In 2012, Spain was missing Rafael Nadal and lost the Davis Cup final to the Czech Republic. Fast forward 365 days and the Czechs are again contesting the title tie against an undermanned opponent.
Serbia may not be dealing with an absence of Nadal’s magnitude, but it is without both Viktor Troicki and Janko Tipsarevic. Troicki is serving a drug-related suspension and Tipsarevic, who is 1-5 in his last six matches, is sidelined with a heel injury.
Czech Republic vs. Serbia
Where: Belgrade, Serbia
Surface: Indoor hard
Czech Republic: Tomas Berdych, Radek Stepanek, Lukas Rosol, Jan Hajek
Serbia: Novak Djokovic, Dusan Lajovic, Nenad Zimonjic, Ilija Bozoljac
Draw
Radek Stepanek vs. Novak Djokovic
Tomas Berdych vs. Dusan Lajovic
Jan Hajek and Lukas Rosol vs. Ilija Bozoljac and Nenad Zimonjic
Tomas Berdych vs. Novak Djokovic
Radek Stepanek vs. Dusan Lajovic
How they got here
Czech Republic
d. Switzerland 3-1 in Geneva, Switzerland
d. Kazakhstan 3-1 in Astana, Kazakhstan
d. Argentina 3-0 in Prague, Czech Republic
Serbia
d. Belgium 3-0 in Charleroi, Belgium
d. United States 3-1 in Boise, United States
d. Canada 3-2 in Belgrade, Serbia
Analysis
With each team’s top player facing the other country’s second man (as always), this Davis Cup final should be knotted at 1-1 after the first day of singles action. Serbia will like the fact that Djokovic is up first and can snag the early momentum for the host side. The world No. 2 is 8-1 lifetime against Stepanek and has won seven in a row in the head-to-head series. Stepanek won two hard-court Challenger events this fall, but he is in a relative slump at the ATP level. Berdych should have no trouble evening the score in the second rubber. Lajovic actually registers at a decent 117th in the rankings, but he lacks pressure-packed Davis Cup experience. The 23-year-old is just 1-0 lifetime in the competition, with a victory in a dead singles rubber (6-4, 6-4 over Sweden’s Filip Prpic in 2012).
Doubles is often critical in Davis Cup, and this final should be no exception. Rarely does one tie feature such obvious favorites in all four singles matches; Serbia will almost certainly win Djokovic’s two rubbers and it will be a considerable underdog in the other two. As such, the winner of Saturday’s doubles showdown (assuming it is 1-1 heading into it) is in the catbird seat to hoist the trophy one day later. Djokovic will be an option for Serbia given the importance of the match, but Bozoljac has proven his worth with Zimonjic. Bozoljac turned in an incredible performance as the pair stunned Bob and Mike Bryan 7-6(5), 7-6(1), 5-7, 4-6, 15-13 during Davis Cup quarterfinal action back in April. In the semis two months ago, Bozoljac and Zimonjic lost a heartbreaker to Canada’s Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil 6-7(6), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(5), 10-8. Those experiences, combined with home-court advantage in the form of a raucous Serbian crown, may help them overcome a formidable doubles duo in Berdych and Stepanek. Hajek and Rosol are currently nominated, but that is not happening unless Stepanek somehow upsets Djokovic on Day 1 and the Czechs hold a 2-0 lead heading into doubles.
If the tie goes five, the visitors will have an edge with Stepanek going up against Lajovic. Stepanek has contested six decisive fifth singles rubbers, including four since the start of 2007. The 34-year-old most recently won the clinching match of the entire 2012 competition, beating Nicolas Almagro of Spain in four sets. But it may not get to Stepanek. If Serbia takes the doubles point and leads 2-1, Djokovic can wrap up the title against Berdych. Djokovic is dominating their head-to-head series 14-2, including 12-0 on hard courts.
Predictions
Djokovic over Stepanek in 3
Berdych over Lajovic in 3
Bozoljac/Zimonjic over Berdych/Stepanek in 5
Djokovic over Berdych in 3
Serbia 3, Czech Republic 1
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Comments and your own predictions are appreciated!
Since everyone is over here on this thread, just wanted you to know that in Rafa’s thread, I’ve posted a link to his match with David today.
Had to go out mid-way in the 2nd set of the first match but the result was NID. Berdy did well to keep it as tight as he did.
Quite an ordeal ahead for the young Serb. Step is showing signs of feeling the pressure too.
One of the great things about DC is the way young players get the chance to play on the big stage against higher ranked players they might otherwise wait years to meet on the ATP tour.
And the stage doesn’t get any bigger than the deciding rubber in the finals on your home ground.
Will they call this the Troicki final?
blowout city
If you’ll pardon me for a moment I”ll borrow an expression from Mr. Jawdropper: You HAVE to be KIDDING me the way Steps is playing. He’s using every trick in the book. For years he has cut a somewhat comic figure in his dreadful shirts and baggy shorts but he has always scaled new heights when he plays Davis Cup but, at just a few days short of his 35th birthday, this must surely count as his finest hour.
Czech won the Davis Cup! Hip hip hooray!
No team bonus (75 points) to Djoko. Rafa will be 770 points ahead of Djoko in the rankings on Monday.
Hip, hip, hooray
What appalling manners by the Serb spectators who are leaving in huge numbers before the presentation ceremony. An insult to their own players as well as the height of discourtesy to the Czecks.
Nah, no point in sticking around and waiting for 30 minutes for a ceremony hooting the other team.
Loud, constant screaming for the entire last game was way worse.
Even worse were the efforts to deliberately disrupt Steps every time he served. Thought he handled that extremely well. Suppose he is used to it by now.
The Serbian team looked like men going to the gallows
Congrats to Steps!
In 3 months’ time, when Rafa will have been back on tour for 12 months, how many points ahead of Novak will he be to you think? (It can’t be less than now as he is defending zero points until then.)
OK, not quite true if somehow Novak gains points somewhere, defends his AO trophy and Rafa does not play at all.