SPORTS briefs

MADRID. World number three Rafael Nadal will head the Spain team which will face Israel at home in the Davis Cup semi-finals on September 18-20, Spain's Davis Cup coach Francis Roig said Tuesday. David Ferrer, Tommy Robredo and Feliciano Lopez will round out the team, whose captain is former French Open champion Albert Costa, he added. Spain will be without Fernando Verdasco, who is suffering from injuries to his abdominal muscles and feet.

NEW YORK. The Yankees opened a season-high nine-game lead over Boston in the AL East by sweeping a doubleheader against Tampa Bay 4-1 and 11-1 on Monday. Detroit is 6 1/2 games ahead of Minnesota in the Central, and the Los Angeles Angels hold a five-game margin over Texas in the West. The closest gap is in the wild-card race, where the Red Sox lead the Rangers by 2 1/2 games.

PHOENIX.Two studies conducted for the NHL set a potential relocation fee of $101 million to $195 million to move the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton, Ontario. Canadian billionaire James Balsillie, co-CEO of the company that makes the Blackberry, wants to buy the franchise for $212.5 million, contingent on moving it to Hamilton. The NHL made a last-minute bid of $140 million to purchase the team and keep it in Arizona. The team is to be sold at auction on Thursday, but legal issues have yet to be resolved. The figures are listed in a brief filed in US Bankruptcy Court over the ownership.