TENNIS in DEPTH.

Novak Djokovic defied injury to keep Serbia’s Davis Cup hopes alive in a thrilling battle with Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic in Belgrade.

The world number two looked down and out when he suffered a serious-looking knee problem midway through the second set, having lost the first.

But he battled through and went from strength to strength to win 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 as Berdych struggled to find anything left in the tank.

Djokovic dropped serve in game seven to lose the first set 6-4, and was under pressure at 15-30 in the fifth game of the second and with Berdych looking more comfortable all around.

But a stunning shot to scoop up what looked a certain forehand winner and deposit the ball back at Berdych’s feet seemed to turn the match. The Czech netted the ensuing volley to lift both the home crowd and Djokovic, who went on to hold serve.

But he damaged his knee in the next game as he lunged to retrieve a smash and, after seven minutes of treatment, was forced to dig in thereafter in a series of lengthy rallies.

He broke to lead 5-3 and then served out the set before powering through the next 6-2 with three breaks of the unusually vulnerable Berdych serve.

Berdych recovered from 0-30 to hold in game seven and keep the fourth set on serve – but Djokovic made the breakthrough in his opponent’s next service game to lead 5-4.

And he served out to love in imperious style to complete a four-set win in three hours and 14 minutes and level the tie at 2-2, with Janko Tipsarevic to face Radek Stepanek in the decider.

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Australia’s Jarmila Groth on Sunday claimed her first WTA title with an easy 6-1 6-4 victory over Russia’s Alla Kudryavtseva at the Guangzhou Open in southern China.

The 23-year-old Groth powered 11 aces past Kudryavtseva to claim the USD$37,000 (AUD$40,000) winner’s cheque. She also got revenge for the loss to the Russian in their previous meeting at Indian Wells in 2008.

The Australian – who was the tournament’s top seed – easily lived up to her billing, breezing through the draw without dropping a set and surrendering just five games or less per match.

She broke Kudryavtseva’s serve five times en route to the title. The 22-year-old Russian was making her first career appearance in a WTA final.

Groth, a native of Slovakia who took Australian citizenship last year after marrying ATP player Sam Groth, is currently the world number 55 and is projected to crack the WTA’s top 50 when the new rankings are published Monday.

“It’s very exciting to finally get inside the Top 50,” Groth said before playing her maiden tour final.

“I’ve had injuries and every time I got close in the past, I couldn’t play.”

She’s having her best season since joining the tour in 2005, with round of 16 appearances at both the French Open and Wimbledon.

At the US Open, she fell in the first round to three-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova, letting a golden opportunity slip away after claiming the first set from the Russian, who won at Flushing Meadows in 2006.

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Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek extended their successful Davis Cup doubles partnership to seven wins in eight rubbers when they overcame Novak Djokovic and doubles specialist Nenad Zimonjic 36 61 64 61 in Belgrade. The win pushed the Czechs 2-1 in front in the tie ahead of Sunday’s reverse singles when the Czech No. 1 Berdych will take on either Viktor Troicki or Novak Djokovic, if he is fit enough to play singles. Stepanek will follow against Janko Tipsarevic.

France took an unassailable 3-0 lead over Argentina in Lyon to secure their place in the Davis Cup final.

Michael Llodra and Arnaud Clement beat Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zeballos 6-4 7-5 6-3 in the doubles to kill off Argentina’s hopes in the semi-final.

Singles wins for Gael Monfils and Llodra had put France 2-0 up on Friday.

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Jarmila Groth made certain of her place in the final of the Guangzhou International Women’s Open with a ruthless display of tennis against Romania’s Edina Gallovits on Saturday.

The Australian top seed was on court for just 38 minutes as she overpowered Gallovits 6-0 6-1 in the her semi-final.

Groth, who is aiming to win her first WTA Tour singles title, will take on unseeded Alla Kudryavtseva in Sunday’s showpiece.

The Russian was also in dominant form, beating China’s Shuai Zhang 6-0 6-4 to progress to her first tour final.

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Third seed Lucie Safarova came back from 3-0 down in the final set against Melanie Oudin to move into the semi-finals of the WTA Tour Bell Challenge in Quebec.

Oudin, seeded fifth, raced into a 3-0 lead in the deciding set before her Czech opponent reeled off five straight games in a gruelling contest.

Oudin, of the United States, took the first set 6-4 before Safarova levelled with a dominant 6-2 second set.

Oudin appeared to be easing to victory but Safarova dug deep to triumph in two hours and 20 minutes.

There was little to choose between the two, Safarova, the world number 28, producing five aces as well as seven double faults.

Eighth seed Sofia Arvidsson crashed out as qualifier Tamira Paszek moved into the semi-finals in Canada.

The Austrian, who is ranked 103 places beneath her opponent at 151, was more consistent with her all-round game and capitalised on Arvidsson’s lack of success on her second serve.

Paszek wrapped up a 6-3 6-4 victory in one hour 36 minutes.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands had a straight-sets victory over Rebecca Marino although the world number 71 did not have it her own way as she claimed a 6-4 7-6 (7/4) victory.

Mattek-Sands was more clinical on her own serve and won a close-fought game in one hour 37 minutes.

Eighteen-year-old Christina McHale eased into the last four with a 6-3 6-1 win over Alexa Glatch.

McHale produced five aces and dominated throughout.

