Tomas Berdych.net

DAVIS CUP Czech Republic vs. Russia

Small Sports Arena "Luzhniki", Moscow, Russia
Stadium Capacity: 6480
11 April - 13 April 2008
Day 1: 13:00 hrs (9:00 hrsGMT)
Day 2: 14:00 hrs (10:00 hrs GMT)
Day 3: 13:00 hrs l (9:00 hrs GMT)
Surface: Clay - Indoors
Ball Type: Head ATP Clay Court

This is the eighth meeting between the two nations and both teams have four victories each. Russia has won the last two match-ups in a deciding fifth rubber, most recently in 2003 when Nikolay Davydenko defeated Radek Stepanek in five sets in Ostrava.

  Nominations for World Group Quarterfinals

April 1, 2008

The ITF has announced the official nominations for the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Quarterfinal ties to be played on 11-13 April.

Live scoring for all World Group ties will be available on the Davis Cup website throughout the weekend of 11-13 April, along with the usual array of reports, photos, and interviews. There will also be reports from the draw for each tie on 10 April.

As action unfolds around the world, you will also be able to access a radio-style update through Davis Cup Radio, the official audio service of the competition, rounding up all the Davis Cup news and results. There will be reaction from players as well as expert analysis from the Tennis Radio Network, who will be providing the daily show.

RUSSIA v CZECH REPUBLIC

Venue: Small Sports Arena "Luzhniki", Moscow (clay – indoors)

   RUSSIA

Dmitry Tursunov

Nikolay Davydenko

Igor Andreev

Mikhail Youzhny

Captain: Shamil Tarpischev

   CZECH REPUBLIC 

Tomas Berdych  

Radek Stepanek

Lukas Dlouhy

Pavel Vizner

Captain: Jaroslav Navratil

   DAVIS CUP Quarter-Finals 2008

Eight of the world's top 10 players will be in World Group action when the quarterfinals of the 2008 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas get underway this Friday. Four World Group quarterfinal ties and 26 Zone Group I and II ties will be held on 11-13 April, with full coverage on the official Davis Cup website:     www.daviscup.com

.../...

Russia is led by the in-form world No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko for its home tie against Czech Republic on clay in Moscow. The 2008 Miami champion is joined by Mikhail Youzhny, Dmitry Tursunov and Igor Andreev, with Marat Safin also available. Russia has not lost at home since 1995. World No. 9 Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek head the Czech challenge, alongside Lukas Dlouhy and Pavel Vizner.

The four quarterfinal winners will compete in the World Group semifinals on 19-21 September. In the semifinals, Russia would be away to Argentina and Sweden, while Czech Republic would be at home to either team. USA would be away to Germany and Spain, while France would be at home to either team.

   Berdych and Stepanek seek new glory 

07 Apr 2008 - Small Sports Arena "Luzhniki", Moscow - Chris Bowers

It's hard to believe that a proud nation such as the Czech Republic has only once been in a Davis Cup semifinal. True, it has only been in existence since 1993, and its predecessor nation Czechoslovakia was a powerhouse in the first two decades of 'open tennis', winning the cup in 1980. But apart from Petr Korda and Daniel Vacek's run to the semis in 1996, when they beat the USA but then lost at home to Sweden, the Czechs haven't made the last four.

Could that be about to change? Certainly the Czechs take their strongest side since 1996 to Moscow, with Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek likely to play on all three days of their Davis Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinal against Russia, but ask the two players about it, and you get the same answer: "Tough!"

No argument about that. Russia has not lost a Davis Cup tie at home since Pete Sampras engineered a historic victory at the vast Olympic indoor stadium in 1995, despite being dragged off the court with cramps at the end of one his opening day's singles. This tie will be played at the much smaller Luzhniki Stadium which only holds 6480 spectators on a clay court which will test the adjustment of the players involved, all of whom are coming from the hard courts of the ATP Masters Series tournament in Miami.

