There was pandemonium in Prague last weekend when the Czech Republic beat defending-champions Spain in a pulsating final of the 100th edition of the Davis Cup. This victory was the Czech Republic’s first as an independent nation winning the coveted ITF men’s team trophy. They last won it 32 years ago when Andy Murray’s new mentor Ivan Lendl was playing.
The final took place over three days and consisted of a possible total of five ‘rubbers’ (or matches), as is the case with all Davis Cup ties: two singles matches on the Friday, one doubles match on the Saturday, and two reverse singles matches on the Sunday. The Czechs needed all five as they eventually beat the Spaniards 3-2 in what turned out to be an absolute thriller.
The Czech Republic were playing the tie at home and got to choose the surface. Unsuprisingly, the tie was played at the O2 Arena in Prague on a lighting quick indoor hard court. The action kicked off with the first singles match between world number five David Ferrer and the Czech Republic’s Radek Štěpánek ranked 37th in the world. The outcome was decisive with the Spaniard running out a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 winner. Things were going according to the script: 1-0 Spain.
The second match of the day pitted world number six Tomáš Berdych against number 11 Nicolás Almagro in what promised to be a fiery affair. It did not disappoint as Berdych knew he had to win to keep the Czechs in with a realistic chance of winning the final. The Czech eventually won 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 in just under four hours. The final was nicely poised going into the weekend: 1-1. On the second day, the pivotal doubles match took place.
The doubles team for Spain were newly crowned World Tour Finals doubles champions Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez, and the team for the Czech Republic consisted of Berdych and Štěpánek (who had been unbeaten all year in Davis Cup play). In what turned out to be arguably the turning point of the final, the Czech duo maintained that unbeaten run to secure a sensational come from behind win 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-3.
The Czechs were in the ascendancy: 2-1 Czech Republic. On the third and final day, the reverse singles took place with the Czechs one rubber away from creating history. Berdych and Ferrer (both unbeaten in Davis Cup singles play this year), got things started. Producing one of the performances of his career, Ferrer put on an absolutely clinical performance on what is not traditionally thought of as his best surface to keep Spanish hopes alive and to dismiss Berdych 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. It was two rubbers all and with one final tennis match of 2012. Almagro and Štěpánek had the honour of having the hopes of their respective nations weighing heavily on their shoulders. In a largely cagey affair, the 33 year-old Štěpánek rode the deafening crowd support and used all his guile and experience to hold his nerve and emerge victorious 6-4, 7-6(0), 3-6, 6-3. Štěpánek, sank to his knees before leaping over the net and waving his arms in triumph, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Author: Alistair Fatemi