HALLE, WESTPHALIA/STARNBERG, September 19, 2026
Germany and Croatia will head into the second day of their Davis Cup Qualifiers tie in Halle/Westphalia level at 1-1 after an action-packed opening day at the heristo arena. In front of 8,000 enthusiastic spectators, Alexander Zverev gave Germany the lead with a hard-fought victory over 21-year-old Croatian Matej Dodig, before Dino Prizmic defeated Daniel Altmaier in the second singles rubber.
The crowd to receive the hosts! 🇩🇪
Germany v Croatia live from Halle! pic.twitter.com/XD4tAYa4uR
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) September 19, 2026
Zverev holds off impressive Dodig
The young Croatian pushed Germany’s top player all the way, but Zverev kept his composure when it mattered most to secure a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory after one hour and 45 minutes, converting his first match point.
“I’m happy with my performance today. My opponent played incredibly well. I see a lot of potential in him and I’m convinced that he will climb even higher in the rankings,” Zverev said after giving Germany the lead.
Prizmic levels the tie for Croatia
Dino Prizmic produced an impressive performance in the second singles match of the day. The Croatian controlled the contest and prevailed 6-4, 6-3 after 90 minutes to bring the tie back to 1-1.
“We haven’t had a 1-1 score after the first day for a long time,” German captain Michael Kohlmann said. “Now we have to put today behind us and prepare as well as possible for Sunday. The atmosphere today was exceptional. I hope we will receive the same fantastic support tomorrow.”
Immediately after the two singles matches, Zverev was honoured on Centre Court for his recent US Open triumph. German Tennis Federation (DTB) President Dietloff von Arnim and State Minister for Sport and Volunteering Ronald Rauhe paid tribute to the German star for his Grand Slam success and, in particular, for his decision to join the Davis Cup team immediately afterwards.
“You decided to travel to Germany and play for your team. Although many people advised you to take a break, you said: ‘I want to play for Germany.’ And that is exactly what you are doing here in Halle today,” von Arnim said in his speech. “That decision deserves our greatest respect.”
World-class doubles opens Sunday
The outcome of the Davis Cup tie will be decided on Sunday, with the high-profile doubles rubber scheduled to open the second day at 12 noon.
Germany will field Davis Cup specialists Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz, who will face Croatia’s world-class pairing of Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic.
The two remaining singles matches will follow. Zverev is scheduled to face Prizmic, while Altmaier will take on Dodig.
The team line-ups can still be changed by the respective captains before the individual matches.
