Germany Wins Late-Night Thriller At Davis Cup Final 8

Alexander Zverev and Francisco Cerundolo
Alexander Zverev and Francisco Cerundolo (photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for ITF)

BOLOGNA/WASHINGTON, November 21, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

After Argentina fell to eventual champion Italy at the quarterfinal stage of last year’s Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga, Spain, the South American nation had been motivated to come back better than before.

The Argentines were back among the final eight in Bologna and faced Germany Thursday night inside SuperTennis Arena looking for a chance to reach the semifinals for the first time since they won the Davis Cup title in 2016.

Under the guidance of Javier Frana, who has led the Argentinian team since the beginning of this year, Argentina fielded the same roster that ousted 2024 Davis cup runners-up Netherlands in the Qualifiers Second Round: World. No. 21 Francisco Cerundolo, who faced World No. 3 Alexander Zverev at No. 1 singles, supported by Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Francisco Comesana in singles and in doubles by Roland-Garros and US Open doubles champion Horacio Zeballos, ranked World No. 5, and World No. 25 Andres Molteni. 

After Argentina and Germany split the two singles rubbers, it came down to a third-set tiebreaker in doubles to decide which nation would win the tie and advance to play Spain in the semifinals on Saturday. 

As it happened, Zeballos and Molteni saved four match points but were unable to convert any of three match points of their own, ahead 7-6, 8-7 and 10-9. Instead, at 1:04 a.m. Friday – and after two hours and 29 minutes of drama and excitement, including a final set that lasted well over an hour – Germany’s Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz pulled out the doubles rubber on their fifth match point of the tie-break to win it 12-10 and to clinch the match, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10).

“Pretty nice to be part of a match like that,” Puetz said during his team’s post-tie news conference. “Obviously, easy to say now that we won. 

“No, what a great Davis Cup tie. What a great atmosphere, especially considering we were in kind of a neutral country. 

“Yeah, I don’t know what to say. Could have gone either way, obviously. Just so happy that it’s us sitting here as winners now.”

Added Krawietz: “Same as Puetzy said. I mean, in the end you get a little bit lucky. In doubles, yeah, it is what is is. As Puetzy said, very happy and proud to be ini the semifinals now.”

Germany’s team captain, Michael Kohlmann, said that in Davis Cup every doubles is a 50-50 toss-up. “In the end a lot of times these guys next to me are winning,” he said. “I think that’s a big, big plus in our hands that we have a team who is playing on the tour together, who knows themselves pretty well, who can go through tough times.”

Early in the Argentina-Germany tie, it looked as if everything was going to go in the Argentine’s favor. The 60th-ranked Etcheverry got Argentina on the scoreboard first by winning his No. 2 singles rubber over No. 84 Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (7), in two hours and three minutes, behind 23 aces – seven in a row at one point – and 38 winners overall. It was Etcheverry’s six career Davis Cup victory.

“It was an amazing match,” Etcheverry said during his on-court interview. “The first one is always very tough. We are pulling for the team. We have a lot of Argentine fans here today. I love to play for my country. Let’s see if we can get another win for Argentina and go to the semifinals.”

Later, during his post-match news conference, Etcheverry said he was thrilled by the support of the Argentina fans. “Yeah, I’m super happy to have a lot of Argentinians here,” he said. “I really enjoy it. It’s something special. Argentinian support I think is the best in the world.”

Meanwhile, Struff observed in his post-match news conference: “Obviously, we both I would say wanted to win a point for our country. Davis Cup is special. You want to perform for your country, give everything you have, and fight. I think we both did.

“In that match, if both players are playing like this, sometimes it goes this way, sometimes the other way. The important thing is to try next time, again, discover it again. You will earn some wins in that moment then.”

Germany, which reached the semifinals for the first time since 2021 last year, was bolstered by Zverev’s return to Davis Cup for the first time since 2023. After Struff’s loss, it needed a win from him over Cerundolo to get the tie to doubles – and that’s what he delivered with his 6-4, 7-6 (3) victory in one hour and 35 minutes over the Argentine No. 1. 

