PARIS, Sept 15: Defending champions Czech Republic reached their second successive Davis Cup final on Saturday while Canada eyed a first ever appearance in November’s title match.

Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych led the Czechs to a third final in five years after breezing past Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq and Horacio Zeballos in Saturday’s doubles 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

“It’s pure fantasy, the guys played at a hundred percent again,” said Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil after his side took a 3-0 lead in Prague. “They didn’t give the Argentinians a chance.”

Berdych and Stepanek won the 13th of their 14 Davis Cup doubles rubbers together since teaming up in 2007.

The Czechs, who won the 2012 trophy by beating Spain, will travel to either Canada or 2010 champions Serbia for the November 15-17 final.

Canada silenced 8,000 spectators in Belgrade when Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5-7), 10-8 in a four-hour doubles marathon to go 2-1 ahead.

Serbia were in a similar position in their 2010 semi-final against the Czech Republic, but managed to win both singles on the final day.

In Madrid, US Open champion Rafael Nadal teamed up with Marc Lopez to give Spain an unassailable 3-0 lead over Ukraine in their World Group play-off.

The Spanish pair beat Denys Molchanov and Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-4 in just over three hours to ensure the five-time champions will remain amongst the world’s top 16 nations next year.

In Umag, Great Britain led 2005 champions Croatia 2-1 after Andy Murray and Colin Fleming saw off Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (8-6), 6-1.

Switzerland retained their World Group status with their third win in a row against unheralded Ecuador.

Stanislas Wawrinka, in the spotlight after powering into the US Open semi-finals, paired up with Michael Lammer to see off the Ecuadorian duo Emilio Gomez and Roberto Quiroz 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7-9), 6-4.

Their victory in Neuchatel made it 3-0 for the Swiss who were playing without Roger Federer.

Australia’s hopes of returning to the World Group suffered a jolt when Poland kept the two nations’ play-off alive in Warsaw.

Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski defeated Chris Guccione and debutant Nick Kyrgios 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 in the doubles rubber after Australia had won both of Friday’s singles.

In other World Group ties, Colombia lead Japan 2-1, Israel are 2-1 up on Belgium, Germany have a 2-1 edge on Brazil while the Netherlands defeated Austria 3-0.—AFP