Serbia to face Czech Republic in Davis Cup final

BELGRADE: Serbia will face defending champions the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final after defeating Canada 3-2 in the semifinals Sunday.
Janko Tipsarevic led Serbia into their second final in four years after defeating Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, 7-6 (8/6).
Earlier, world No.1 Novak Djokovic had beaten Milos Raonic 7-6 (7/1), 6-2, 6-2 to level the tie at 2-2.
Serbia, the 2010 champions, will host the Nov. 15-17 final against the Czechs who defeated Argentina 3-2 in their semifinal in Prague.
After taking the first set, the 23rd-ranked Tipsarevic capitalized on the 41st-ranked Pospisil’s clay court inexperience to breeze through the second.
With the 10,000-strong crowd willing him on, Tipsarevic stretched out to 5-2 in the third set before Pospisil battled back for another tie-breaker.
The Canadian saved four match points before Tipsarevic finally sealed victory.
In Umag, Croatia, Andy Murray secured Britain’s return to the World Group after a five-year absence when he defeated Croatia’s Ivan Dodig 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in a playoff rubber at Umag on Sunday.
That made the score 3-1 in Britain’s favor with just the second of the reverse singles to follow.
Wimbledon and Olympic champion Murray won his opening singles on Friday and teamed up with Colin Fleming to win the doubles on Saturday.
Dodig, who beat Dan Evans in straight sets on Friday, put up some resistance early on but tired badly in the second set and Murray coasted away to clinch the win that puts Britain back among the elite of world tennis.
In Warsaw, Australia are back in the World Group for the first time in six years, with Bernard Tomic supplying the crucial third point against Poland with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 win over Lukasz Kubot on Sunday.
That victory gave Pat Rafter’s team an unassailable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five World Group play-off tie on clay.
The victory means Australia, 28-times Davis Cup champions, will return to the top 16 next year for the first time since 2007.
They had reached the World Group playoffs for the past three years, only to fall at the last hurdle.
In Tokyo, World No. 12 Kei Nishikori banished his US Open demons to propel Japan back into the Davis Cup world group with a 3-2 comeback victory over Colombia on Sunday.
Nishikori rediscovered his mojo after a shock first-round exit in the United States earlier this year, showing the kind of form which swept him to the Japan Open title a year ago as he overpowered Santiago Giraldo 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 to level the tie for the home team.
Teammate Go Soeda held his nerve to beat Alejandro Falla 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 triggering wild celebrations in Tokyo.