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This weekend the Davis Cup Final between Czech Republic and Spain was played.
Czech Republic reached the final defeating Italy 4-1 in the first round, Serbia 4-1 in the quarter-finals and Argentina 3-2 in the semifinals. It won a Davis Cup in 1980 when it was part of Czechoslovakia.
Spain reached the final beating Kazakhstan 5-0 in the first round, Austria 4-1 in the quarter-finals and the U.S.A. 3-1 in the semifinals. It’s the defending Davis Cup champion.
Radek Stepanek – David Ferrer
After a balanced start, David Ferrer is the first to have a chance to take a lead with 7 break points in the sixth game but Radek Stepanek manages to win his service game at the end of a game that lasted about 20 minutes. In the eighth game, however, the Czech makes three double faults and loses his service and in the next game the Spaniard wins the set 6-3.
In the second set Radek Stepanek is still struggling, David Ferrer has six more break points in the first game and eventually manages to break his opponent. In the fifth game, the Spaniard has three break points again but the Czech manages to win his service game. Ferrer seems to dominate but perhaps in the sixth game gets distracted and loses his service. The set seems to have changed but in the ninth game the Spaniard breaks Stepanek again. Ferrer seems to have regained control, in the tenth game serves for the set but offers a break point, saves it and wins the set 6-4.
In the third set the match seems still in David Ferrer’s hands and he breaks Radek Stepanek in the first game again. In the third game the Spaniard has two more break points but the Czech manages to win his service game. Stepanek is still trying to react and in the sixth game has a break point but Ferrer wins his service game, in the next game he is the one who breaks the Czech, serves for the match but loses his service. The party is jsut postponed because in the tenth game Ferrer wins the set 6-4, taking the match and the first point in the Final for Spain.
Tomas Berdych – Nicolas Almagro
Both Tomas Berdych and Nicolas Almagro serve well and only in the eighth game the first break point of the match arrives and that’s enough for the Czech to break the Spaniard then in the next game he wins the set 6-3.
The second set is still balanced, this time until the sixth game, when Nicolas Almagro breaks Tomas Berdych. In the eighth game, the Spaniard has a set point but the Czech wins his service game. Almagro has to wait just one more game to win the set 6-3.
In the third set Nicolas Almagro has a break point in the first game but Tomas Berdych wins his service game and in the next game he’s the one breaking his opponent. The Spaniard keeps on playing well but the break is decisive and the Czech wins the set 6-3.
In the fourth set Tomas Berdych breaks Nicolas Almagro in the first game. It looks like the Spaniard won’t do it and in the fifth game he offers another break point to Czech but manages to win his service game and in the next game he’s the one breaking his opponent. The set is decided by the tie-break, in which Almagro dominates the first part going 5-0, is almost caught up at 6-5 but with an ace wins it 7-5.
In the fifth set, there are a number of errors by both players. Nicolas Almagro has two break points in the first game but Tomas Berdych wins his service game. In the sixth game the Czech breaks the Spaniard but that’s the first of three consecutive breaks. In the ninth game Berdych serves for the set and wins it 6-3, taking the match and bringing the situation in the Final to a draw.
Tomas Berdych / Radek Stepanek –
Marcel Granollers / Marc Lopez
Radek Stepanek starts today again with some difficulty with his service and loses it in the second game. The Czechs can’t get even a break point so the first set ends rather quickly, won by the Spaniards 6-3.
In the second set, Marc Lopez loses his service in the fourth game but in the fifth game the Czechs make some mistakes and Tomas Berdych gets broken back. In the twelfth game the Spaniards have a break point but Radek Stepanek manages to win his service game and in the next game Marc Lopez loses his service again giving the set to the Czechs 7-5.
The third set is the most balanced, also because Radek Stepanek stepped up during the match. There are no break points until the twelfth game, when Marc Lopez loses the service decisive for the set, won by the Czechs 7-5.
The third set is even more balanced until the sixth game, when Marcel Granollers loses his service. The Spaniards seem to have not enough energy to turn the situation around, in fact the Czechs win the set 6-3, taking the match and bringing the situation in the Final 2-1 for Czech Republic
Tomas Berdych – David Ferrer
David Ferrer starts far better than Tomas Berdych and breaks him already in the second game. Today the Czech struggles with his service and in the sixth game offers two more break points but manages to win his service game. In the seventh game Berdych has three break points but Ferrer holds serve and in the ninth game breaks his opponent again winning the set 6-3.
The second set starts like the first, with David Ferrer breaking Tomas Berdych in the second game. The Czech tries to react but doesn’t even have a break point and the Spaniard wins the set 6-3.
In the third set David Ferrer breaks Tomas Berdych in the third game. In the seventh game, the Spaniard has another break point but the Czech manages to win his service game and in the next game he breaks his opponent for the first time. The match might change but in the eleventh game Ferrer breaks Berdych and in the next game and closes the set 7-5, winning the match and bringing the situation in the Final back to a tie.
Radek Stepanek – Nicolas Almagro
Nicolas Almagro has a break point in the first game but Radek Stepanek wins his service game. In the second game, the Czech has two break points but the Spaniard wins his service game. In the seventh game Almagro has another break point but Stepanek wins his service game again. In the tenth game the Czech manages to break his opponent to win the set 6-4.
In the second set Radek Stepanek has three break points in the second game but Nicolas Almagro wins his service game. The Czech seems in control, instead of in the fifth game the Spaniard breaks him. However, in the eighth game Stepanek breaks Almagro. In the ninth game, the Spaniard has two break points but the Czech holds serve. In the tenth game Stepanek has two break points, which are also two set points, but Almagro wins his service game. The same situation recurs two games later. The set is decided by the tie-break, in which the Spaniard makes several errors and Stepanek can dominate and win it 7-0.
In the third set Radek Stepanek has three break points in the first game but Nicolas Almagro wins his service game. In the fourth game the Spaniard has three break points but the Czech holds serve. In the sixth game Almagro eventually breaks Stepanek. It’s the decisive lead and the Spaniard wins the set 6-3.
In the fourth set Radek Stepanek breaks Nicolas Almagro in the second game. The Spaniard tries to fight back but the Czech has a break point, which is also a match point, again in the eighth game, however Almagro wins his service game. The party for the Czechs is delayed just slightly because Stepanek wins the set 6-3, winning the match and especially the Davis Cup for the Czech Republic
Spain without Rafael Nadal on a hard court that benefited the Czechs came close to winning another Davis Cup in a Final full of excitement until the end. Maybe next year David Ferrer won’t play anymore in this competition but if Nadal is back in shape the Spaniards will certainly try to win it again.
Czech Republic won this hundredth edition of the Davis Cup with only two players. In his second single match, Radek Stepanek played his best match since a long time but he’s 34 years old and the other Czech players are of inferior level. It will be almost impossible for them to get confirmed next year but in the meantime they can enjoy this well-deserved triumph which is a double one considering that the women team just won the Federation Cup.
