The Czech Republic is one win away from reaching the World Group semi-finals for the first time since 1996 after Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek combined to win the crucial doubles rubber 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 over Argentina’s Jose Acasuso and Leonardo Mayer in Ostrava on Saturday.
The Czech Republic, who defeated Italy 4-1 to win the Davis Cup in 1980, converted six of 14 break point chances while only surrendering serve once to clinch a 2-1 advantage in the tie after one hour and 50 minutes. The victory extends Berdych’s perfect Davis Cup doubles record to 7-0 and takes Stepanek to a 6-1 mark. The duo was also victorious in the Czech Republic’s first-round tie against France, defeating Richard Gasquet and Michael Llodra.
"I’m pretty happy with how it went today. We were surprised with the nomination of the Argentinean team but that’s their decision. We played a solid match," said Berdych.
"We’ve always played great doubles matches in Davis Cup, we haven’t lost yet," added Stepanek. "We had a great start to the match, broke them twice and won the first set 6-1. We were on top of them and we kept it going until the end of the match."
World No. 20 Berdych will have the chance to seal the tie for the host nation when he faces No.5-ranked Juan Martin del Potro in the first of the reverse singles on Sunday. Looking ahead to the clash, Berdych commented: "Right now, we are in a position where Juan Martin (del Potro) really needs to win this match, if not his team is going to lose. So I’m looking forward to it, I will have the whole crowd behind me and he will need to win."
Should del Potro win to draw Argentina level, the tie would be decided in the fifth rubber – featuring Ivo Minar against Juan Monaco.
Israel 3 Russia 0
Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram clinched an historic victory for Israel as they battled past Russia’s Igor Kunitsyn and Marat Safin 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(3), 4-6, 6-4 to give the hosts an unassailable 3-0 lead in the quarter-final in Tel Aviv.
The victory puts Israel into the semi-finals of the World Group for the first time. On Friday, Harel Levy and Dudi Sela had given the host nation a commanding 2-0 overnight lead with victories over Igor Andreev and Mikhail Youzhny respectively.
"I actually can't describe how I feel," confessed Israeli team captain Eyal Ran. "I am so proud to be an Israeli today, to be a part of this team, so proud to be part of this sport and Davis Cup tennis. It was a classic tie."
Erlich and Ram had played together just once since a second-round exit at the US Open last year, combining to reach the final of the ATP Challenger Tour event in Ramat Hasharon shortly after Erlich’s return from an elbow injury.
The duo served for the match in the third set, but their Russian opponents hit back to level the match at two-sets-all. Erlich and Ram held their nerve though to break serve for the seventh time in the final game of the match to seal victory after three hours and 51 minutes. They improved to an 11-3 record in Davis Cup doubles play together.
"For the first time I have absolutely nothing to say, usually I just can't stop talking and I started to cry like a little boy," an emotional Ram said courtside.
Erlich added: "I feel great. I think that was my biggest achievement ever. After the team won in Sweden, I said to myself I have to be here, not only in good shape, but in great shape and I'm very, very happy I could achieve that and perform today like I was never (out injured).
The loss marked two-time former champion Russia’s earliest exit from the ITF team competition since 2004, when it lost in the first round to Belarus.
In the semi-finals, Israel will face either Germany or Spain.
Croatia 2 United States 1
World No. 1 doubles players Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan handed 32-time champion the United States a lifeline in its quarter-final clash with Croatia as they produced a devastating display to crush Roko Karanusic and Lovro Zovko 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 in Porec on Saturday.
The 31-year-old Bryans improved to a 16-2 record together in Davis Cup after converting six of seven break point chances and committing just one unforced error in the 68-minute match.
"We're really happy we're back in this thing," said Mike Bryan. "We wanted to keep it short after they played for about nine hours yesterday. The guys believe we can actually win this tie, and that's the biggest thing."
The United States had stared down a 0-2 deficit overnight after five-set losses for James Blake and Mardy Fish on the opening day. The 2007 champion will look to recover from a 0-2 deficit in a Davis Cup tie for just the second time after first doing so in the 1934 final against Australia.
"That's an amazing stat," said Bob Bryan. "It's unbelievable, but we've got an unbelievable group of guys here. If you saw yesterday's two singles matches, everyone gave everything they had, Mardy [Fish] was bleeding, James [Blake] lost a heartbreaker but he's in good spirits today, so I think they're going to come out fired up, and on paper we're looking pretty good."
Croatia is looking to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2005, when it went on to become the 12th different nation to win the Davis Cup with victory over the Slovak Republic in the final.
In the reverse singles on Sunday, Marin Cilic will have the chance to win the tie 3-1 for Croatia when he faces James Blake – who surrendered a two-set lead before losing in five sets against Ivo Karlovic on Friday. A deciding rubber would be played between Karlovic and Mardy Fish.
Spain 2 Germany 1
Spain regained the advantage in its quarter-final clash with Germany as Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco defeated Nicolas Kiefer and Mischa Zverev 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-7(6), 6-3 in Marbella on Saturday.
Verdasco had given Spain the lead with a five-set win over Andreas Beck on Friday, before Kohlschreiber clipped the hosts back by dismissing Tommy Robredo in straight sets to leave the tie balanced at 1-1 after the first day’s play.
Verdasco and Lopez had a multitude of 18 break point chances on the red clay courts at Plaza de Toros de Puerto Banus and made their opponents pay on six occasions as they won the first two sets and rallied from missing a match point at 6-5 in the third set tie-break to wrap up their fifth Davis Cup win together in three hours and 15 minutes.
Spain has won its past 17 ties played on clay, and the past 15 ties it has played at home. The defending champion is looking to reach back-to-back semi-finals for the first time since 2004. To set up a semi-final clash with Israel, Spain will need either Verdasco or Robredo to win one of the reverse singles on Sunday.
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