Mensik, Lehecka Help Czechia Punch Ticket To Davis Cup Final 8

Czechia-USA Davis Cup 2026
Czechia fans at O2 Arena (photo: Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty Images for World Tennis)

WASHINGTON, September 20, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)

After nearly eight hours of play on the second day of their two-day heavyweight Davis Cup by Generali blockbuster in Prague, host Czechia pulled out a thrilling 3-2 victory over the United States to advance to the Davis Cup Final 8. It was the second-straight year that the Czechs had taken down Team USA in the Davis Cup Qualifiers.

On Saturday, the Czechs did it behind a pair of gutsy singles victories provided by World No. 15 Jakub Mensik and World No. 24 Jiri Lehecka.

Going into the final day tied 1-1, the Americans pushed ahead 2-1 after capturing the pivotal doubles point with a 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8) victory behind US Open champion Christian Harrison and Austin Krajicek, in which they saved four match points to beat Patrik Rikl and Adam Pavlasek in two hours and 41 minutes.

Now, the U.S. simply needed a win by US Open finalist Ben Shelton in the next match to clinch the Davis Cup tie for the Americans and to punch their ticket to the Final 8 in Bologna. However, it was far from a certainty.

Meanwhile, it was up to Mensik to keep Czech hopes alive – and he did just that. Mensik delivered a comeback 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 triumph over the World No. 4 Shelton in two hours and 11 minutes.

Mensik struck 25 winners – including nine aces – and overcame 33 unforced errors. He converted two of seven break points and outpointed Shelton 94-75. It was Shelton’s third-straight defeat after putting together a fantastic two-week run to reach the US Open title match in New York City. 

“Yesterday wasn’t my day,” said Mensik, who lost 6-2, 6-4 to World No. 13 Learner Tien in the opening match of the tie on Friday. “When I saw Jiri play and the atmosphere and energy he brought, it’s something I was missing yesterday.

“I’m super happy with the way I came out today. Even with the tough loss in the doubles, we are still alive and I’m super grateful for the fans. It’s not over yet. Hopefully, we can keep going.” 

With the U.S.-Czechia tie even at 2-all, it came down to the final singles match, between the first-day winners, Davis Cup rookie Tien of the United States and Lehecka. The Czech fans provided plenty of noise in support of their Czech hero.

Lehecka won the opening set, then recovered from down 3-0 to start the second. He broke Tien at 5-all to go ahead with the match and the tie on his racquet.

At 6-5 (40-30), Tien saved a match point after patiently gutting out a 23-shot rally that ended with Lehecka netting a return. Soon, Lehecka set up a second match point with an overhead smash winner. Then, he proceeded to double fault back to deuce. Next, with a third match-point opportunity given to him by Tien, Lehecka still wasn’t able to close it out. Instead, Tien hit a forehand passing shot winner to gain another deuce. 

Finally, with a fourth match point, Lehecka hit a third-shot forehand winner that put away the victory – and there were plenty of happy faces among his teammates and team captain Tomas Berdych, as well as from the 13,000 fans who filled the O2 Arena, too.

It was Lehecka’s 14th career Davis Cup singles victory, and it marked the third time in eight meetings that Czechia has defeated the United States in Davis Cup play.

“I felt an incredible amount of nerves [the last game],” said Lehecka during his on-court interview after going 2-0 against the Americans. “I just wanted to win that game. It was just a great moment. I just tried to be focused all the time. I just wanted to kind of stay in the present moment and go step by step. I’m just super happy I made it through. It was a great, great win.”

Lehecka outpointed Tien 76-64. He hit 24 winners, including five aces, converted four of nine break points and took advantage of 26 unforced errors by Tien. 

 

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Later, during his team’s post-match news conference, Lehecka added:

“The wins in Davis Cup are always a little bit different because this is a team competition,” he said.

“For me, as an individual, these two wins are super-important. I fought through tough moments but Davis Cup needs teamwork. I would not be able to play the last match if the rest of the work didn’t work the way they worked.

“I must say it has been a great week. But, most importantly, we made it through as a team. Without Jakub [Mensik] winning against Ben [Shelton], I would not have the chance to play the final match.

“It is a team competition and this was a team effort, and that is more important than me being called a national hero.”

Like they did at Delray Beach, Fla., a year ago, this time in Prague, the Czechs came through in the clutch and denied the Americans of a trip to the David Cup Final 8. Instead, it will be Czechia heading to Bologna in November, reaching the Davis Cup Finals for the fourth consecutive year and the fifth time overall.

“Now, let’s aim for the best,” Lehecka said.

 

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Canada 3, France 1

With a 2-0 lead going into Saturday’s second-day competition at the Videotron in Quebec City, Canada hoped to close out their tie against France in doubles. However, the French had other ideas. Benjamin Bonzi and Pierre-Hugues Herbert pulled off a 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime and Duncan Chan in an hour and 33 minutes to prolong matters.

