By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, November 20, 2025
Photo: Davis Cup Facebook
Playing without her ball, Spain showed fire and desire to return to the Davis Cup semi-finals.
of Spain Jaume Munar stopped Live in Lehecka 6-3, 6-4 to set up today’s Davis Cup quarter-final with the Czech Republic.
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 Bologna.
Granollers and Martinez saved three points in the first set, then denied two more points in the second set, in a spirited comeback to send Spain to its first Davis Cup semifinal since 2019.
A quality double ended with a Mensik double fault after two hours and three minutes of pulsating play.
Spain will play in Saturday’s semi-final against the winner of today’s quarter-final between Argentina and Germany. The winner of that Saturday semifinal will play either two-time defending champion Italy or Belgium in the Davis Cup final on Sunday.
Opening this quarterfinal encounter with confidence, an imposing Mensik put down 20 aces to defeat the veteran Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5, 6-4.
Miami Open champion Mensik saved two break points to hold for 4-3. Mensik went on a forehand to go ahead 6-5, then converted his third set point to break Carreno Busta for a one-set lead.
Serving at 4-5 in the second set, Carreno Busta felt the pressure as Mensik landed several deep break points to seal a 99-minute victory and give the Czech Republic a 1-0 lead.
“The energy and the vibe of the crowd and the Davis Cup gave me really good energy,” Mensik said. “Even in the first set that broke me, like in the first set, I knew I had chances to come back. My serve was pretty strong the whole game, the whole match.
“I’m happy that I kept my energy and focus throughout the match. Yes, I broke it in the first game. It was a crucial part for me because, of course, the first set is always important. I’m happy that I kept it that way.”
The subplot of this tie was Spain playing without their best players in two ranks.
World No. 1, Carlos Alcaraz withdrew on Monday after a scan showed edema in the right leg injury he suffered in losing his ATP Finals title match in Turin to Jannik Sinner on Sunday.
Spaniard no. 2 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was overlooked Captain David Ferrerwho was reportedly upset Davidovich Fokina was a late withdrawal from a previous match.
This meant that the pressure shifted directly James Munar’s shoulders.
World number 36 Munar resigned, beating 17th-ranked Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4.
The 28-year-old Munar saved both break points he faced, claiming his first career Davis Cup singles win at the crucial moment.
“I was very confident in my tennis,” Munar said. “It doesn’t matter who I’m facing, this is the first and
the most important thing. Because I played so well indoors this year, I had a lot of confidence in myself. This is the main (factor).
“Then two games were lost against Jiri, but I felt I could do something else that I didn’t do a few times. Not so much as being there point by point and trying to put my strategy in there and serve well like I did today. That was the main thing.”
Lehecka failed twice in the break and led 4-2 in the first set against the Spaniard. A sliding Munar took eight of the next nine points on his serve to build a one-set lead.
Munar broke to 30 to start the second set and held out on the break for a 2-0 lead in the second set.
Coming back from 15-40 down in the sixth game, Munar stood tall saving both break points to hold 4-2.
As he did in the first set, Munar won eight of his last nine service points to seal an hour and 22-minute victory to level the match and set up the dramatic and decisive doubles duel.
Czech Republic Captain Tomas Berdych was on his feet – along with thousands of fans at the Super Tennis Arena – when the deciding doubles tiebreaker in the first set began.
Playing the field, Machac fired a back-to-back linebacker – his second back-to-back linebacker – as the Czech Republic went ahead 5-2.
This brilliant shot sparked a run of four consecutive mini-paws. When Machac hit a short forehand winner, the Czech Republic held on to two set points at 6-4.
In a dizzying full-court spell, the onrushing Spaniards kept the ball alive and Mensik scored a short volley on the first point of the set. Granollers knocked down a high volley to save point no. 2 before Mensik carved a volley winner to give the Czech Republic the third point of the set at 7-6.
The Spaniard targeted Mensik’s forehand and reaped the rewards as he scored a forehand on the third set point. Granollers, a force at the net, hit a high volley winner to give Spain the first point of the set only to narrowly miss a forehand return as the shot was deadlocked at 8-all.
Delivering the equalizer, Martinez grabbed an inside-out return winner off a fierce Mensik serve to give Spain the set point. 2 at 9-8.
Granollers closed the net and yelled “No!” over his partner as Mensik cruised to an advantage as the Spanish pair battled out a total of three set points to take the one-hour opening set.
Martinez held for 4-3 on a decisive Granollers volley and Spain won two break points in the eighth game.
On the second break point, Machac hit an ace wide and followed it up with an ace in the trouble of T to level the second set, 4-all, for the Czech Republic.
Deadlocked in the 5th, the Czech earned a break point on Martinez’s serve. Machac, who had been deadly back at the line all day, missed a forehand return wide as Martinez held for 6-5.
In the second-set tiebreaker, a forehand volley from Martinez put Spain up 4-2, but the Czech Republic fought back, winning four of the next five points and winning the set on a Mensik ace at T.
Granollers hit a forehand volley to save set point, then Spain grabbed match point at 7-6. Machac hit a big serve to draw the Czechs level, then hit another stinging serve and backed it up with a forehand to give the Czechs a second set point.
Rising to the occasion again, Granollers hit a serve wide to save set point.
On Spain’s second match point, Mensiki, whose serve was so massive in the opening singles game, forced two errors past the service line and Spain advanced to its first semi-final since 2019.
