By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, November 20, 2025Photo credit score: Davis Cup Fb
The court-side clock previous 1 a.m. when Germany lastly noticed the successful gentle.
Tim Puetz pounded a forehand down the road that lashed off the baseline changing Germany’s fifth match level to finish a fully wild 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(10) conquer Argentina’s Andres Molteni and Horacio Zeballos that sealed Germany’s 2-1 Davis Cup win over Argentina.
Puetz and accomplice Kevin Krawietz confirmed grit and guts saving three match factors in a dizzying and dramatic tiebreaker sending Germany into Saturday’s Davis Cup semifinals towards Spain on the SuperTennis Enviornment in Bologna at this time.
“Fairly good to be a part of a match like that,” Puetz stated. “Clearly straightforward to say now that we gained. No, what an important Davis Cup tie. What an important ambiance, particularly contemplating we have been in form of a impartial nation.
“Yeah, I don’t know what to say. Might have gone both method clearly. Simply so glad that it’s us sitting right here as winners now.”
The German duo denied match factors down 6-7, 7-8 and 9-10 within the decisive tiebreaker earlier than Puetz’s daring forehand strike down the road ended the duel. Although not one of the 4 gamers realized the match was over initially as a result of what was left of the gang was so loud they have been unsure if an out name had been made.
Earlier, Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martinez have been heroic closers edging Tomas Machac and Jakub Mensik 7-6(8), 7-6(8) lifting Spain to an exciting 2-1 conquer Czechia into its first Davis Cup semifinal since 2019.
Tomas Martin Etcheverry opened at this time’s ultimate quarterfinal out-dueling Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6(3) 7-6(7) to stake Argentina to a 1-0 lead.
In a match of first-strike tennis, Etcheverry greater than tripled Struff’s ace output—23 to 7—and rallied to victory after dropping serve to begin the match.
“It was powerful firstly of the match. He was enjoying, like, so aggressive, plenty of rhythm,” Etcheverry stated. “He gained the final week within the challenger, so I anticipate that. After the primary break within the first set, then 15-40, 1-3, it was a troublesome second.
“I simply making an attempt to maintain focus and making an attempt to enjoying level by level. After that, I play an unimaginable sport at 3-2, his serve. I obtained the break again. It was a excessive stage. In fact, the match had totally different moments. Yeah, I’m tremendous pleased with what I did at this time on court docket.”
World No. 60 Etcheverry broke again at like to stage the primary set, 4-all.
Within the first-set tiebreaker, Etcheverry used his forehand to fireplace out to a 6-2 lead earlier than sealing the set.
“I believe it was a really intense match. Fairly prime quality from each gamers,” Struff stated. “Yeah, I believe I had an opportunity, I imply, a extremely good begin to the match. I believe I had the possibility to get a second break. Didn’t occur.
“He broke again excellent, excellent returns. Yeah, I attempted to remain very calm in that second as a result of I had the sensation I used to be enjoying good tennis. I felt I had good possibilities. However yeah, he managed to win the tiebreak within the first. Once more, I used to be feeling it’s a really intense-type match, however I’ve the possibility to get the second once more. Within the second, in his first service sport, had break factors. I believe he saved them fairly effectively.”
Ultimately, Etcheverry gained 4 extra factors whole (85 to 81) within the match.
“Besides the break, I felt I served fairly good,” Struff stated. “I didn’t give him so many alternatives to interrupt me. Yeah, however he began serving very effectively, as effectively. Ultimately he was serving fairly good. It was very shut match. I believe, like, very only one, two factors determined it. Yeah, in the long run that’s it. He deserved to win.”
Germany was down 0-1 when former Olympic gold-medal champion Alexander Zverev fended off Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-6(3) to stage the tie, 1-1.
Early within the match, Zverev surged by means of 12 of 14 factors, breaking Cerundolo at 15 then backing up the break at 15 for a 4-2 lead. That proved to be the lone break of the match.
World No. 3 Zverev gained eight of his final 9 service factors within the opener to grab a one-set lead.
Within the second-set tiebreaker, Zverev gained a punishing 30-plus shot rally when Cerundolo netted a backhand down the road. That grueling duel left each males bent over grabbing at their knees gasping for air.
On the following level, Zverev zapped a backhand cross down the road that eluded a diving Cerundolo, who crashed to the court docket Boris Becker-style and arose down 0-3 within the tiebreaker. A Cerundolo double fault gave Zverev a fistful of match factors at 6-2.
On his second match level, Zverev bolted a giant serve down the T closing in a single hour, 35-minutes and organising the decisive doubles to find out which nation would advance to the ultimate 4.
“Extraordinarily pleased with the win, in fact, staying alive within the tie, hopefully the doubles can win it for us and we go to the semifinals,” Zverev stated. “I felt like I began rather well so I used to be forward within the set earlier than the match form of began.
“The second set was extraordinarily powerful possibilities each wins. In fact, I’ve full belief and full perception in our doubles guys, however we’ve to play an important match hopefully they’ll try this.”
Argentina was two factors from doubles defeat serving at 5-6 within the ultimate set, however got here again to earn a troublesome maintain and power the tiebreaker at 12:45 a.m. native time.
Zeballos, who was one of the best participant on court docket for a lot of the match, framed a volley winner to attract Argentina to 3-4 within the tiebreaker. Two factors later he missed a backhand giving Germany match factors at 6-3.
In a stupendous backhand stab volley, Molteni saved the primary match level, Puetz missed a return on match level No. 2 then Puetz, on the complete stretch, narrowly missed a match-ending volley on the third match level as Argentina drew even at 6-all.
Puetz pumped a heavy forehand to save lots of a match level for Germany and hammered a giant serve to save lots of a second match level at 7-8. Puetz pumped an ace out huge giving Germany a fourth match level at 9-8 solely to see Zeballos erase it with a serve winner down the T.
A flying framed volley from Puetz saved a 3rd match level for Germany. Krawietz stung a serve for the fifth match level.
After a rapid-fire internet change, Puetz lined up his forehand and flashed it down the road. Then, all 4 males, stood for a second uncertain of what the ultimate name was—in or out—till Chair umpire Alison Hughes introduced sport, set and match for Germany ending the drama.
