Stepanek Leads Czech Republic to Davis Cup Win-Dmitri Chavkerov

We can, perhaps, argue about who is the best indoor player this year -- although Novak Djokovic certainly has a strong case. But if we leave out Djokovic and Roger Federer, there isn't much question: It's not Andy Murray, it's David Ferrer. 

On Sunday, Ferrer took on Tomas Berdych, holder of two indoor titles this year, on Berdych's home court -- and thumped him. The score was 6-2 6-3 7-5, and Spain and the Czechs were even at 2-2. 
Which left everything on the shoulders of Nicolas Almagro and Radek Stepanek. An interesting contrast. Almagro is more comfortable on clay, of course, whereas two of Stepanek's five career titles have come on indoor hardcourt and the other three on outdoor hardcourt. But Almagro is much higher-ranked, is younger, and came in better rested. The Davis Cup twitter feed reported that only one player over the age of thirty has won a live fifth rubber in the Davis Cup final. And Stepanek turns 34 this month, and the other instance of it happening was all the way back in 1912! 

Stepanek did all he could to shorten the match, coming to net at every opportunity -- the stats show him coming in more than three times as often as Almagro in the first two sets. The problem was, Almagro still managed to keep Stepanek out there for two hours even as he was going down two sets to love. In the third set, fatigue seemed finally to start to tell. But Stepanek managed to find a second wind. He won the decider 6-4 7-6 3-6 6-3. 

It is the first Davis Cup title for the independent Czech Republic, which is particularly noteworthy since this is the hundredth time the Cup has been played, and the first time in the memory of the Czech team members that they have won -- Czechoslovakia took the title in 1980. It also means that the Czechs hold both the Davis and Fed Cups for 2012. 

Berdych and Stepanek each won two matches. Hard to say who is the most valuable player in that situation. Pretty easy to know who will be most hurt, though; it's Almagro, who suffered two losses -- and who, as a result, will end the year at #11. He would have been #10 had he won either of his contests.

Djokovic coasts into third round

Defending champion Novak Djokovic has turned in a commanding performance to crush American Ryan Harrison 6-1,6-2, 6-3 and march into the third round at the Australian Tennis Open.

The world number one allowed the young American just one point in the first three games and says it's one of the best Grand Slam matches he's played.

"In the earlier rounds yes, probably. I've played many matches in grand slams in my career so it's tough to compare which one's the best but I'll take it under the circumstances."

Women's second seed Maria Sharapova has become the first player in 28 years to reach the third round of a slam without dropping a game.

Sharapova says she had to keep focused.

"It's always tough especially when you're up a set and a couple of breaks to keep that momentum and I really forced myself to concentrate and just get the job done today."