Intro:

Japan have lost their Davis Cup semi-final on home soil.

They were beaten 3-0 by defending champions the Czech Republic.

Script:

Japan's Davis Cup run was stopped in the quarter-finals by defending champions the Czech Republic at Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo.

Tatsuma Ito and Yasutaka Uchiyama lost the doubles rubber in straight sets.

They went down 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to Radek Stepanek and Lukas Rosol.

The Czech pair had both won long matches in Friday's opening singles.

Despite pausing to pay tribute to the Emperor of Japan as he arrived in the arena mid-way through the match, Stepanek and Rosol were ruthless as they cruised past their opponents.

The win wrapped up the tie 3-0, rendering the upcoming reverse singles matches redundant.

The Czechs, who are aiming to win their third straight title, will play either Germany or France in the semifinals.