HALLE, WESTPHALIA/STARNBERG, September 20, 2026
Germany have qualified for the Davis Cup Finals for the third consecutive year after defeating Croatia 3-1 in Halle. Following a 1-1 scoreline after Saturday’s opening day, Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz put Germany ahead on Sunday before Alexander Zverev secured the decisive third point in the following singles rubber.
Krawietz and Puetz deliver impressive performance
Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz opened the second day against Croatia’s world-class doubles pairing of Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic.
The German duo were highly focused from the opening point and remained composed even during the tightest moments. Krawietz and Puetz took the first set in a closely contested tie-break before raising their level considerably in the second set, leaving the Croatians with few answers.
After one hour and 12 minutes, the Germans completed a 7-6(5), 6-2 victory to give their team a 2-1 lead.
“That was probably the best doubles match we have ever played in the Davis Cup. Everything came together from start to finish and the atmosphere was incredible. We are very happy that we were able to win this important point,” Krawietz said.
Zverev seals the tie
With Germany leading 2-1, Alexander Zverev returned to court for his second singles match of the weekend. His opponent was 21-year-old Dino Prizmic, who had defeated Daniel Altmaier on Saturday.
Zverev took control from the outset. The recently crowned US Open champion dictated play with his aggressive tennis and secured a convincing 6-2, 6-4 victory to claim the decisive third point for Germany.
The final singles rubber was therefore not required.
In front of 6,000 enthusiastic spectators at the heristo arena, the German team celebrated qualification for the Davis Cup Finals together with the home crowd. The Finals will take place in Bologna from November 24-29, 2026.
Reservation confirmed ✅
Germany book their spot in Bologna’s Final 8 for the second year in a row. pic.twitter.com/504ZmLGLfU
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) September 20, 2026
Kohlmann: “Very special and not something to take for granted”
German captain Michael Kohlmann was delighted with his team’s performance over the weekend.
“Qualifying for the Finals for the third time in a row is very special and certainly not something we can take for granted. We put in a very strong team performance here. The atmosphere was fantastic on both days, and now we are looking forward to the Finals,” Kohlmann said.
