Davis Cup Drama: Germany Edges Argentina to Reach the Semifinals

Davis Cup Quarterfinals: Germany Edge Argentina

Germany battled through a tough test to beat Argentina 2-1 in the Davis Cup quarterfinals, on a chilly Thursday evening in Bologna.

Tomás Martín Etcheverry gave Argentina an early lead by defeating Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6, 7-6, but Germany insisted on a semifinal berth.

Francesco Serundolo entered his duel with Alexander Zverev with a 3-1 edge in their head-to-head, yet the German found a way to win 6-4, 7-6 and push the tie toward a deciding doubles.

Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz, the 2024 ATP Finals champions, faced three chances to seal the match in the last-set tiebreak, finally edging Andrés Molteni and Horacio Zeballos 4-6, 6-4, 7-6.

In the decisive moment, Krawietz charged the net to pressure the Argentines, and Pütz finished with a winner down the backline.

Spain Strike Back and Advance to the Semis

Spain then squeezed past the Czech Republic in a gripping tie to set up a semifinal against Germany.

After Jakub Mensík and Jiri Monar captured singles wins for their countries to make it 1-1 in the quarterfinal, Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martínez edged Tomas Machac and Mensik 7-6, 7-6 in a thrilling doubles to seal Spain's progress.

Spain, a six-time Davis Cup champion, reached the semifinals for the first time since lifting the title in 2019.

Awards Season: Nominees, Voting and How Winners Are Chosen

The Davis Cup remains the last event of the tennis season, and the nominees for season’s top awards were unveiled, including candidates for Player and Coach of the Year by the ATP.

The Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award nominees include Grigor Dimitrov (2024), Carlos Alcaraz (2023), Casper Ruud (2022) and Félix Auger-Aliassime.

The award is presented to the player who showed the highest professionalism and sportsmanship, and who promoted the game off the court.

The New Breakthrough Award sees Jakub Draber, João Fonseca, Jakub Mensík and Valentin Fashiro in contention.

It honors the player who posted the biggest rise this season, with emphasis on notable wins, big climbs and first titles on the tour.

The Coach of the Year nominees include Benjamin Balereit (Valentin’s coach), Darren Cahill, Simone Vanuiozi (Yannick Sinner’s coach), Juan Carlos Ferrero, Samuel Lopez (Carlos Alcaraz’s coach), Frederic Fontang (Felix Auger‑Aliassime’s coach), and Bryan Shelton (Ben Shelton’s coach).

The award is given to the coach who helped their player elevate performance during the year.

Voting for the Breakthrough and Sportsmanship awards is conducted by members of the International Tennis Writers Association.

And the Coach of the Year nominees are selected in the first round by ATP Tour coaches.

For the first time, No. 1 players, 29 men who have reached the top ranking, will determine the winners of the Breakthrough and Sportsmanship awards.

The Coach of the Year winner will be chosen by fellow coaches.

The ATP Awards, including the Fan Favorite, will be announced during Awards Week beginning 8 December; fans can vote for their singles and doubles picks until Friday, November 21.

What’s at stake in the semifinals is clear: a chance to lift a historic trophy, with Spain and Germany aiming for their first titles in years.

Fans will be watching closely as the doubles specialists try to repeat the late magic that decided Tuesday’s tie, and a returning star could produce a surprise.

Meanwhile, the awards race adds a few dramatic plot twists to the season’s endgame, with fans voting and pundits debating who should lift the trophies.

Punchline: If tennis had a sniper, it would still miss the net because the suspense is sharper than any serve.

Punchline: And remember, the only thing more relentless than a rally is a headline—boom, another win for the punsters.