It meant that the World No. 5 and hometown hero Auger-Aliassime would have to return soon after doubles to play his second singles match in two days, this time against French No. 1 Arthur Rinderknech, ranked No. 32, who fell to 205th-ranked Liam Draxl of Canada in straight sets on Friday.

Rinderknech won the opening set 6-4, which was cause for concern for the Canadian team and their fans. Perhaps, Auger-Aliassime was a bit fatigued from pulling double duty in both singles and doubles on the second day of the tie. However, Auger-Aliassime to his credit turned things around and was boosted by winning a second-set tie-break 7-5.

Then, in the decider, the Canadian No. 1 broke Rinderknech to go ahead 5-4. Serving for the match, he put it away on his first match point opportunity to win 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in two hours and 21 minutes. It was time for Auger-Aliassime and the rest of Team Canada to celebrate.

Auger-Aliassime fired 17 aces and hit 21 winners overall to offset 36 unforced errors. He converted one of four break points and outpointed Rinderknech 95-89 en route to collecting his 11th career Davis Cup singles victory.

Now, Canada is through to the Davis Cup Finals for the sixth time – and for the first time since 2024. Prior to 2025, they reached the Finals in all five seasons from 2019-24.

 

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“I’ve always tried throughout my career to nurture a sense of self-belief,” Auger-Aliassime said during his on-court interview. “Obviously, I’m not perfect – I make mistakes like everyone does. This team is larger than myself.

“Ever since I’ve been a member of this team, there’s been a belief of trust and of fighting spirit all the time. We’ve been down and out in many situations and have come back and won this title with moments like this. So, the belief is as high as possible. Even in tough moments, we don’t get down. We don’t point fingers. We just stick together and fight. That’s what we did today.”

 

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South Korea 3, India 1

South Korea clinched its tie with India to become the first Asian nation to reach the Davis Cup Final 8. Led by their captain Jong-Sam Chung, Korea swept the singles. After Soonwoo Kwon and Hyeon Chung mounted dramatic comebacks on Friday, Kwon sealed the tie with his decisive 6-1, 6-2 win over Sumit Nagal, needing just 68 minutes, in the first reverse singles Saturday after India began with a three-set win in doubles.

“I am very pleased to be able to create history with the fans today,” Chung said after South Korea clinched their Final 8 berth. “I am just very grateful for this opportunity. In individual matches, I believe, there is a certain happiness to winning, but given that it’s Davis Cup and it’s a team sport, it gives winning a better meaning. With Korea now as part of the biggest eight countries in tennis, there is some value to the name of the country.”

Kwon added: “It means a lot to qualify for the Final 8 in Bologna. I feel very prideful for my country and every team I play against, I give my best. When I play in a team, I know that I can’t let my teammates down. Given the fanbase of Davis Cup, the players have great motivation to keep the momentum on their side. The fans in Seoul brought that momentum in my favor.”

 

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Austria 3, Belgium 1

Austria began the day tied 1-1 but pushed ahead after Lucas Miedler and Neil Oberleitner won the doubles point for the Austrians with a straight-set victory over Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen to take a 2-1 lead.

Then, in a battle of No. 1 singles players, the 142nd-ranked Jurij Rodionov of Austria pulled off a huge upset of No. 38 Zizou Bergs of Belgium, winning 7-6 (6), 6-3, in two hours and 19 minutes to secure his nation’s place at the Final 8. 

Rodionov’s triumph gave host Austria an unassailable 3-1 lead. It was the sixth-straight time that Austria has beaten Belgium in Davis Cup ties.

“I feel amazing. Proud of myself and the team. Big goal for us was to qualify to the Final 8,” Rodionov said afterwards.

“Zizou is an amazing player. I needed my best game and the support from the fans. Thankfully, I was able to close it out,” added Rodionov, who has strung together victories in seven of his last eight Davis Cup matches.

Austrian captain Jurgen Melzer spoke positively of his team’s good fortune this weekend in Vienna. “We have a great team spirit. The staff try to make the team as comfortable as possible during the week so that they can deliver on the weekend,” he said. “An absolutely amazing day. Great performance in the doubles, especially from Oberleitner, then Jurij raised his level and clinched with an unbelievable performance.”

 

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Germany 1, Croatia 1

With a hard-court surface replacing the familiar grass at Heristo Arena in Halle, Germany and Croatia fought to a 1-1 draw after the first day of their two-day tie. Less than a week after winning the US Open title for his second major crown, World No. 2 Alexander Zverev put Germany in front with a 6-4, 7-6 (3) victory over 171st-ranked Matej Dodig in an hour and 47 minutes, in which the Hamburg native struck 15 aces and outpointed his opponent 76-67. 

“I had an extremely difficult match,” Zverev said during his on-court interview. “I thought I played well but [Dodig] played amazing tennis today. I think we’re going to see him at the top of the game very, very soon. The power that he has, the talent that he has, is incredible.

