BELGRADE — World number one Novak Djokovic overcame fatigue and an inspired opponent to help Serbia beat Kazakhstan 3-2 in their Davis Cup first-round tie and set up a mouth-watering quarter-final clash with holders Britain in July.
Djokovic beat Mikhail Kukushkin 6-7(6) 7-6(3) 4-6 6-3 6-2 in an absorbing five-hour contest before Viktor Troicki completed Serbia's comeback with a 6-2 6-3 6-4 win over Aleksandr Nedovyesov.
Battling cramps while committing a flurry of double faults and unforced errors in the opening three sets, a weary-looking Djokovic drew strength from passionate home support in the Aleksandar Nikolic Arena.