Tennis: Stepanek, Haase to open Czech v Netherland tie
Radek Stepanek and Robin Haase to open the Davis Cup in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava.
PRAGUE (AFP) - Radek Stepanek and Robin Haase will open the Davis Cup first-round tie between defending champions the Czech Republic and the Netherlands in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava on Friday, following Thursday s draw.
Czech number two Stepanek, the world number 50, will take on 46th-ranked Dutch number one Haase on the hardcourt of the CEZ Arena.
In the second rubber on Friday, Czech number one Tomas Berdych, the world number seven, will face 62nd-ranked Igor Sijsling.
It was also announced that Czech duo Jiri Vesely and Lukas Rosol will take on Thiemo De Bakker and Jean-Julien Rojer in Saturday s doubles.
But the Czechs are almost certain to use Berdych and Stepanek, who have lost only one of their 15 Davis Cup doubles rubbers together since teaming up in 2007.
In Sunday s reverse singles, Berdych will face Haase and Stepanek is due to take on Sijsling.
The Czech Republic are eyeing a Davis Cup hat-trick after lifting the trophy for the second year in succession last November when they beat Novak Djokovic-led Serbia 3-2 in Belgrade.
They have won their last nine Davis Cup ties in a row.
The Netherlands will play their first World Group tie since 2009, with their last World Group win dating back to 2005.
The Netherlands have lost four of their five ties against the Czech Republic or its predecessor Czechoslovakia. They scored their only head-to-head victory in 1925.
