Lehecka and Mensik lead Czech Republic past USA to qualify for Davis Cup Finals

[p]The Czechs knocked out the Americans at the same second qualifying round stage in a deciding rubber in Delray Beach a year ago, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mensik-jakub/UFj257G8/"]Jakub Mensik[/a] beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tiafoe-frances/AHDLJaph/"]Frances Tiafoe[/a] to secure a surprise victory.[/p][p]Tomas Berdych's men repeated the feat in similarly dramatic fashion, to the delight of a raucous home crowd in Prague, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lehecka-jiri/6PlgfXKR/"]Lehecka[/a] clinched a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/lehecka-j-6PlgfXKR/tien-l-xUHOBJK6/?mid=WQ0uGRid"]6-3, 7-5[/a] win over world number 13 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tien-learner/xUHOBJK6/"]Tien[/a].[/p][p]The USA are record 32-time winners of the competition but their wait for a first title since 2007 goes on.[/p][embed guid="b522aba5-3208-48ef-86b4-5741b6bf6bd3" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swyx8RVarEI" social-type="youtube" /][p]The Czechs advance to the November eight-team finals in Bologna, where hosts Italy will bid for a fourth straight title.[/p][p]After starting the day locked at 1-1, the USA nudged ahead as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/harrison-christian/tKNpgwfr/"]Christian Harrison[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/krajicek-austin/x2H3WGyJ/"]Austin Krajicek[/a] saved four match points to outlast [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pavlasek-adam/EmouDEJm/"]Adam Pavlasek[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rikl-patrik/r5IEmPRO/"]Patrik Rikl[/a] in a thrilling [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/pavlasek-a-EmouDEJm/rikl-p-r5IEmPRO/?mid=86zLjomR"]5-7, 6-3, 7-6(8)[/a] win.[/p][p]Mensik then fought back from a set down to keep the tie alive by defeating recent US Open runner-up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shelton-ben/QNuG0Gzb/"]Ben Shelton[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/mensik-j-UFj257G8/shelton-b-QNuG0Gzb/?mid=pA2XHmNq"]5-7, 6-4, 6-3[/a].[/p][p]Shelton took a tense first set after saving a set point when trailing 5-4, reeling off the last three games.[/p][p]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.[/p][embed guid="4e4c2f31-bdae-41de-87b2-98f993705152" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXbK9H5f6fI" social-type="youtube" /][p]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.[/p][p]Lehecka, who beat Shelton in straight sets on Friday, recovered after giving an early break back to take the first set.[/p][p]Tien forged 3-0 ahead as he attempted to force the tie all the way to a final set, but fell away and Lehecka clinched a brilliant win on his fourth match point.[/p][h2]History-making South Korea[/h2][p]Earlier, South Korea made history by beating India 3-1 in Seoul.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kwon-soon-woo/pKuUGzw2/"]Kwon Soon-woo[/a] brushed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nagal-sumit/46aHbwDc/"]Sumit Nagal[/a] aside [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/kwon-s-pKuUGzw2/nagal-s-46aHbwDc/?mid=tfNa3l8j"]6-1, 6-2[/a] to clinch the decisive point for the Koreans, who won both of Friday's singles rubbers before India triumphed in the doubles.[/p][p]"[b]I feel very proud for my country and every team I play against, I give my best[/b]," said Kwon. "[b]When I play in a team, I know that I can't let my teammates down[/b]."[/p][embed guid="d2ce1b7a-f1cb-4e6c-b97c-244cfd792186" url="https://x.com/DavisCup/status/2101201592125132837" social-type="twitter" /][p]Austria also booked their spot as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodionov-jurij/CKjcTLz1/"]Jurij Rodionov[/a] sealed a 3-1 win for the hosts in Vienna with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/bergs-z-SbeTx1o8/rodionov-j-CKjcTLz1/?mid=ngZQ1yXo"]7-6(6), 6-3[/a] victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bergs-zizou/SbeTx1o8/"]Zizou Bergs[/a], Belgium's number one in the absence of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blockx-alexander/xll0TzGG/"]Alexander Blockx[/a].[/p][p]"[b]I feel amazing. Proud of myself and the team. Big goal for us was to qualify to the Final [/b]8," said Rodionov.[/p][p]Rodionov got Austria on the board in Friday's opening singles before Bergs pulled Belgium level.[/p][p]Doubles pair [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/miedler-lucas/CzqMZAAA/"]Lucas Miedler[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/oberleitner-neil/C02ZcN0K/"]Neil Oberleitner[/a] then beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gille-sander/EZyz7Jle/"]Sander Gille[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vliegen-joran/K8zhJsFb/"]Joran Vliegen[/a] in straight sets to put Austria back on top.[/p][p]France kept their tie with Canada alive, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bonzi-benjamin/M5OpGHqH/"]Benjamin Bonzi[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/herbert-pierre-hugues/vD0zNRBM/"]Pierre-Hugues Herbert[/a] beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/auger-aliassime-felix/CzXh4LAb/"]Felix Auger-Aliassime[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chan-duncan/WbPnrHPc/"]Duncan Chan[/a] in straight sets in the second day's opening doubles match to cut their deficit to 2-1.[/p][embed guid="3c122be5-73d4-4d4d-a919-38bd95312136" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKaF0SlGBA4" social-type="youtube" /][p]Newly-crowned US Open champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zverev-alexander/dGbUhw9m/"]Alexander Zverev[/a] gave Germany a 1-0 lead over Croatia in Halle, making a quick return to action as he beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dodig-matej/2wbou5PR/"]Matej Dodig[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/dodig-m-2wbou5PR/zverev-a-dGbUhw9m/?mid=vurGhDx8"]6-4, 7-6(3)[/a].[/p][p]But Germany, who have not won the Davis Cup since 1993, were pegged back to end the first day level as Croatian youngster [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/prizmic-dino/YcluY2Zi/"]Dino Prizmic[/a] brushed aside [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/altmaier-daniel/IPR8h9gM/"]Daniel Altmaier[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/altmaier-d-IPR8h9gM/prizmic-d-YcluY2Zi/?mid=j16wgsll"]6-4, 6-3[/a].[/p][p]Spain continued their tilt at a seventh title by seizing a 2-0 lead over Chile in Santiago courtesy of singles wins for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/daniel-merida-aguilar/WOtXbAu5/"]Daniel Merida[/a] and Davis Cup debutant [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jodar-rafael/OdngshVK/"]Rafael Jodar[/a] over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tabilo-alejandro/YgVnM5vO/"]Alejandro Tabilo[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/garin-cristian/U73k5I15/"]Cristian Garin[/a], respectively.[/p][p]Britain's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/samuel-toby/rZVojxZe/"]Toby Samuel[/a] overcame [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andrade-andres/fLLaEvj2/"]Andres Andrade[/a] of Ecuador and Wimbledon semi-finalist [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fery-arthur/SKxbA6KA/"]Arthur Fery[/a] saw off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guillen-meza-alvaro/6HCUWrxA/"]Alvaro Guillen Meza[/a] as the hosts took a 2-0 advantage in London.[/p][embed guid="603bfc33-8abe-4268-92ec-45b0685f8e8b" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAcr7mYyePg" social-type="youtube" /]