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Berdych leads Czech assault

Prague - Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek will lead holders Czech Republic in the Davis Cup first-round tie against Switzerland in Geneva on February 1-3, team captain Jaroslav Navratil said on Wednesday.

Besides Berdych, the world No 6, and 34th-ranked Stepanek, Navratil also named 75th-ranked Lukas Rosol and 289th-ranked 19-year-old Jiri Vesely in the team. Rosol made headline last year when he stunned Spanish great Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon.

"The nomination of the first three players was clear," Navratil said, adding that Vesely had "achieved great results last year. We have to use more young players in the years to come."

The Swiss team said on Monday it did not expect world No 2 Roger Federer to play against the Czechs.

Swiss captain Severin Luethi picked Stanislas Wawrinka (ranked 17th in the world), Marco Chiundinelli (148th), Henri Laaksonen (291st), Michael Lammer (360th) and Sandro Ehrat (353rd).

Last November, Berdych and Stepanek led the Czech Republic to their first Davis Cup trophy since the country became independent in 1993. The team, also comprising Rosol and Ivo Minar, beat Spain 3-2 in Prague.

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