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Sports / Tennis

Berdych, Stepanek to lead Czechs in Davis final

Published: 07 Nov 2012 - 07:26 am | Last Updated: 06 Feb 2022 - 02:32 am

PRAGUE: World number six Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek will spearhead the Czech team when they take on Davis Cup holders Spain in this month’s final in Prague.

Spain will be without Rafa Nadal, who led his country to a 5-0 rout over the Czech Republic in the 2009 final when the two sides last met but has long struggled with a knee injury.

The Czech Republic are looking for their first Davis Cup title since Czechoslovakia lifted the trophy in 1980. They are also hoping to follow up the Czech women’s Fed Cup final victory last weekend to make the country sweep both team tennis titles. 

Lukas Rosol and Ivo Minar will back up Berdych, 27, and Stepanek, 33. The team’s two best players have teamed up for the doubles match in all of the Czech ties this year.

“There is not a reason to change the team, it was fantastic in Argentina,” he was quoted by CTK news agency. “We are again close (to the title) but also still far away,” team captain Jaroslav Navratil. REUTERS