Are y'all ready for the final infusion of tennis for the year? Tennis Channel will broadcast all the action live from the O2 Arena in Prague, with "instant encore" replays immediately following (we LOVE the re-branding of reruns as "instant encores").
This 100th Davis Cup final will be contested between the Spanish team (defending champion), led by David Ferrer and 2012 ATP World Tour Final doubles champs Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez. The Czech team will be led by Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek.
Full release below.
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(November 15, 2012) -- Tennis Channel will provide exclusive coverage of defending champion Spain and the Czech Republic's Davis Cup championship competition in Prague this weekend, with live and same-day "Instant Encore" replays Friday through Sunday. The countries find themselves in a rematch of the 2009 final. Spain, however, will be without former World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, who led his country to a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic three years ago. David Ferrer, World No. 5, will lead his nation as it attempts to defend its 2011 Davis Cup crown while competing for its sixth title overall.
The year-end championship competition will consist of two singles matches on Friday, Nov. 16, at 10 a.m. ET, followed by the doubles match Saturday, Nov. 17, at 8 a.m. ET. Tennis Channel's coverage concludes with the remaining singles play Sunday, Nov. 18, at 7 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 evening Tennis Channel will offer an encore presentation of the day's Davis Cup action.
Coverage from O2 Arena, Prague, Czech Republic (all times ET):
Friday, Nov. 16:
10 a .m. - Live Singles #1
1 p .m. - Live Singles #2
{4 p.m. - Instant Encore Singles #1}
{10 p.m. - Instant Encore Singles #1}
{1 a.m. - Instant Encore Singles #2}
Saturday, Nov. 17:
8 a.m. - Live Doubles
{11 a.m. - Instant Encore Doubles}
{8 p.m. - Instant Encore Doubles}
Sunday, Nov. 18:
7 a .m. - Live Singles #1
10 a .m. - Live Singles #2
{1 p.m. - Instant Encore Singles #1}
{8 p.m. - Instant Encore Singles #1}
Spain and the Czech Republic have faced each other six times in Davis Cup play, with the Spaniards holding a 4-2 advantage. The most recent competition was during the 2009 Davis Cup final, when Spain won 5-0. Spain enters this weekend's championship after defeating the United States 3-1 during this year's semifinals. The country has dominated the past decade with five Davis Cup championships since 2000, the most recent in 2011 when it beat Argentina 3-1 in Seville, Spain.
The Czech Republic enters the competition after a 3-2 semifinal victory over Argentina, and is chasing its first Davis Cup title since 1980, when it defeated Italy while competing as Czechoslovakia. The Czech team is captained by Jaroslav Navratil and features World No. 6 Tomas Berdych, Radek Stepanek, Lukas Rosol and Ivo Minar.
The Spanish team is captained by former tennis star Alex Corretja, and features Ferrer, Nicolas Almagro, Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez.