Tomas Berdych.net

World Group 2008
1st Round

Czech Republic vs Belgium

CEZ Arena, Ostrava
Stadium Capacity: 6784
08 February - 10 February 2008
Day 1: 1500 hrs (1400 hrs GMT)
Day 2: 1400 hrs (1300 hrs GMT)
Day 3: 1300 hrs (1200 hrs GMT)
Surface: Carpet - Indoors
Ball Type: Wilson Australian Open

  This is the tenth time that the two nations have met, with Czech Republic currently leading 6-3. Belgium won their last encounter 3-2 at home in Ghent in the World Group First Round in 1999.

     World Group first round nominations

January 29, 2008 - The  ITF has announced the team nominations for the first round of the 2008 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group, to be played on 8-10 February.

Czech Republic
Tomas Berdych
Radek Stepanek
Lukas Dlouhy
Pavel Vizner
Captain: Jaroslav Navratil

Belgium
Olivier Rochus
Steve Darcis
Kristof Vliegen
Ruben Bemelmans
Captain: Julien Hoferlin

     Week 6 - Davis Cup preparation in Ostrava

Press-conference on Tuesday, February 5, 2008

   Czech team and Captain Navratil in Ostrava     SEE PHOTO   

Tomas Berdych 

    Draw ceremony Ostrava on Thursday, February 7, 2008    SEE PHOTO   

  Tennis-Berdych leads Czech assault in Davis Cup tie with Belgium

Tomas Berdych will spearhead Czech Republic's challenge when he takes on Kristof Vliegen in the opening match of the Davis Cup World Group first-round tie against Belgium in Ostrava on Friday.

World number 10 Berdych is the favourite even though number 72 Vliegen won a challenger tournament in Wroclaw last week.

"I am hoping to win the first point," Berdych told the news agency CTK at Thursday's draw.

Czech number one Berdych beat Vliegen two years ago on grass in Halle, Germany in their only previous singles meeting.

Radek Stepanek plays the second singles against Steve Darcis who has replaced Belgium's top player, world number 56 Olivier Rochus.

"He (Rochus) is not totally fine physically and I need a player who will not give 100 but 200 percent," said visiting captain Julien Hoferlin.

Rochus has been picked for Saturday's doubles, he and Ruben Bemelmans will face Lukas Dlouhy and Pavel Vizner.

The Czechs have a 6-3 record against Belgium in the Davis Cup.

"Every time I play, I open the ties", the 25 year-old Vliegen said. Sometimes it went pretty well, sometimes it went pretty bad. One thing is for sure, I like playing those big matches against top players."

This is the tenth time that the two nations have faced each other with Czech Republic currently leading 6-3. Belgium won their last encounter 3-2 at home in Ghent in the World Group first round in 1999.

But this time around, the Czechs are going in as the clear favourites against the Belgian underdogs. "It puts more pressure on us, for sure," admitted Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil. We're playing at home. We are the favourites. But in Davis Cup, you never know."

Czech Republic knocked out Roger Federer's Switzerland out of the World Group for the first time since 1994 after beating the Swiss in a play-off tie back in September in Prague.

"That was a huge win for us," Berdych said. It boosted our confidence."

Belgium added last-minute changes to their squad, replacing their top player Olivier Rochus with Steve Darcis, who will be making his Davis Cup debut on Friday. Rochus is recovering from a shoulder injury and is still short of the form needed to play best-of-five matches.

"I would have preferred to be on the court rather than on the bench but that's the way it is," said the 56-ranked Rochus who is still expected to pair up with young prospect Ruben Bemelmans for Saturday's doubles. "My injury is getting better, I've been playing for a week. It's not too bad, but playing the first match best of five sets, it was pretty risky I didn't know if I could finish the match."

The Czech team – known as Czechoslovakia back in the old days - won its only Davis Cup title in 1980, defeating Italy in the final. It also reached the final in 1975 but lost to a Bjorn Borg-led Sweden. It is one of three nations, with USA and Sweden to appear in the World Group in all but one year, including 2008.

In 2007, Belgium reached the World Group quarterfinals for just the third time since 1981 before falling to Germany. It also reached the semifinals in 1999 and was also a finalist in 1904.

"Tomas played wonderful tennis" said Vliegen.

  Friday, February 8, 2008 - Berdych quick to score first point

World No. 10 Tomas Berdych produced a near flawless display of shotmaking on Friday to give Czech Republic a 1-0 lead over Belgium in the first round of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas.

The 22-year-old Czech showed masterful court stewardship, hammering 14 aces and crunching 23 winners to blow past Kristof Vliegen 63 61 64 in 1 hour and 48 minutes.

"I was feeling pretty good today," Berdych said. "It started from the beginning of the week. There was a great atmosphere on the team. I took all those aspects and took it today on the court."