Nikolay Davydenko seems a shoo-in to play, having won the Miami title beating Rafael Nadal in a straight sets final, but Davydenko knows better than to assume his dazzling recent form will automatically earn him a singles berth. Nineteen months ago, Russia's captain Shamil Tarpischev dropped Davydenko to the bench for a semifinal against the USA because the player had just flown in from Beijing. As he made a poor adjustment from hard to clay in last year's quarterfinal, losing in the same Luzhniki arena to France's Paul-Henri Mathieu, his place could well go to Igor Andreev, one of the best claycourters on today's circuit.

Berdych, for his part, was involved in the Miami semifinal and spoke afterwards about the difficulty of adjusting from one continent to another. "It's going to be really tough," said the softly spoken 22-year-old. "Especially for me to get from here to home in Europe and then on to Russia, it's not going to be easy. The atmosphere is going to be different, too. It's going to be a team match, so I'm looking forward to that. I like all Davis Cup ties."

Berdych immediately picked up on the difference between the two squads. "They have a lot of options," he said. "For us, we have just two really good singles players and then it depends on the doubles. But they can put four or five players into their team, and whoever is feeling better, has better form, he can play." Russia's players also have relatively good records against Berdych and Stepanek.

Stepanek broke off from a cosy encounter with his girlfriend Nicole Vaidisova on a couch in the players' lounge at Key Biscayne to concentrate briefly on Davis Cup matters. "Yes, of course, it's going to be tough," he said. "Our record against them is not so good. But we are a united team – I would not be playing if we were not – and we will give it our best shot."

Stepanek was still seven years away from being born when the most unforgettable encounter between the two teams' predecessors, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, took place in 1971 at the tennis club in Prague.

Apart from one ice hockey match, it had been the first time since Soviet tanks had rolled into Prague in 1968 that the Czechoslovak people had been able, legally, to vent their anger at their oppressors – and they made the most of it. The venue was overflowing with Czechs yelling abuse at poor Alex Metreveli and his colleagues. Trains, which passed on an elevated railway right at the back of the Centre Court, stopped momentarily, the drivers blowing their whistles and the passengers hanging out of the windows with clenched fists. Asked if he knew about it, Stepanek replied: "Yes, people have told me about it, it must have been incredible."

It was. And if Metreveli and his colleagues found it hard to take – they were laughed at and spat upon.

The Czechoslovak No 1, Jan Kodes, was under pressure of a different kind. Kodes had won Roland Garros the week before and was physically and mentally exhausted. "But I have to win," he said. "For the nation, I just have to win both my singles – I cannot possibly lose. They will kill me." Kodes won, the Czechoslovak team won, and the Soviets crept home with their tails between their legs.

That was one of four victories for the Czechs against either the Soviet Union or Russia but they have lost four, too, so this upcoming duel will break the tie one way or the other. It might lack the political overtones of that encounter 37 years ago – and will be no the worse for that – but it should produce some fascinating clay court tennis

   Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych during training session     SEE PHOTO   

  Czech men travel to Moscow for Davis Cup quarter-finals clash

The Czech men's tennis team are now in Moscow, ahead of a Davis Cup quarter-finals tie with Russia which begins on Friday. The omens are good: on his way to the semi-finals at the Miami Open last week, the leading Czech player Tomas Berdych beat two of the Russian team he and his colleagues will face in Moscow, Dmitry Tursunov and Igor Andreev

   Russia and Czech Republic teams during The Draw Ceremony        SEE PHOTO     

Friday, April 11, 2008 Berdych/Safin Stepanek/Andreev

Marat Safin beats Tomas Berdych in opening singles match

MOSCOW (AP) -- Marat Safin overcame a two-set deficit Friday to give Russia a 1-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup quarterfinals.
Safin rallied to defeat Tomas Berdych 6-7 (5), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. The former top-ranked Russian, who has struggled on the ATP tour so far this season, saved 18 of 19 break points.

Safin served well but struggled through the first two sets. He broke the ninth-ranked Berdych early in the third set to stay in the match, then seized control with eight consecutive points early in the fourth.

Later Friday, Igor Andreev was scheduled to play Radek Stepanek in the second singles match of the best-of-five series.

