PRAGUE — Tomas Berdych led defending champion the Czech Republic to the Davis Cup quarterfinals Sunday as he beat Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands in straight sets for an unbeatable 3-1 lead. Berdych, the 28-year-old world No. 7 and Czech No. 1, swept 139th-ranked De Bakker 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 46 minutes to hand the Czechs a 10th straight Davis Cup win. The Czech Republic, who won the trophy in 2012 and 2013, will fly to Japan for the quarterfinals in April. Japan beat Canada 4-1 in their first-round tie this weekend. For Sunday's rubber, the 25-year-old De Bakker replaced tired Dutch No. 1 player Robin Haase, who had played five sets against Radek Stepanek Friday and then a tiresome four sets in Saturday's doubles. De Bakker beat Berdych in Bastad in 2013 but lost in their other two encounters. On Friday, Haase beat Stepanek 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-1, and Berdych then swept Igor Sijsling 6-3, 6-3, 6-0. On Saturday Berdych and Stepanek beat Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/4) to win the 15th of their 16 Davis Cup doubles rubbers together since teaming up in 2007. In Frankfurt, Germany was forced to forfeit a Davis Cup singles rubber through injury Sunday having already won its match against Spain. Triple injuries meant only Daniel Brands was fit to face Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut in the fifth and final rubber Sunday with Germany holding a 3-1 lead. Germany took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the World Group clash Saturday which put them into the quarterfinals away to France, which beat Australia, in April. In Saturday's doubles rubber Germany's Tommy Haas and Philipp Kohlschreiber enjoyed a four-sets win over Spain's Fernando Verdasco and David Marrero. But the victory came at a cost with Kohlschreiber picking up a thigh problem and Haas aggravating a shoulder injury. In Novisad, Dusan Lajovic and Filip Krajinovic won the reverse singles Sunday to cushion Switzerland's triumph over Serbia to 3-2 in their Davis Cup first round World Group tie. Switzerland had already secured the match with its doubles victory Saturday. On Friday, Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka both won their singles matches and pulled out of the reverse singles. Lajovic beat Michael Lammer 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to win Serbia's first point of the match. The 102nd-ranked Lajovic is Serbia's top player in the absence of Novak Djokovic, Janko Tipsarevic and Viktor Troicki. Filip Krajinovic beat Marco Chiudinelli 6-4, 6-4. Switzerland will face Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals in April. India easily won both the reverse singles matches Sunday to complete an impressive 5-0 scoreline against Taiwan in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania group one tie in Indore. Having taken an unassailable 3-0 lead, Saketh Myneni defeated Yang Tsung-Hua 6-1, 6-4 and Yuki Bhambri brushed aside Peng Hsien-Yin 7-5, 6-0. Bob and Mike Bryan beat Dominic Inglot and Colin Fleming 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to cut Britain's lead over the United States to 2-1 in the first round of the Davis Cup Saturday. The twins breezed through the fourth set and won the match on a smash by Bob. The tie will be decided Sunday in reverse singles, when Wimbledon winner Andy Murray of Britain faces Sam Querrey and James Ward of Britain faces Donald Young. Murray won the opening singles in straight sets against Young on Friday while Ward rallied to beat Querrey in five sets at Petco Park, the downtown home of baseball's San Diego Padres. Italy took a 2-1 lead over host Argentina in the Davis Cup first round by winning a four-set doubles on Saturday. Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli defeated Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zeballos 6-7 (6), 7-6 (8), 7-6 (3), 6-4 in a four-hour match on outdoor clay. Italy needs to win one of the reverse singles Sunday to wrap it up. — Agencies