Berdych takes early control

Both players traded blows early. The 25-year-old Vliegen used a nice penetrating sliced backhand to unnerve his opponent. The plan worked wonders but only for a while before Berdych found his range. The Czech upped the tempo, blasting ferocious forehand drives from all angles of the court. He broke the Belgian in the fourth and ninth game to close out the set in just 37 minutes.

The second set came as equally as easy for Berdych who enjoyed a nice comfortable stroll. Berdych galloped ahead 4-0 after breaking a hapless Belgian in the second and fourth games. Up 4-0, the Czech faced his first break points of the match, saving both with authority before snatching the set.

"For about one hour and five minutes, Tomas was playing the best tennis I've ever seen him play. I had nothing I could do," Vliegen said. That's the reason why he is topten, why he's doing quarterfinals in Grand Slams. I was hoping and waiting he would miss some balls."

Vliegen loses confidence in third set

Sensing victory, Berdych went into overdrive in the third set, pounding winners and forcing errors off penetrating groundstrokes. Vliegen's game unravelled along with his confidence. The Belgian, ranked No. 72 in the world, conceded his delivery one more time in the third game after committing a slew of unforced errors.

In the final stages of the match Berdych overcame his own nerves. The Czech squandered five match points and saved a final break point with a second service ace which skidded off the T. The Czech finally sealed the deal when Vliegen's sliced approached backhand sailed wide to give his side a 1-0 lead.

"I don't know if it were nerves. I started so well. I just made one or two mistakes," Berdych said. I was pretty happy I was able to avoid a tiebreak."

  CZECH REPUBLIC 2-0 BELGIUM

The Czech Republic holds a clear advantages in its first round tie against Belgium after World No. 10 Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek won the opening singles rubbers.

Berdych experienced few problems in beating Kristof Vliegen of Belgium 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 to give the Czech Republic an opening lead. Playing their first ATP meeting since Halle in June 2006, Berdych seized control of the opening rubber with two breaks of serve in the opening set. The 22-year-old further underlined his superiority as the match progressed and admitted afterwards: "I am glad to have the first point, even though it looked an easy game. I felt right from the first game."

Stepanek hit 10 aces and 29 winners to beat Steve Darcis 6-4, 7-6(4), 7-6(5) in two hours and 45 minutes. Darcis captured his maiden ATP title ranked No. 297 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings at Amersfoort last year.

  Saturday, February 9, 2008 - CZECH REPUBLIC 3, BELGIUM 0

After taking a 2-0 lead on Day 1, the Czech Republic went for the kill Saturday against Belgium, bringing in big guns Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek for the doubles rubber. Berdych and Stepanek won a four hour, 21 minute epic against Kristof Vliegen and Olivier Rochus 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. The Czechs will next play Russia in Moscow.

   Berdych and Stepanek in action during the doubles   SEE PHOTO  

  Berdych and Stepanek send Czech Republic through

In a wildly fluctuating contest, Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych scored a dramatic 67(2) 76(6) 75 57 64 triumph over Belgium's Kristof Vliegen and Olivier Rochus to launch Czech Republic into the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas for the first time in six years.

The Czech duo was made to work hard all day and needed all the help they could get to finally outlast the Belgian underdogs in four hours and 21 minutes.

"It's a relief to go through. In Davis Cup, every match is hard," said Stepanek, who returned to play for his country against Switzerland last September after a three year hiatus. "This match was not as hard as the one we played against the Swiss. Olivier Rochus showed again how great of a player he is in doubles."

In a surprising move, Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil changed his doubles line-up on Saturday morning from the originally nominated Lukas Dlouhy and Pavel Vizner to Berdych and Stepanek, a gamble that almost backfired.

Stepanek and Berdych on fire

Stepanek and Berdych, who had both won their singles rubbers on Friday to give their side a commanding 2-0 lead, were firing on all cylinders. They broke Vliegen in the opening game when a solid Berdych return set up an easy backhand put away for Stepanek.

Up 2-1, 0-40, Berdych extricated himself from a serious jam, reeling five straight points to go up 3-1. The Czech pair remained in control, but not for long. The Belgians steadied their game and fired at will with penetrating passing shots. Up 5-4, the Czechs just couldn't close it out as they squandered four set points to let the Belgians back into the contest.

A highly-charged Vliegen and Rochus produced their best passage of play in the tie-break, going up 4-1. Four points later, they ran away with the set after Stepanek misfired his return.

Belgium back in the match

With their confidence soaring and the momentum on their side, the Belgian pair earned three break point chances in the third game at 0-40 but just couldn't convert.

