BOLOGNA, Italy (Reuters) -Six-times champions Spain edged past Germany 2-1 on Saturday to reach their first Davis Cup final since 2019, with their doubles pair Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martinez clinching a 6-2 3-6 6-3 win over Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in the decisive match.
The Spanish pair came out firing, racing to a 4-0 lead in the opening set and showing no signs of nerves as they closed it out comfortably. Krawietz and Puetz responded in the second, surging ahead 4-1 before forcing a deciding set.
Just when momentum seemed to be swinging in favour of Germany — three-times champions, with their last triumph in 1993 — Granollers and Martinez steadied themselves, breaking early for a 4-1 lead in the final set and holding firm to seal Spain’s spot in Sunday’s final against Italy.
“I feel really happy. I’m very proud of my players — they fought a lot to be here. Now it’s normal that we are really excited but after this we have to take rest and be ready for tomorrow,” Spain captain David Ferrer said.
“I think Italy have very good players, of course. They don’t have Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti but we also don’t have Carlos Alcaraz with us.
“But I’m sure they’re going to compete, I don’t know what is going to be the key, maybe if we try to win the first match we are going to be close to winning.”
Competing without world number one Alcaraz, who withdrew on the eve of the event due to a hamstring injury, Spain found inspiration in Pablo Carreno Busta, ranked 89th in the world, who delivered a gutsy 6-4 7-6(6) victory over Jan-Lennard Struff in the first match of the day in Bologna.
The 34-year-old Carreno Busta clawed back from 1-6 down in the second-set tiebreak, saving five consecutive set points before sealing the win in one hour and 44 minutes.
“I was playing probably my best tennis at the end of the second set,” Carreno Busta said.
“In a tiebreak we’re 6-1 down, of course you are not thinking of winning but just try to be focused on every point. Don’t think of the score. I know that it’s easy to say and tough to do it but, well, sometimes if you believe you can do so, I think was the key.
“For me, to be here on the Spanish team, playing this competition is probably a dream. Because a few months ago it was dead — I (had) my injury on elbow, suffering a lot. I didn’t know if I could play game tennis. So for me to be here again — this is a dream and (I am) enjoying every moment.”
Germany’s Alexander Zverev pulled his team back into contention with a battling display in the second singles match, defeating Jaume Munar 7-6(2) 7-6(5).
The world number three broke Munar early to lead 2-1 in the first set but the Spaniard responded to force a tiebreak, where Zverev was in firm control.
The second set saw Munar claim an early break but Zverev fought back to make it 3-3, then capitalised in the tiebreak when the world number 36 unravelled with four straight forehand errors. Despite Munar saving two match points, Zverev sealed the win in a little under two hours.
Spain, whose last Davis Cup title came in 2019, now play defending champions Italy who are chasing a third consecutive crown after defeating Belgium in the first semi-final.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
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