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By Alberto Amalfi | Sunday, March 6, 2016

 
Lukas Rosol

Lukas Rosol routed Alexander Zverev, clinching the Czech Republic's 3-2 Davis Cup conquest of host Germany.

Photo credit: Paul Zimmer/Davis Cup

A hobbled Tomas Berdych limped off the court with a hamstring injury in the fourth match.

A confident Lukas Rosol delivered a powerful closing kick in the finale.

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Rosol routed Davis Cup rookie Alexander Zverev, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1, clinching the Czech Republic's Davis Cup quarterfinal return with a 3-2 victory over Germany in Hannover.

It was the Czech Republic's 13th victory in its last 15 ties.

The Czechs will host France in the July 15-17th Davis Cup quarterfinals. France beat the Czech Republic in their last meeting, 4-1, in the 2014 Davis Cup semifinals. The Czechs are aiming for their third Davis Cup championship in the last five years.

Contesting the first live fifth match of his career, Rosol rolled.

"(The team) told me, 'Everything is possible. Go out, be very aggressive, no matter who the player is on the court, and don't be the rabbit running around.' " Rosol told DavisCup.com. "I managed that very well.”

A day after Berdych partnered Radek Stepanek in doubles for his 50th career Davis Cup win, the Czech No. 1 tried to close the show against Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Berdych strained his right hamstring lunging for a passing shot in the opening reverse singles and could not continue. Kohlschreiber, who took the court with a 1-8 lifetime record vs. the world No. 7, held a 6-3, 7-5 lead when Berdych retired after one hour, 41 minutes of play.

"It happened very early, I think it was the second or third game when I ran for a drop shot and then stretched for the passing shot and I felt pain in my right hamstring," Berdych said afterward. "The treatment helped for a while, but basically that was it. I knew it wasn't getting better and I couldn't play on the level that I wanted to. There was no chance I could finish the match."




Closing duties fell on Rosol's shoulders. Despite the fact he had won just one of his previous six Davis Cup singles matches, Rosol was not fazed.  Playing power tennis, he steamrolled the German teenager, winning eight of the first 10 games.

In his Davis Cup debut on Friday, the 18-year-old Zverev fought valiantly pushing his training partner Berdych to five sets in an epic four hour, 20-minute test. Still drained by that battle, Zverev lacked the legs, energy and nerve to slow Rosol.

The man who famously upset Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon, thumped 13 aces, saved all three break points he faced and broke serve six times in an overwhelming 98-minute win.


 

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