Fired-up, the Belgian duo continued to display steely nerves as they broke Berdych's serve in the fifth game to take a 4-2 advantage. Up 5-4, Rochus served for a two sets to love lead but the diminutive Belgian, the 2004 Roland Garros doubles champion, slumped and conceded his delivery for the first time in the match.

The set went to another tie-break. Up 6-4, the Czechs let two set points slip away but made sure to capitalize on the third to level things out.

For large stretches of the third set, not much separated the two teams until Vliegen dropped serve in the 11th game, allowing Stepanek to serve it out in style.

The dramatic fight carried on into the fourth set with the Belgians evening things out at two sets apiece after Stepanek lost his delivery in the 12th game.

In the ensuing set, Rochus gave his opponents a final break in the fifth game, courtesy of a double fault. Five games later, Stepanek sank the final nail into Belgian's coffin when Vliegen's crosscourt forehand sailed wide.

   Czech Republic advances to quarterfinals with 3-2 win over Belgium

Sunday, February 10, 2008

The Czech Republic beat Belgium 3-2 in the first round of the Davis Cup to advance to the next round.

Belgium won both Sunday's meaningless reverse singles after the Czechs secured a quarterfinal spot on Saturday with a 3-0 lead.

Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil rested Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek to give a chance to Lukas Dlouhy and Pavel Vizner, who usually play the doubles.

Steve Darcis beat Dlouhy 7-6 (1), 6-4 in the first reverse singles to give Belgium its first point and Ruben Bemelmans won the second match 6-7 (4), 7-5, 2-2 after Vizner retired due to a stomach problem.

The Czechs will play Russia in the April 11-13 quarterfinals, while Belgium is relegated to the playoffs.

On Saturday, Berdych and Stepanek beat Olivier Rochus and Kristof Vliegen 6-7 (2), 7-6 (6), 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 to clinch the best-of-five series on indoor carpet at CEZ Arena.

On Friday, Berdych defeated Vliegen 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 and Stepanek beat Darcis 6-4, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) in the opening singles.

Czech team celebrates after defeating Belgium

   Sunday, February 10, 2008

   10 Feb 2008 - CEZ Arena, Ostrava - Araz Gulekjian - CZE v BEL

Czech Republic just too strong

Hosts Czech Republic put in a rock solid performance over Belgium this weekend to book a safe passage into the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas for the first time in six years.

The Czechs, who had not reached the quarterfinals since 2002, are now to meet Russia at home on April 11-13. Belgium, on the other hand, will fight for their survival in the World Group Play-offs in September.

"It's a great feeling to be in the quarters," Czech captain Jaroslav Natravatil said. "Russia is a great opponent. They have Safin, Davydenko, Tursunov and we are going there to enjoy it. We will have nothing to lose and my team is definitely strong enough. The chances are 50-50 and we can win that match."

Russia and Czech Republic have met eight times before, with both nations gaining four victories each. Their last encounter was in 2003 with Russia scoring a 3-2 triumph in Ostrava.

No walk in the park

As expected, Czech Republic were just too big of a hurdle to clear for the Belgians in the tie, but don't think for a second it was a walk in the park for the hosts. In the first singles rubber on Friday, world No. 10 Tomas Berdych got the Czech Republic off to a dream start against Kristof Vliegen, dumping the 72-ranked Belgian 63 61 64 in less than two hours.

The second rubber was a much closer affair between two evenly matched players. Czech veteran Radek Stepanek, who returned to Davis Cup play last September after a three year hiatus, needed 2 hours and 45 minutes to break down Steve Darcis 64 76(4) 76(5). The Belgian, ranked no. 81 in the world, held his own and even opened a 2-0 and 30-0 lead in the third set. However, Stepanek stood strong and made life awkward for the 23-year-old Darcis, keeping him off balance with subtle changes of pace and crafty volleying en route to victory.

Gamble paid off

In a surprising move on Saturday, Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil changed his doubles line-up from the originally nominated Lukas Dlouhy and Pavel Vizner to Berdych and Stepanek, a gamble that almost backfired. It was an uphill battle for the Czechs who eventually came through with a hard-fought 67 (2) 76 (6) 75 57 64 triumph over Kristof Vliegen and Olivier Rochus in four hours and 21 minutes.

In Sunday's dead rubbers, Steve Darcis and Ruben Bemelmans pulled two back for Belgium to make it 3-2. Darcis defeated Lukas Dlouhy 76(1) 64 while the 20-year-old Bemelmans earned his first Davis Cup win after Czech doubles specialist Pavel Vizner retired with the score at 67(4) 75 22.

   Résumé: Czech Republic d. Belgium 3-2

The formidable team of Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek beat Kristof Vliegen and Steve Darcis respectively in straight sets on the opening day, then Berdych-Stepanek completed the sweep with a five-set doubles win over Vliegen and Olivier Rochus.