This Davis Cup Tie Was A Record Breaker For Stepanek

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 18th November 2013

This Davis Cup Tie Was A Record Breaker For Stepanek

epa03954394 Radek Stepanek of Czech Republic reacts after winning Davis Cup final match against Dusan Lajovic of Serbia in Belgrade, Serbia, 17 November 2013. EPA/ANDREJ CUKIC |

Radek Stepanek made tennis history as he became the first player ever to win two Davis Cup winning deciding fifth rubbers in the final and in doing so broke his own record as the oldest player to clinch the title.

Stepanek and Tomas Berdych again formed a two-man title winning team for the Czech Republic that became only the fifth country to retain the Davis Cup since the formation of the World Group stage in 1981.

And the player who turns 34 years of age in nine days’ time said: “To win two Davis Cups is my greatest achievement. To defend this trophy means the world to us.”

Stepanek beat the 117th-ranked Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-1, 6-1, converting his first match point with a volley to send around a thousand visiting Czech fans at Belgrade Arena into wild celebrations.

“I don’t think words can describe it,” continued an emotional Stepanek who a year earlier had beaten Spain’s Nicolas Almagro in the deciding singles of the final in Prague.

“It is completely different from the first time. To defend this trophy means the world. Playing in Serbia on their surface in front of their fans, who were amazing. We made history today under the biggest possible pressure that can be.”

The Czech stand-in captain Vladimir Safirik paid tribute to Stepanek, whose singles ranking stood at world no.61 just a few weeks ago but has improved of late to world no.44. “Radek is a real professional. In the final of the fifth rubber, to win 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 is something amazing.”

Serbia was forced into playing Lajovic, who previously had contested just one dead Davis Cup rubber more than two and a half years ago, because Janko Tipsarevic was forced to withdraw on Thursday because a chronic heel injury.

Lajovic, aged 23, arrived in Belgrade after losing in the first round of the Yeongwal Challenger in South Korea to world no.234 Di Wu of China. Stepanek showed no mercy and said: “I knew that I would want to use the experience from last year’s final against him. Besides the first game, I controlled the match. I think I played in my best form ever this weekend.”

Serbia captain Bogdan Obradovic said his team’s chances of winning the title were hurt by Tipsarevic’s injury and a 12-month doping ban against Viktor Troicki, who played a prominent role in the nation winning the Davis Cup in 2010.”We couldn’t find the real replacement for the two,” Obradovic said. “We’ll try the next year.”

Topics: 10sballs.com, Bogdan Obradovic, Czech Republic, Davis Cup, Di Wu, Dusan Lajovic, Nicolas Almagro, Radek Stepanek, Tennis, Tennis News, Tomas Berdych, Vladimir Safirik