23 Sep 2005 - Arena Liberec, Liberec, CZE - Andrej Antic - CZE v GER
The home crowd in the Arena Liberec was cheering and waving its blue,white and red flags when Tomas Berdych, the Czech No. 1, won the first rubber in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group play-off tie between the Czech Republic and Germany. Berdych, who has just turned 20, defeated Tommy Haas, seven years older, in a dramatic fivesetter 46 46 61 76(9) 63 in 3 hours 47 minutes.
For Haas, it was very unfortunate. He was two sets up. In the fourth set tiebreak he led 5-1and had three match points but Berdych went on to win it 11-9. In the fifth set the German had a 2-0 lead, but Berdych broke twice, and at 5-3 he had his first match point. Berdych aced and gave the Czech Republic a 1-0 lead before his countryman Tomas Zib took on Nicolas Kiefer, the No. 1 for Germany.
Berdych, who overall hit 19 aces, said, “I am very happy and emotional. This victory means more to me than my win over Roger Federer at the Olympic Games last year. It is my biggest win ever because it is for my country.”
Berdych admitted that he was nervous at the beginning. “ I felt pressure, the responsibility to be the number one player for my country.”
Berdych mentioned that his Czech role model Jiri Novak came up to him before the match and gave him some advice. Novak has played Haas eight times in his career. “That was very good for me,” said Berdych , who has now won all four of his five set matches.
“What can you say ? I had three match points. It is a tough feeling for me personally,” Haas said. “You fight almost 3 hours 50 minutes and at the end you have nothing.” The turning point for Haas was the tiebreak, “After I lost it I started to get tired, bodywise and mentally.”
In the first set Haas broke Berdych in the fourth game, converting his third break point of the set. Haas did not have any problems to win his service games, but in the course of the set, the Czech No. 1 got stronger, winning his own serve easily. At 4-5 Berdych got to deuce twice but the German kept cool to hold for the set.
After one and a half hours, Haas also won the second set 6-4. Until 3-3 both players won their service games with little effort. Then, in the seventh game, Haas had break point. Berdych hit a backhand long, which gave Haas the 4-3 lead. At 5-4 serving for the set Haas faced his most critical situation in the match so far. Berdych had two break points to even the set but was unable to convert and and Haas took the second set.
In the third set Berdych broke Haas in the second and sixth game and took it 6-1 despite being 15-40 down in the last game of the set.
Having the momentum, Berdych started with a break in the fourth set, a game in which Haas double faulted three times. But the former World No. 2 came back to force the tiebreak.
In the final set the two players exchanged service breaks. After Haas took a medical time while trailing 4-3, he did not win another game.
source : daviscup.com