Intro:

Two-time defending Davis Cup champions, the Czech Republic were level at 1-1 with the Netherlands.

The singles rubbers were shared on the first day of their World Group first round clash.

Script:

The Czech Republic commenced another defence of the Davis Cup with a home tie against World Group new boys the Netherlands.

But it was the Dutch who took the opening singles' rubber.

World number 46 Robin Haase came strong at the finish, defeating world number 50 Radek Stepanek 3-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1.

It was the pair's first ever meeting.

Stepanek had retired from his recent Australian Open's first-round match against Blaz Kavcic in the fourth set because of a neck injury.

The second match saw former Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych aim to level things up against Igor Sijsling.

And that's what happened.

Berdych stormed to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 victory over an opponent two years his junior.

It was the Czech player's 27th singles win in his 40th Davis Cup singles rubber.

In Saturday's doubles, Lukas Rosol and Jiri Vesely will face Dutch duo Thiemo de Bakker and Jean-Julien Rojer.

Reverse singles are scheduled for Sunday.

The winner of the tie will face either Canada or Japan in April's quarter-finals.

The Czech Republic have not lost on home soil since a huge upset against Kazakhstan in 2011.

The last time the Netherlands won a World Group tie was in 2005 against Switzerland.