BOLOGNA: Spain produced a spirited comeback to defeat the Czech Republic 2–1 on Thursday and book their place in the Davis Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2019. They will face Germany, who staged a similar fightback to edge past Argentina.
Playing without world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz—who withdrew on the eve of the event with a hamstring injury—Spain were under pressure early when Pablo Carreno Busta fell 7-5, 6-4 to Jakub Mensik. The Czech world No. 19 unleashed 20 aces and overturned a mid-set break to claim the opener before sealing the match with another late break in the second.
Spain’s response came through Jaume Munar, who earned his first Davis Cup victory with a composed 6-3, 6-4 win over Jiri Lehecka. Munar’s consistent baseline play and timely breaks in each set brought Spain level and forced a decisive doubles rubber.
Veteran Marcel Granollers, 39, teamed up with Pedro Martinez to deliver the final blow, edging Mensik and Tomas Machac 7-6(8), 7-6(8) in a thrilling contest decided by razor-thin margins.
Germany also advanced via a tight 2–1 victory over Argentina. Tomas Etcheverry blasted 23 aces to give Argentina the lead with a straight-sets win over Jan-Lennart Struff, but Alexander Zverev kept German hopes alive with a 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over Francisco Cerundolo. The tie went to doubles, where Germany completed their comeback to seal a semi-final clash with Spain.
Both teams now head into the final four with momentum from hard-earned, pressure-packed wins.
