Berdych, Stepanek to play Davis Cup for Czechs

Jiri Vesely has been selected to join Australian Open quarterfinalist Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek to make his Davis Cup debut for the Czech Republic in the best-of-five series against Kazakhstan in the first round.

The 17-year-old Vesely made the squad on Monday, a month after winning the boy's singles championship and the boy's doubles at the Australian Open.

Captain Jaroslav Navratil says Vesely deserves "to get a chance following his results."

Navratil says Berdych and Stepanek are expected to play the opening singles and the doubles in the March 4-6 series on an indoor hard court in Ostrava.

The Czechs reached the semi-finals last year and the final in 2009. Kazakhstan is in the World Group for the first time.