2013 Davis Cup final results: Czech Republic drops Serbia, 3-2, behind Radek Stepanek

Radek Stepanek defeated Serbian Dusan Lajovic in straight sets Sunday to give the Czech Republic a 3-2 series victory in the 2013 Davis Cup. Stepanek defeated Lajovic in front of a Belgrade, Serbia, crowd in sets of 6-3, 6-1 and 6-1 to secure the second Davis Cup victory in a row for the Czechs.

Lajovic, a 23-year-old in his first Davis Cup go-around while replacing the injured Janko Tipsarevic, lost his handle on the match early after breaking Stepanek in the first game. From then on, it was the 34-year-old’s competition to lose.

Last year’s victory against Spain was the Czech Republic’s first Davis Cup win as an independent nation.

Serbia had come from behind in a five-match series against Canada to reach the finals, but it had no such luck entering Sunday and trailed the Czechs, 2-1. A comeback appeared possible in the day’s first match, however, when Novak Djokovic tied the series at up 2-2 by dropping Tomas Berdych in sets of 6-4, 7-6(5) and 6-2.

The victory seemed nearly certain for Djokovic, who improved his record against Berdych to 15-2. But likewise, the decisive match went heavily in favor of Stepanek.

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