisil. Nike Sb Outlet Sale .com) - The Oakland Athletics needed to rely on a lot of young pitchers to win an American League West title this season. Nike Sb Outlet Store .com) - The Minnesota Twins made it official on Wednesday, announcing the signing of outfielder Torii Hunter to a one-year contract. http://www.nikesboutlet.com/. -- So much for concern that running back Marshawn Lynch would be absent from the Seattle Seahawks minicamp. Nike Sb Clearance Sale .Heres Ralph the Dog with the crew here at TSN jumping into the James Duthie TradeCentre selfie: Happy to drop by! RT @TSN_Sports: @tsnjamesduthie: Take this Ellen. Nike Sb Shoes For Sale Cheap . On Saturday, the paths of Drew Tate and Kevin Glenn cross again as opposing quarterbacks.ST. LOUIS -- Hiroki Kuroda snapped an 11-start road winless streak and Jacoby Ellsbury helped build an early lead with three hits and three RBIs his first three at-bats in the New York Yankees 7-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night. John Ryan Murphy added two RBIs for the Yankees, who took two of three without an appearance from Mark Teixeira, nursing a sore wrist, and wrapped up a 5-4 trip. Catcher Brian McCann made his first career start at first base in the finale. Shelby Miller (6-4) allowed a career-worst seven runs and nine hits in five innings for St. Louis. Kolten Wong had a career-best four hits and an RBI, Matt Carpenter doubled twice with an RBI and Yadier Molina had two hits and two walks, but the Cardinals stranded 13 runners. Derek Jeter didnt play in the finale but made a curtain call before the seventh inning after the scoreboard camera focused on him in the dugout and fans responded with another standing ovation. Kuroda (4-3) allowed three runs in 5 2-3 innings for his first road victory since last July 25 at Texas. He had been 0-7 since then, the longest drought of his career but is 1-1 away from Yankee Stadium this year. Miller had won five of his previous six starts but has lasted fewer than six innings seven times in his 11 starts. Frequently jumping on the first pitch, the Yankees pelted the 23-year-old right-hander for seven runs and seven hits. He walked two in the third andd fourth.dddddddddddd. Ellsbury had an RBI single in the third as five straight Yankees reached safely, and added a two-run single in the fourth. Murphy had a two-run single in the fourth. The Cardinals stranded two in the second and left the bases loaded in the third when Yadier Molina popped out to second. Kuroda has allowed just one extra-base hit with the bases loaded in 65 career plate appearances, limiting opponents to 14 hits in 57 at-bats with a double. St. Louis chipped away with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth and Wongs RBI single off David Robertson in the eighth cut the deficit to three. The first two Cardinals reached in the ninth before Robertson struck out the next three, including pinch-hitter Matt Adams, to earn his 12th save in 13 chances. NOTES: All three games were sellouts. Paid attendance of 45,267 in the finale was the Cardinals 13th in 24 home dates. ... Adams did not start at 1B due to calf tightness. ... The Yankees have a day off Thursday before beginning a seven-game homestand against the Twins, Mariners and As. Vidal Nuno (1-1, 5.49) starts Friday against Minnesotas Ricky Nolasco (2-5, 6.12). The Cardinals open a four-game series at home against the Giants Thursday, with Jaime Garcia (1-0, 4.26) opposing Ryan Vogelsong (3-2, 3.20). ... Matt Holliday singled in the third and has reached base safely in all 24 home games. ... The Yankees are 6-3 overall against St. Louis. ' ' '