Stepanek strikes back for Czechs

The Czech Republic has levelled it Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Quarterfinal tie with Russia at one rubber apiece, after Radek Stepanek convincingly defeated Igor Andreev in straight sets.

Following Tomas Berdych's surprise defeat to Marat Safin in a thrilling five setter, Czech hopes lay with Stepanek to pull his side level before Saturday's doubles. Revenge was on the Czech player's mind coming into the tie. He was part of the side that lost to Russia in the World Group first round just over five years ago. That wasn't a happy occasion for Stepanek at the Palac Kultury in Ostrava, as he lost both his singles matches and his team was narrowly defeated 3-2.

"It was a long time ago, I was playing in my first ever Davis Cup tie, and was up against Mikhail Youzhny and Nikolay Davydenko, who've both turned out to be two of the world's best players," said the Czech No. 2.

On paper, the match promised to be a very even encounter, with only one place separating the two players in the world rankings, who are both happiest playing on clay. It was Stepanek who enjoyed the better start. He looked more comfortable from the baseline, and moved effectively into the net. Andreev, who had already played three tournaments on clay this year, struggled to get into the match. Too often he failed to put enough pressure on his opponent, as Stepanek was rarely troubled on his own service. The Czech broke Andreev midway through the first set, and there was no way back for the Russian as Stepanek took it 6-3 in just over half an hour.

The second set was similar to the first, with Stepanek again in control. Andreev was able to cut down on his unforced error count, but too often failed to see out his own service games. That lack of concentration allowed the Czech to break twice and put himself into a commanding two sets to love lead.

"His serve was great, I really didn't have a lot of chances on the return - just a few breakpoints which is, of course, too little for three sets," said Andreev.

Stepanek was just a set away from drawing his side level in the tie and was determined lightning wouldn't strike twice, with Berdych's defeat still fresh in his mind. A break midway through the third set was all he needed, as Andreev's unforced error count increased as he desperately sought a way back into the match. Stepanek clinched the third set 6-4 on his fourth match point to claim a vital victory for his side, and bring them right back into this tie - a memorable victory for Stepanek, which will go some way to exorcising the ghosts of Ostrava in 2003.

        1st Single of Friday      Marat Safin def. Tomas Berdych       SEE PHOTO      

  Russia - Czech Republic 1 - 1

R1 - M.SAFIN (RUS) def. T.BERDYCH (CZE) 6-7(5) 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4

R2 - R.STEPANEK (CZE) def. I.ANDREEV (RUS) 6-3 6-2 6-4

Saturday, April 12, 2008: Doubles

  Doubles changes in Moscow

With the Russia v Czech Republic quarterfinal tie still wide open, both teams have made changes to Saturday's doubles line-up.

For the hosts, Igor Andreev has replaced Mikhail Youzhny and will team with Nikolay Davydenko in this crucial rubber. The Czechs have chosen to to play the hero of Friday, Radek Stepanek, instead of Lukas Dlouhy. Stepanek partners Pavel Vizner.

   Russia in front against Czechs in Davis Cup tennis

Russia's duo Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev battled from a set down to beat Czech pair Radek Stepanek and Pavel Vizner to lift their side 2-1 ahead in the Davis Cup quarter-final here on Saturday.

The hosts won 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours 58 minutes to make it 2-1 in favour of Russia.

"We started really unimpressive and needed some time to adapt ourselves to each other and remember how to play doubles," Davydenko said after the match.

"But starting from the second set we played our normal tennis and really enjoyed the playing."

"After losing the first set we managed to find our nerve and in the remaining sets it was completely different tennis," Andreev added. "The crowd encouraged us and it was really serious support."

The visitors started confidently breaking Davydenko's serve early for a comfortable 4-1 advantage, which they kept through to a one-set lead in 45 minutes surviving four break points in the ninth game.

Russians replied positively and broke Stepanek's serve early in the second clinching a 3-0 lead to level at one set all after one hour 29 minutes of playing.

