Spain beat Czech Republic in dramatic doubles showdown to return to Davis Cup semi-finals – Tennis Now

By Richard Pagliaro Thursday, November 20, 2025
Photo credit: Davis Cup Facebook

Without its top players, Spain showed the firepower and desire to return to the Davis Cup semifinals.

spanish Jaume Munar stopped Jiri Lehka Today’s Davis Cup quarter-final tie with the Czech team 6-3, 6-4.

Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martinez is a heroic terminator Thomas Machak and Jakub Mencik Spain beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in Bologna with a score of 7-6(8), 7-6(8).

Granollers and Martinez saved three set points in the first-set tie-break and then denied two more in the second-set tie-break as Spain fought back to reach the Davis Cup semifinals for the first time since 2019.

After two hours and three minutes of action, a high-quality doubles decider ended with a double fault by Mencic.

Spain will face the winner of today’s quarter-finals between Argentina and Germany in Saturday’s semi-finals. The winner of Saturday’s semifinal will face two-time defending champions Italy or Belgium in Sunday’s Davis Cup final.

A confident start to the quarter-finals, Mensik hit 20 aces to defeat the veteran Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5, 6-4.

Miami Open champion Mensik saved two break points and chased the score to 4-3. Mencic fought back to take a 6-5 lead, then broke Carreno Busta with his third set point to take a one-set lead.

At 4-5 in the second set, Carreno Busta felt the pressure, and Mencik broke serve multiple times to help the Czech team lead 1-0, ending the 99-minute victory.

“The energy and atmosphere of the crowd and the Davis Cup gave me a really good energy,” Mencic said. “Even in the first set when he broke me, like in the first set, I knew I had a chance to return serve. My serve was really strong the whole match, the whole match.

“I’m happy that I kept my energy and focus throughout the match. Yes, I broke him in the first set. That was a crucial part for me because, of course, the first set is always important. I’m happy that I was able to hold on.”

The subplot of this match was that Spain was playing without its top two players.

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz He withdrew on Monday after scans showed edema in his right leg and lost to Yannick Sinner in the ATP Finals championship in Turin on Sunday.

2nd place in Spanish Alejandro Davidovich Fokina bypassed Captain David FerrellDavidovich Fokina was reportedly frustrated after a late exit from an earlier match.

This means that the pressure is transferred directly to Jaume Munar’s Shoulder.

World No. 36 Munnar defeated No. 17 Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4.

The 28-year-old Munar saved two break points he faced at the most important moment to win his first career Davis Cup singles victory.

“I’m very confident in my tennis,” Munar said. “No matter who is in front of me, that’s the first one and the first one.”
The most important thing. Because I’m playing really well indoors this year, I’m pretty confident in myself. that’s the main thing [factor].

“And then lost two games against Geary, but felt like I could do some things that I hadn’t done the past few times. Just being there little by little, trying to put my strategy in there and serve as well as I did today. That’s the most important thing.”

Lehka broke serve with a double fault and the Spaniard led 4-2 in the first set. Munar, who served continuously, won eight of nine points in the next service game to build a one-set lead.

Munar broke serve at 30 points to enter the second set and led 2-0 in the second set.

In the sixth game, Munar fought back after falling behind 15-40, saving two break points and chasing the score to 4-2.

Just as he did in the first set, Munar won eight of the final nine service points before winning in one hour and 22 minutes to level the match and set the stage for a dramatic and decisive doubles showdown.

Czech Republic Captain Thomas Berdych He was on his feet along with thousands of fans at the Super Tennis Arena when the crucial first-set doubles decider began.

In the tie, Machak hit a forehand return winner, his second return winner, and the Czech team led 5-2.

That great shot sparked four consecutive mini-breaks. When Machac hit a short forehand winner, the Czech team held on to two set points at 6-4.

In a dazzling full-court affair, the scrumming Spaniards kept the ball alive, with Mensik volleying home a volley on the first set point. Granollers saved the second set point with a high volley, and then Mensik won the volley. The Czech team got the third set point 7-6.

The Spaniard targeted Mensik’s forehand and was rewarded with a forehand into the net on the third set point. Granollers, who was strong at the net, hit a high volley winner to bring the Spanish team the first set point, but he almost missed the forehand return and the break game fell into an 8-all deadlock.

In the deciding game, Martinez hit an inside-out backhand return winner on Mensik’s serve, pulling Spain back into the second set 9-8.

Granollers closed the net and yelled “No!” Mencic hit a forehand as the Spanish pair won a total of three set points to win the hour-long first set.

Martinez tied the score at 4-3 with Granollers’ decisive volley, and then the Spanish team earned two break points in the eighth game.

On the second break point, Machak hit an ace, and then another ace to overcome the trouble on the T stage and equalize the second set for the Czech team, 4-2.

After 5 draws, the Czech team got a break point with Martinez’s serve. Machak’s returns had been lethal all day, but his forehand return went wide and Martinez chased the score to 6-5.

In the second-set decider, Martinez’s forehand volley gave Spain a 4-2 lead, but the Czechs scored four of the next five points and took set point on Mencic’s serve.

Granollers saved the set point with a forehand volley, and Spain won the match point 7-6. A powerful serve from Machak brought the Czechs to level, and he followed up with a tight serve and a smash to win the Czechs their second set point.

Granollers once again rose to the challenge and served hard to save the set point.

On Spain’s second match point, Mencicki served hugely in the first singles match and tightened a double fault outside the service line, sending Spain into the semifinals for the first time since 2019.