Tennis Channel to Provide Live Davis Cup Finals Coverage This Weekend
Tennis Channel will provide exclusive live coverage of defending champion Czech Republic's and Serbia's Davis Cup final competition in Belgrade, Serbia, this weekend, Nov. 15-17. Live and same-day "Instant Encore" replays will air Friday through Sunday. Highlighting the competition, world number six Tomas Berdych will face world number two and 2013 ATP World Tour Finals champion Novak Djokovic for the first time since Wimbledon, when Berdych fell to the Serbian during the quarterfinals.Djokovic has the career upper hand, holding a 14-2 record against the Czech Republic's top-ranked star.
The year-end championship competition will consist of two singles matches on Friday, Nov. 15, at 10:00 a.m. ET, followed by the doubles match Saturday, Nov. 16, at 10:00 a.m. ET. Tennis Channel's coverage concludes with the remaining singles play Sunday, Nov. 17, at 8:00 a.m. ET. Each of the five matches is worth one point, with the team that wins at least three points winning the Davis Cup title. Each afternoon Tennis Channel will offer an encore presentation of the day's Davis Cup action.
Brett Haber and Doug Adler will handle play-by-play responsibilities during Tennis Channel's Davis Cup coverage this weekend, with former U.S. Davis Cup player Justin Gimelstob in the analyst's role. At the end of each day's live telecast, Haber and Gimelstob will break down the matches on Tennis Channel Live, the network's new studio show. Hall of Famer Tracy Austin will join them on the set during each afternoon's half-hour program.
Coverage from Serbia's Belgrade Arena (all times ET, subject to change)
Friday, Nov. 15
â–º10:00 a.m. Live Singles #1
â–º1:00 p.m. Live Singles #2
â–º4:30 p.m. Instant Encore (Singles #1)
â–º7:30 p.m. Instant Encore (Singles #2)
â–º11:00 p.m. Instant Encore (Singles #1)
Saturday, Nov. 16
â–º6:30a.m. Instant Encore (Singles #2)
â–º10:00 a.m. Live Doubles
â–º3:30 p.m. Instant Encore (Doubles)
â–º9:00 p.m. Instant Encore (Doubles)
Sunday, Nov. 17
â–º8:00 a.m. Live Singles #1
â–º11:00 a.m. Live Singles #2
â–º4:30 p.m. Instant Encore (Singles #1)
â–º9:00 p.m. Instant Encore (Singles #1)
â–º12:00 a.m. Instant Encore (Singles #2)
The Czech Republic and Serbia have faced each other 11 times in Davis Cup play, with the Czech Republic holding a 6-5 advantage. The most recent competition was during the 2012 Davis Cup quarterfinal, when the Czech team won 4-1. However, Serbia claimed victory over the Czech Republic in the 2010 semifinals en route to capturing the nation's first Davis Cup title.
Serbia enters this weekend's championship after defeating Canada 3-2 during this year's semifinals. The Serbian team is captained by Bogdan Obradovic and features Djokovic, Janko Tipsarevic, Ilija Boozoljac and Nenad Zimonjic.
The Czech Republic enters the competition for the third time in five years after a 3-2 semifinal victory over Argentina, and is bidding to win its second-consecutive Davis Cup crown, and third title overall. The Czech Republic's captain Jaroslav Navratil has been hospitalized with a blood clot and Vladimir Safarik will lead Berdych, Radek Stepanek, Lukas Rosol and Jan Hajek into the finals this weekend.