The 11th game of the third set proved significant, when the hosts broke Vizner's serve minutes before they took the set in 49 minutes for a 2-1 advantage.

In the fourth Russian pair broke Vizner's serve early again to clinch a 3-1 lead, which they confidently kept through taking the 10th game at love and the match on the first matchball.

On Friday Marat Safin of Russia battled from two sets down to put his squad into the lead with a 6-7 (5/7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic.

In the second singles' clash Stepanek experienced few troubles beating Andreev in straight sets 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to level the scores at 1-1.

Reverse singles will complete the tie's schedule on Sunday.

The winner of the tie will face either Argentina or Sweden in a clash for a place in the final.

  Davydenko returns for doubles to give Russia 2-1 edge

Neither Davydenko nor Andreev are regular doubles players and their lack of chemistry certainly showed in the first set as an early break put the Czechs in control.

The Russian duo, both more at home on the singles court, were content to sit on the baseline, but they rarely threatened Stepanek and Vizner.

Stepanek was continuing his excellent form from Friday, which saw him beat Andreev in straight sets, and he was at his very best late in the set, saving four break points, to eventually seal the opener.

"It's been a long time since either myself of Nikolay has played doubles, so it was more of a question of trying to remember how to play," admitted Andreev.

"But after losing the opening set, we were told by our captain just to relax, and that was exactly what we needed for a comeback."

Sunday, April 13, 2008: The reverse singles

   Berdych retirement sends Russia through

13 Apr 2008 - Small Sports Arena "Luzhniki", Moscow - Natalya Soboleva - RUS v CZE

Russia are through to the semifinals of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, after a three rubbers to one win over the Czech Republic. Victory was sealed in the most unfortunate of circumstances for the home side, when Tomas Berdych was forced to retire from his match with Nikolay Davydenko. The match was tantalizingly poised with Berdych leading 36 62 76(5) 36 21, the scores at deuce, when he rolled his right ankle and was forced to retire.

It was an innocuous looking injury, as Berdych chased down a Davydenko shot out wide at the baseline. He got his racket to it, but in doing so went over on his ankle and hobbled to the bench for treatment. He was treated for a couple of minutes, before it was clear that he couldn't continue and had to be helped off the court. He was then rushed to hospital.

"I have a problem with my ankle, I don't know what it is yet, but I can tell you that it is really painful. I will head back to the Czech Republic to get it looked at further," said Berdych.

It will be all the more painful for Berdych as the Czech dominated the match for long periods, as he looked to send his side into a fifth and decisive rubber.

"It's not the way I would have wanted to win" - Davydenko

"It's not the way I would have wanted to win. I just hope he will be ok. If his ankle's not too bad then maybe he might be back in a couple of weeks, but if he's broken something, then obviously it will be a lot longer," said Davydenko.

It's the second consecutive round that Russia has been handed victory thanks to a retirement, after Novak Djokovic had to retire due to illness in the first round. That was also against Davydenko and also handed Russia a winning 3-1 lead.

"It's something to do with the court here, it's difficult to put your finger on it, but it seems every time I play here, I'm getting some outside help," said Davydenko.

Davydenko unbeaten against Berdych

Davydenko was brought in by Shamil Tarpischev to replace Igor Andreev, who had played so well in Saturday's doubles. Davydenko had the phychological advantage going into the fourth rubber, where victory would seal Russia's passage into the semi-finals. He had never lost to Berdych in each of their six previous meetings.

Roared on by the biggest crowd of the tie, Davydenko made a good start, as he started to put pressure on the Czech number one's serve. He earned a double break in the eighth game, and moved ahead after taking advantage of a weak second serve to take the first set 6-3.

After being moved around the court for much of the opening set, Berdych upped his game in the second and started to attack Davydenko. He managed to break the Russian in the fourth game to move into the lead for the first time, and he grew in confidence from then on. A further break late on in the set levelling up the match at a set all.