Zverev saved some of his best tennis for the second-set tie-break. He finished the match with 19 winners overall – including seven aces – and outpointed Cerundolo 70-56.

“I’m extremely happy with the win, of course and staying alive in the tie,” Zverev said during his on-court interview. “Hopefully, our doubles can win it for us and we can go to the semifinals.”

Now, it would be up to the World No. 11 pair of Krawietz and Puetz, who’ve lost only one Davis Cup doubles match as a team, three years ago in a quarterfinal match against Canada, to help their nation advance. Of course, they would be facing a very formidable team in Zeballos and Molteni.

By the end, Krawietz and Puetz combined to hit 15 aces, saved four of six break points and converted three of four break-point opportunities. Despite being outpointed 102-97, the Germans prevailed in the end.

Zverev was one of his team’s biggest cheerleaders sitting among German teammates Struff and Yannick Hanfmann. “I’m here and I will do everything I can to make Germany win,” he said, during his team’s post-tie news conference.

“To win that, I don’t know how [Krawietz and Puetz] did it. I mean, the third set was back and forth, so many break points for Team Argentina. I don’t think Germany had any. Of course, super happy for the whole team to be through.

“The tie-break, first it looked like it was going to be an easy tiebreak for us. All of a sudden it’s match point for Argentina on their serve. Then it’s another match point for Argentina where Tim serves a second serve at 200 kilometers an hour. A lot of things happened, a lot of things went our way. Just super happy to win.”

Davis Cup news & noteworthy

Czechia’s Jakub Mensik experienced the thrill of victory and agony of defeat within the span of a couple of hours for his Davis Cup team against Spain on Wednesday afternoon. Although Mensik put Czechia ahead 1-0, after defeating Pablo Careño Busta in the opening singles rubber, 7-5, 6-4, later in the tie, he was on the losing end of a close doubles rubber with teammate Tomas Machac, 7-6 (8), 7-6 (8). A crucial double fault by Mensik ended the match.

“Yeah, it’s a tough loss,” Mensik said during his post-tie news conference, after striking 43 winners – including 20 aces – to be Carreño Busta . “Overall, if I look throughout the year back, it’s been a great journey. Not just me, but I think all of us, all of us in the team. Yeah, of course if someone will tell me before the season that it will end like that, ranking-wise, result-wise, I will definitely take it.”

Mensik, 19, who currently sits atop of the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah standings, won the Miami Open last March en route to achieving a Top-20 ranking this season.

“For me, the most important thing, even if I’m Top 20 now, is I can see in myself a lot of space for improvement – not just on the court but off the court, as well. 

“Of course, I’m super excited for what’s coming next. I will try my best, like always, to improve my game, improve myself every day, every week, every tournament.”

By the numbers

Argentina came into Thursday evening’s tie with Germany leading the head-to-head series 7-3. This was the third time the two nations met in the quarterfinal stage, after Argentina’s 3-2 victory in 1990 and Germany’s 5-0 win in 1991.

“Quotable …”

“It’s a dream if we can win this competition. I want to win the trophy, of course. I love to play for my country. I love to put on my shoulders the Argentinian shirts, go out and trying to play my best. Of course, playing for my country, for my friends here, we have a good energy, everyone. Yeah, let’s see. Hopefully we can get another victory today and play in the semifinals on Saturday.”

– Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina, during his post-match news conference, after defeating Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany.

 

Search

Brigitte Urban
Tennis photographer
camera lens

International Blogs

Florian Heer

Björn Kroll beim Hamburg Ladies & Gents Cup: “Wir möchten unseren Spielern eine gute Plattform bieten!”

October 26, 2025

Michael Dickens

The Warrior: Rafael Nadal And His Kingdom Of Clay

May 16, 2025

Podcast

Categories