Berdych keys Czechs in Davis Cup final

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PRAGUE, Czech Republic, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- World No. 6-ranked Tomas Berdych, with eight match wins in Davis Cup this year, will lead the Czech Republic into the Davis Cup finals against Spain.

Berdych has piled up five wins in singles and teamed with Radek Stepanek for doubles victories in each of the three previous rounds this year in helping the Czechs to the best-of-five finals.

The team on Tuesday announced their rosters for the championship series, which will be contested Nov. 16-18 in Prague. The matches will be played on a hard court in the O2 Arena where the Czech women on Sunday repeated as Fed Cup champions.

Not since 1990, when the United States managed the feat, has a team won both the Fed Cup and Davis Cup in the same year.

Stepanek was nominated along with Berdych for the finals for the Czech Republic. Also available for captain Jaroslav Navratil are Lukas Rosol and Ivo Minar,

Spain, even without the injured Rafael Nadal, will have a strong team in David Ferrer, Nicolas Almagro, Marcel Granollers and doubles specialist Marc Lopez. Between them, Ferrer and Almagro are 10-0 in Davis Cup singles matches this year.

The Czech Republic is looking for its first Davis Cup title, although Czech players were involved the 1980 championship when competing for Czechoslovakia. Spain didn't win its first Davis Cup until 2000 but has five titles, including in 2011, since then.