Davis Cup: Czechs beat USA to qualify for finals
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Czechia's Jiri Lehecka, left, celebrates with Jakub Mensik after winning the decisive point against United States' Learner Tien during the Davis Cup second round qualifier match between the Czech Republic and the United States, in Prague, on September 19, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP
Jiri Lehecka downed Learner Tien in a deciding rubber Saturday (September 19, 2026) as the Czech Republic stunned the United States 3-2 in Davis Cup qualifying for a second straight year, while South Korea reached the last eight for the first time.
The Czechs knocked out the Americans at the same second qualifying round stage in a decider at Delray Beach a year ago, when Jakub Mensik beat Frances Tiafoe to secure a surprise victory.
Tomas Berdych's men repeated the feat in similarly dramatic fashion, to the delight of a raucous home crowd in Prague, as Lehecka clinched a 6-3, 7-5 win over world number 13 Tien.
The U.S.A. are record 32-time winners of the competition but their wait for a first title since 2007 goes on.
The Czechs advance to the November eight-team finals in Bologna, where hosts Italy will bid for a fourth straight title.
"The wins in Davis Cup are always a little bit different because this is a team competition," said Lehecka.
After starting the day locked at 1-1, the USA nudged ahead as Christian Harrison and Austin Krajicek saved four match points to outlast Adam Pavlasek and Patrik Rikl in a thrilling 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (10/8) win.
Mensik then fought back from a set down to keep the tie alive by defeating recent US Open runner-up Ben Shelton 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
Shelton took a tense first set after saving a set point when trailing 5-4, reeling off the last three games.
Mensik created a set point at exactly the same stage of the second, but this time made no mistake with a booming forehand to level the match.
The 21-year-old, a semi-finalist at this year's French Open, forced the tie into a deciding rubber on his second match point in a tense final game.
Lehecka, who beat Shelton in straight sets on Friday (September 18, 2026), recovered after giving an early break back to take the first set.
5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on www.thehindu.com — the content belongs to The Hindu.
