A spirited recovery saw Germany triumph over Argentina in a captivating doubles match, securing a Davis Cup semi-final berth against Spain.
Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz fought off three match points in a tense final-set tie-break to defeat Horacio Zeballos and Andres Molteni 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (12-10) in a demanding encounter lasting two hours and 31 minutes.
Argentina initially gained the upper hand when world number 60 Tomas Etcheverry fired 23 aces to overcome Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (9-7) in a high-caliber contest.
However, world number three Alexander Zverev spearheaded Germany’s comeback, defeating world number 21 Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) to necessitate the decisive doubles match.
Zverev, the sole top 10 singles player participating in this week’s Davis Cup, wasn’t at his peak but a stellar tie-break display maintained Germany’s hopes of advancing to a second consecutive semi-final.
Those hopes appeared to be fading when Zeballos and Molteni dominated the initial set of the doubles rubber.
Nevertheless, Krawietz and Puetz, boasting three Grand Slam doubles titles collectively, claimed the second set before a deadlock in the decider propelled the match to a tie-break.
The German pair squandered four match points, including three consecutively, in an enthralling tie-break before finally sealing victory with their fifth opportunity.
“Unbelievable. You don’t encounter many matches like that in your career,” Puetz expressed. “It’s a better feeling to emerge victorious in the end, but what a fantastic match and a tremendous Davis Cup tie.”
Germany, three-time champions, haven’t reached the tournament final since their victorious 1993 campaign.
Earlier on Thursday, Spain overcame the absence of Carlos Alcaraz to rally and defeat the Czech Republic 2-1, moving closer to their first title in six years.
Spain will face Germany in Bologna on Saturday, while two-time defending champions Italy will compete against Belgium in the first semi-final on Friday.