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Colombian No. 2 Santiago Giraldo overturned a 40-place ranking difference to score a vital 62 64 75 win over World No. 21 Sam Querrey. The win draws Colombia level with USA 1-1 after the first day of its BNP Paribas World Group play-off tie in Bogota. Earlier American Mardy Fish made his first Davis Cup by BNP Paribas appearance since the 2009 quarterfinals worth waiting for by defeating Colombia’s Alejandro Falla 46 61 64 36 64 in Bogota.

It was not pretty tennis, but at an altitude of over 8,000 feet, it never promised to be. With seven breaks of serve in the first set, it looked as if neither Mardy Fish nor Alejandro Falla could hold a loaf of bread without dropping it. There were more errors than winners and a combination of pressure-less balls and tight hands contributed to a mountain of unforced errors on both sides.

Tied at three games each, Fish dropped serve for the third time and sent his racket flying and team USA’s personal stringer scrambling to get the racket’s tension right. Finally, it was Falla who managed to hold his nerves and serve and it was now Colombia who took the first set 64.

On a bright sunny day, the Plaza de Toros in Bogota was draped in the tricolor of the Colombian flag; yellow, red and blue. Even the potted carnations that ringed the court were red and yellow. The crowd sang chants of, “Vamos Alejo.Vamos Alejo. Vamos Alejo.”

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Wins for Radek Stepanek and Janko Tipsarevic have left Serbia and Czech Republic level after the first day of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas semifinal. Radek Stepanek won the opening rubber over Viktor Troicki 46 62 64 64 but Czech No. 1 couldn’t find his form against Janko Tiparevic, he sank to a 75 62 26 76(5) defeat.

A day that promised so much for the still young nation of Serbia has got off to a dreadful start. Having lost the world No 2 Novak Djokovic for the opening day’s action before a ball was hit, the 17,000 home crowd in the Belgrade Arena had to watch Djokovic’s replacement Troicki go down 46 62 64 64 to Stepanek to leave the Czech Republic one-up.

Djokovic, who only arrived from New York on Wednesday, looked sharp in practice on Thursday but on Friday morning reported a stomach complaint related to his lingering jetlag and fatigue following his US Open final on Monday might. After being examined by the tie’s neutral doctor, he was diagnosed with ‘acute gastroenteritis’ and was replaced by Troicki. But Djokovic says he expects to be considered for selection for the doubles if the Serbian team wants him to partner Nenad Zimonjic.

By then Serbia might be in the last chance saloon, because following Stepanek’s victory over Troicki, the world No. 7 and Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych was a clear favourite to beat Janko Tipsarevic in the second of the opening day’s singles.

Djokovic told a Serbian television interview as Troicki and Stepanek warmed up that he felt his withdrawal was no big deal, as he had full confidence in Troicki. That confidence seemed vindicated when the Serb broke in the opening game, and he had further chances to break in the opening set.

But Troicki’s inability to pull away from Stepanek was the writing on the wall. His big serve saw him take the first set, but by then Stepanek had worked out how to play him, and broke twice to take the second with some glorious all-court tennis. Troicki had three break points in the third set but Stepanek saved them all with ease and broke in the 10th game to take a 2-1 lead as the Serb looked to have no answer to Stepanek’s canny drop shots and lobs.

The Serb finally got his second break of the Czech serve in the sixth game of the fourth set, and at 4-2 a fifth set was on the cards. But Stepanek broke straight back, his varied play seriously eroding Troicki’s confidence on the big points, and the Serb hit a backhand wide on Stepanek’s first match point.

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France’s Gael Monfils continued in Lyon where he left off in New York, defeating Argentina’s David Nalbandian 64 26 64 63 in their Davis Cup by BNP Paribas semifinal clash in Lyon.

Monfils reached the quarterfinals at the US Open last week and his victory over Davis Cup stalwart Nalbandian has left the visitors with a mountain to climb over the course of the weekend.

Earlier in the day, Michael Llodra put his first set nerves to one side to give France the first point against Argentina.

It took three hours 22 minutes, but Llodra finally closed out a 75 46 75 63 victory over Juan Monaco, finishing the match with a blistering ace.

Monaco jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the first set and was producing solid returns, but in the eighth game Llodra struck back and broke to level the score. The crowd went crazy with excitement and then when Llodra broke in the 12th game to clinch the first set the noise created was deafening. The flawless forehand Llodra struck down the line saw the fans erupt with joy.

“I knew I had to stay focused and play my game,” Llodra said. “In the end, you know, it’s tennis and anything can happen in Davis Cup. I eventually saved all the break points on my serve. It was a good match today. That’s one point, two to go.”

The match still had a long way to go with Monaco winning the second set after breaking serve in the fifth game. And like Llodra in the first set, the Argentine hit a forehand winner on his first set point to level the match.

The third set created more see-saw tennis and, at 57 minutes, was the longest. Late in the set, Llodra stretched for a forehand mid-court and lost his footing. There was an air of concern as Llodra clutched his right ankle, but he was soon up and about.

Monaco survived break points in the tenth game but two games later Llodra made no mistake. He broke the Argentine on the third break point and that gave him the set as he directed a forehand deep to Monaco who then sent the ball wide. Llodra leapt sky high and punched the air and the crowd went ballistic.

Tomorrow’s doubles rubber takes on even more critical status – a loss for the visitors means they exit the competition, whilst a win for the hosts seals their place in the Davis Cup final for the first time since 2002.

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