Momentum with Berdych

All the momentum was with Berdych going into the third set. The Czech was virtually unstoppable on serve, with Davydenko having great difficulty to even get a point off him. However the World number four was just about able to hold his own serve, and take the set to a tie-break. Despite being put off by the crowd on more than one occasion, Berdych just seemed to play even better, and he moved 2-1 ahead, with some quite fantastic tennis at times.

Davydenko wasn't playing well. He was hitting from the baseline without any depth, giving his opponent far too much time to choose his shot, while his usually reliable forehand was having an off day. It looked as though it was just a matter of time before Berdych would force a break, but from nowhere, Davyenko earned a break point of his own and took full advantage and duly served out to take the set 6-3 and send the match into a decider.

"It was 50-50 after four sets, either player could have taken advantage if his opponent started to tire," Tarpischev said.

Injury puts Russia through again

The fifth set was littered with tension as both players knew the importance, with both players having plenty of chances to break. It looked as though the match would be all set for a fantastic conclusion, but for the second Davis Cup tie in a row, injury put Russia into the next round.

Lukas Dlouhy defeated Marat Safin 63 63 in the final rubber to make the final scoreline 3-2 to Russia. This victory means Russia has won its 16th home tie in a row - an unbeaten record stretching back to December 1995. Russia will face Argentina or Sweden in the last four, and will be away to either nation.

        1st reverse Single - Davydenko vs. Berdych retired injured      SEE PHOTO    

   Berdych injury gives Russia semi-final place

Just when the fourth rubber looks like it's turning into an epic, an ankle injury cuts short Tomas Berdych's clash with Nikolay Davydenko and allows Russia to win its Davis Cup quarterfinal tie against the Czech Republic.

Russia advanced to the Davis Cup semifinals by finishing off the Czech Republic on Sunday, but it came about in a way that nobody could have wanted. Czech star Tomas Berdych was forced to retire in the first singles rubber of the day, giving Nikolay Davydenko the win and the clinching third point. With the score reading 6-3, 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-3, 1-2 at the time of the injury, the match was shaping up to be a classic and a Berdych victory would have necessitated a deciding fifth rubber between Marat Safin and Radek Stepanek. Instead, the Russians advanced to take on Argentina in a September semifinal tie.

It's a shame such a hotly-contested matchup came to a bitter, premature conclusion. The total points were knotted up at 138 apiece when it ended. Berdych and Davydenko each broke serve just twice over the first four sets, although the players had already traded breaks in the fifth frame. The Czech struck 24 winners compared to 61 unforced errors, however that ratio is not too disappointing when you consider how difficult is to get a ball cleanly past the speedy Russian on a clay court (and Berdych also induced 43 forced errors out of his opponent). Davydenko, meanwhile, had 38 winners and 54 unforced errors.

It all came to a crashing end at 2-1, deuce in the final set. Berdych tracked down a Davydenko shot that stretched him out wide, and although he managed to get a racket on it, he then went over on his ankle. The Czech was treated for a few minutes in his chair, but it was painfully obvious that he would not be able to continue.

With the Russians already holding a 2-1 advantage thanks to an epic singles win by Marat Safin over Berdych and a doubles win courtesy of Davydenko and Igor Andreev, Berdych's retirement signaled the painful end of the Czechs' Davis Cup road.

"I have a problem with my ankle, I don't know what it is yet, but I can tell you that it is really painful," Berdych explained. "I will head back to the Czech Republic to get it looked at further."

"It's not the way I would have wanted to win," said Davydenko

Get well soon!

   Résumé: Czechs concede Davis Cup win to Russia

It was bad news for Czechs tennis fans at the weekend as the Czech Republic lost to Russia in the Davis Cup quarterfinals. On Sunday Czech star Tomas Berdych was forced to concede his match to Nikolay Davydenko due to injury. The score in the 5th set of the crucial rubber was 6-3, 2-6, 6-7, 6-3, and 1-2 in the final set when Berdych went down on a forehand swing, badly twisting his ankle. Minutes later, he was out of the game. The concession lifted the Russians to an unassailable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Radek Stepanek and Pavel Vízner had already lost earlier in the day to Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev in the men's doubles.