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Czechs up 2-0 in Davis Cup quarters

Jan Hajek, shown in a 2010 file photo, posted a straight-set win Friday that helped the Czech Republic build a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Davis Cup quarterfinal series versus Kazakhstan. UPI Photo/Monika Graff
Jan Hajek, shown in a 2010 file photo, posted a straight-set win Friday that helped the Czech Republic build a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Davis Cup quarterfinal series versus Kazakhstan. UPI Photo/Monika Graff | License Photo

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 5 (UPI) -- Jan Hajek and Lukas Rosol posted wins Friday that put the Czech Republic up 2-0 in its best-of-five Davis Cup quarterfinal versus Kazakhstan.

Hajek opened the series with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Mikhail Kukushkin and Rosol followed with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) decision over Andrey Golubev.

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That puts the Czechs, who won the Davis Cup title last year, within one win from advancing to the tournament's Sept. 13-15 semifinals. Whichever team advances out of Kazakhstan will go against the winner of a series between Argentina and France in the semis.

Hajek faced just one break point -- in the day's third game -- and cashed in half of his break opportunities in his win. He won 75 percent of the points on serve.

Rosol dropped serve twice. A break in the first set dropped him behind Golubev but three breaks over the next two sets, while losing just seven points on serve, put Rosol up 2-1 in the match.

Golubev got his second break of the day early in the fourth set but Rosol evened the set in the 10th game and was able to finish off his second match-point chance.

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The Czechs can secure the series with a win Saturday when Ivo Minar and Radek Stepanek take on Kazakhs Evgeny Korolev and Yuriy Schukin in doubles.

Sunday's schedule calls for reverse singles, with Rosol meeting Kukushkin in the opener and Hajek to play Golubev in the series' final match.

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