In a thrilling quarterfinal match at the Davis Cup in Bologna, Italy, the Spanish duo of Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martinez Portero edged out the Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac and Jakub Mensik in a nail-biting doubles encounter. The match concluded with both sets going to tiebreakers, where the Spanish pair showcased their resilience to secure victory with scores of 7-6 (8), 7-6 (8), propelling Spain into the semifinals.
This achievement comes despite the absence of Carlos Alcaraz, the world number one and reigning six-time Grand Slam champion, who had to withdraw from the tournament due to a hamstring injury. His absence left a significant void, but Granollers and Martinez stepped up to ensure Spain continued its quest for a title.
Earlier in the day, the teams had split their singles matches. 20-year-old Jakub Mensik made waves by delivering a powerful performance, hitting 20 aces as he defeated veteran Pablo Carreno Busta with a score of 7-5, 6-4. On the other side, Jaume Munar avenged his country’s hopes by notching up his first-ever Davis Cup singles win against Czech player Jiri Lehecka, finishing 6-3, 6-4.
With this victory, Spain has advanced to the semifinals for the first time since claiming their sixth Davis Cup title in 2019. In stark contrast, the fourth-seeded Czech Republic last reached this stage in 2014. Spain will now face either second-seeded Germany or Argentina, who were set to compete in the final quarterfinal match later in the day.
On the opposite side of the draw, Italy, the top seed and defending champions aiming for a third consecutive title, is set to take on Belgium. However, they too will be playing without their star player, world number two Jannik Sinner, who has opted to rest.
This year’s Davis Cup Finals marks the sixth iteration of the restructured competition, designed to crown a champion at a neutral venue. As the semifinal line-up takes shape, anticipation builds for what promises to be a thrilling culmination of this prestigious team event in men’s tennis.
