By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, November 20, 2025
Photo: Davis Cup Facebook
The field clock passed 1 am when Germany finally saw the winning light.
Tim Puetz hit a forehand down the backline that converted Germany’s fifth match point to end an absolutely wild 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(10) triumph over Argentina Andres Molteni AND Horacio Zeballos that sealed Germany’s 2-1 Davis Cup victory over Argentina.
Puetz and partner Kevin Krawietz showed grit and guts by saving three match points in a stunning and dramatic strike to send Germany into Saturday’s Davis Cup semi-final against Spain at the SuperTennis Arena in Bologna today.
The German pair were denied match points at 6-7, 7-8 and 9-10 in the decider before Puetz’s audacious hit on the line ended the duel. Though none of the four players realized the game was over initially because what was left of the crowd was so loud they were unsure if an off call had been made.
Earlier, Marcel Granllers AND Peter Martinez were heroic closings Tomas Machac AND Jakub Mensik 7-6 (8), 7-6 (8) leading Spain to a thrilling 2-1 triumph over the Czech Republic in their first Davis Cup semi-final since 2019.
Thomas Martin Etcheverry opened today’s final quarterfinal away match against Germany Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6(3) 7-6(7) to give Argentina a 1-0 lead.
In a match of first-stroke tennis, Etcheverry more than tripled Struff’s score – 23 to 7 – and rallied to victory after dropping serve to start the match.
“It was tough at the beginning of the game. He was playing, so aggressive, with a lot of pace,” Etcheverry said. “He won the challenger last week, so I’m looking forward to that. After the first break in the first set, then 15-40, 1-3, it was a tough moment.
“I just try to stay focused and play point by point. After that, I play an unbelievable game at 3-2, his serve. I got the break back. It was a high level. Of course, the match had different moments. Yeah, I’m super proud of what I did on the court today.”
World number 60 Etcheverry broke back to love to level the first set, 4-all.
In the first set tiebreaker, Etcheverry used his forehand to take a 6-2 lead before closing out the set.
“I think it was a very intense match. Pretty high quality from both players,” Struff said. “Yeah, I think I had a chance, I mean, a really good start to the game. I think I had a chance to get a second break. It didn’t happen.
“He returned very well, very good returns. Yes, I tried to stay very calm at that moment because I felt that I was playing good tennis. I felt that I had a good chance. But yes, he managed to win the tiebreak in the first. Again, I felt that it was a very intense type of match, but I have the opportunity to take the second points on his good serve.
In the end, Etcheverry earned four more total points (85 to 81) in the match.
“Other than the break, I felt I served pretty well,” Struff said. “I didn’t give him that many chances to break me. Yeah, but he started serving really well too. In the end he was serving pretty well. It was a very close match. I think, just one, two points decided it. Yeah, in the end that’s it. He deserved to win.”
Germany lost 0-1 when the former Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev left Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-6(3) to tie the tie, 1-1.
Early in the match, Zverev scored 12 of 14 points, breaking Cerundolo at 15 and holding the break at 15 for a 4-2 lead. That turned out to be the only break of the match.
World No. 3 Zverev won eight of his last nine service points in the opening game to grab a one-set lead.
In the second set tiebreaker, Zverev won a punishing rally of 30 more strokes when Cerundolo hit a backhand down the line. That grueling duel left both men bent over clutching their knees gasping for air.
On the next point, Zverev hit a backhand down the line that eluded a diving Cerundolo, who crashed into the court Boris Becker-style to go up 0-3 in the tie. A Cerundolo double fault gave Zverev a handful of match points at 6-2.
On his second match point, Zverev hit a big serve on the T, closing out in one hour and 35 minutes and setting up the deciding doubles to determine which nation would advance to the final four.
“Very happy with the win, of course, staying alive in the draw, hopefully the duo can win it for us and go to the semi-finals,” Zverev said. “I felt like I started really well, so I was ahead in the set before the match started.
“The second set was extremely tough for both wins. Of course, I have full confidence and trust in our doubles guys, but we have to play a great match, hopefully they will.”
The Argentine was two points from losing the doubles serving at 5-6 in the final set, but came back to win a strong break and force a tie at 12:45 a.m. local time.
Zeballos, who was the best player on the court for most of the match, scored a volley winner to level Argentina at 3-4 in the tiebreaker. Two points later he missed an incorrect return giving Germany match point at 6-3.
In a wonderful knife flurry, Molteni saved the first match point, Puetz missed a return on match point no. 2, then Puetz, in full stretch, narrowly missed a late volley on the third match point as Argentina leveled at 6 all.
Puetz made a strong forehand to save a match point for Germany and hit a big serve to save the second match point at 7-8. Puetz fired an ace out to give Germany her fourth match point at 9-8 only to see Zeballos sweep it with a service winner down the T.
A flying frame volley from Puetz saved a third match point for Germany. Krawietz hit a serve for the fifth match point.
After a quick net exchange, Puetz lined up his arm and threw it down the line. The four men then stood for a second unsure of what the final call was – in or out – until referee Alison Hughes announced match, set and match for Germany ending the drama.
