Tipsarevic steers Serbia into first Davis Cup final
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Novak Djokovic (center), Janko Tipsarevic (left) and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia celebrate their victory over Czech Republic and their qualificatrion for the final after their Davis Cup World Group semifinal match on Sunday in Belgrade Arena. [Andrej Isakovic / Reuters] |
Janko Tipsarevic emerged as Serbia's hero after he beat Radek Stepanek in the decisive rubber to propel his country to its first Davis Cup final with an nerve-jangling 3-2 win over the Czech Republic.
The often inconsistent Tipsarevic capped an outstanding individual weekend, having also beaten Tomas Berdych on Friday, by sweeping aside Stepanek 6-0, 7-6 (6), 6-4 to power the Serbians into a home showdown against nine-time champion France.
Earlier on Sunday, Novak Djokovic pulled Serbia level at 2-2 after he downed Tomas Berdych 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in 3 hours, 14 minutes in front of 18,000 passionate home fans in the Belgrade Arena.
It was Tipsarevic who sent the capacity crowd into raptures with a flawless performance which saw him take the opening set in just 23 minutes, allowing Stepanek to win only seven points.
"This was a fairytale end to the tie. I have to thank the crowd for their fantastic support because they brought us back from the dead," Tipsarevic said in an emotional courtside interview.
"Finally, it was my turn to shine for the national team after the others, mostly Djokovic, proved to be instrumental so many times," he told a news conference after a flawless performance.
"I am glad I saved my best tennis for the national team in a match of this magnitude. I had to finish it in three sets today because I was getting tired towards the end and Stepanek was getting back into the match."
Tipsarevic seemed to be coasting when he took a 3-1 lead in the second set, but after Stepanek broke back to force the tiebreak the Serbian had to save a set point before clinching it.
He romped away to a 4-0 lead in the third before the nerves started to set in when Stepanek won three games in a row and then saved two match points.
However, the Serbians could not be silenced and, after Stepanek sent a backhand wide, the crowd went into a frenzy as they jumped to their feet to hail their hero.
Impregnable fortress
The Serbian team carried Tipsarevic on their shoulders and lay on the court in a heart-shaped formation, sporting the country's flags as the fans gave them a standing ovation.
The wild celebrations on the court and the terraces have become a regular Davis Cup sight in the Belgrade Arena, an impregnable fortress where Serbia has won all four of its home ties since it reached the World Group in 2008.
Djokovic, who had to dig deep to beat Berdych after a sluggish start to the match, was confident Serbia would beat France in the Dec. 3-5 final in what will be a difficult trip for the nine-time winner.
"No team in the world are favorites in the Belgrade Arena, not even if they have the best singles and doubles players in the world," Djokovic said.
"I am confident we can keep our unbeaten record intact, but it's too early to think about the French. We now want to celebrate this historic achievement."
"Tipsarevic was the hero of this magnificent victory. He proved that he is a real champion and kept remarkably cool under great pressure. I am so happy for him," he added.
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