“I didn’t expect it. Credit to him. He played a fantastic tennis match.”

 

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Later, Croatia’s top player, 103rd-ranked Dino Prizmic responded with a 6-4, 6-3 upset of No. 69 Daniel Altmaier of Germany to level the tie a 1-1. Prizmic outpointed Altmaier 62-53.

“I played really well,” Prizmic said. “I had already played against Altmaier this year [losing in a tight three-set contest in Bucharest in April] so I tried to be more aggressive and go for my shots.”

On Sunday, Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz, the US Open runners-up in doubles, will face Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic followed by reverse singles beginning with Zverev versus Prizmic. Germany has been a semifinalist in each of the past two Davis Cup Final 8 competitions. The three-time champion Germans hope to advance this weekend, which would send them to Bologna in November with the hope of ending a 33-year Davis Cup drought.

 

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Spain 2, Chile 0

Behind twin wins by Davis Cup rookies Daniel Merida and Rafael Jodar, Spain took a 2-0 lead over Chile after the first day on outdoor clay at Parque Deportivo Estadio Nacional, Court Central Anita Lizana, in a stadium no visiting Davis Cup team has prevailed in a tie since 2011.

First, the 41st-ranked Merida pulled through his opener against No. 28 Alejandro Tabilo and won 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours and 14 minutes. He outpointed his opponent 102-89.

“It was incredible to win. I’m pleased how I managed to turn it around and find my level and above all get the first point for Spain,” Merida said. “[The captain] was relaxed and calm, encouraging me and giving me confidence all the way.”

 

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Then, the World No. 14 Jodar needed just 66 minutes to defeat No. 133 Cristian Garin, 6-0, 6-2. He converted six of 11 break points and outpointed Garin 57-31.

“It feels amazing, you know, representing my country for the first time,” Jodar said during his on-court interview. “It’s something special I’ll never forget. The match went very well. I think we played both matches very well.

“Overall, it’s not over and we have to close it out [Sunday], which is going to be very tough.”

 

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Looking ahead to Sunday, Spain is a win away from reaching the Finals again. It’s something the Spaniards have done every year since the format changed in 2019. Team captain David Ferrer, for one, expressed his happiness with Merida and Jodar. “It was a great result today. I am very happy with the debuts of Dani and Rafa, which in Davis Cup is not easy with the public against you but they displayed a maturity beyond their years,” he said.

Great Britain 2, Ecuador 0

On the strength of wins by Toby Samuel and Arthur Fery, Great Britain grabbed a 2-0 lead over Ecuador at the Copper Box in London Saturday. The British need to win only one of the final three matches of the tie on Sunday to advance to the Final 8.

First, the 95th-ranked Samuel defeated Ecuadorean No. 1 Andres Andrade, ranked No. 203, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, in one hour and 46 minutes to put the British ahead 1-0. Then, Wimbledon semifinalist Fery, ranked No. 36 made it 2-0 in favor of Great Britain following his 7-5, 6-0 win over No. 293 Alvaro Guillen Meza in one hour and 28 minutes, in which he outpointed his opponent 69-44.

“It’s always different playing in the Davis Cup, you’re playing for a whole nation and there’s more responsibility on your shoulders. But it’s a weight that I can carry and I felt confident out there,” Fery said.

 

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Samuel, 23, who won eight of the last nine games of his opening match and outpointed Andrade 83-71, said of his victory: “It was amazing. It was such a good atmosphere here. This was a big dream for me. As you can tell, I was quite nervy at the start but I was able to get the job done for GB. I kept saying: ‘Keep going and keep believing.’

“Everyone on the side gave me so much energy and support the whole match, and I’m so thankful for them being there. And just seeing Cam Norrie on the side there, even though he’s not playing, he has stuck around and really helped me throughout my match.”

Samuel, the winner of five ATP Challenger Tour titles in the past year, was inserted into Great Britain’s starting lineup against Ecuador after Cameron Norrie was scratched from competing this weekend with an arm injury.

During his team’s post-match news conference, Andrade said: “It was a very tough match. You have got to give a lot of credit to Toby. I thought he didn’t get off to the best start, and I did, obviously, and he raised his level a lot, especially in the third. He is doing so well this year. But I felt this was a very big chance but we have to keep believing.”

 

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By the numbers

With Jiri Lehecka‘s straight-set win over Learner Tien on Saturday, it was his 14th career Davis Cup singles victory, which moved him into a tie for fourth place with Lukas Rosol among Czech players.

“Quotable …”

“I played one of, for sure maybe the best match of my life. I was putting everything I could in. Playing aggressively on my serve. At the end I got a little bit nervous and started to cramp a bit, but I think it’s normal – first match like this against such a big player. … I really enjoyed every second of it.”

– Matej Dodig of Croatia, ranked 171st, during his team’s post-match news conference, after he lost in straight sets to World No. 2 Alexander Zverev of Germany on Saturday.

 

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