Spain has returned to the Davis Cup for the first time since 2019 after beating Germany 2-1 at the Unipol Arena in Bologna. 

Pablo Carreno Busta beat Jan Lennard Struff 6-4 7-6 (8-6) in the first singles match to give Spain a 1-0 lead. Then Alexander Zverev edged past Jaume Munar 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-5) to level the tie to 1-1. 

Marcelo Granollers and Pedro Martinez earned a hard-fought 6-2 3-6 6-3 win over Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in the decisive doubles match to send Spain to the final. 

Spain will take on two-time defending champions Italy. In Sunday’s final. 

Pablo Carreno beats Jan Lennard Struff 6-4 7-6 (8-6)

Jan Lennard Struff went up a break in the third game of the first set to take a 2-1 lead, but Carreno Busta broke straight back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Carreno Busta broke again in the 10th game to close out the first set 6-4 when Struff sent a forehand long. 

Struff earned a break point in the fifth game of the second set, but Carreno Busta saved it to hold serve for 3-2. 

Carreno Busta earned three match points when Struff was serving to stay in the match at 4-5 in the second set. Struff saved the first match point to hold serve with a big serve, the second chance with a forehand winner and the third with a volley winner inside the line drawing level to 5-5. Struff earned two mini-breaks to race out to a 6-1 lead in the tie-break. Carreno Busta saved five consecutive set points, winning seven consecutive points to close out the tie-break 8-6.

“I was playing probably my best tennis at the end of the second set. In a tiebreak we’re 6-1 down, of course you are not thinking of winning but just try to be focused on every point. Don’t think of the score. I know that it’s easy to say and tough to do it but, well, sometimes if you believe you can do so, I think was the key. For me, to be here on the Spanish team, playing this competition is probably a dream. Because a few months ago it was dead — I had my injury on elbow, suffering a lot. I didn’t know if I could play game tennis. So for me to be here again — this is a dream and I am enjoying every moment”, said Carreno Busta. 

Alexander Zverev beats Jaume Munar 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-5)

Alexander Zverev earned the first break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. The German player backed up the break by holding serve with a backhand down the line with a backhand down the line for 3-1. Munar drew a forehand error to break back in the sixth game drawing level to 3-3. As Munar was serving at 5-5, he was down 15-30 when he hit a serve volley to hold serve for 6-5. Zverev held serve with an ace to force the match to the tie-break. 

Zverev fired aces in three of the seven points of the tie-break to race out to a 5-2 lead. Zverev hit a backhand winner down the line to close out the tie-break 7-2 after 57 minutes. 

Zverev hit seven aces and did not make double faults in the first set. 

Munar broke at 30 in the third game of the second set to take a 2-1 lead. Zverev broke back with a forehand volley winner in the sixth game to draw level to draw level to 3-3. 

Munar earned an early mini-break to take a 1-0 lead, when Zverev missed a forehand. Zverev won four consecutive points to take a 4-1 lead, when Munar made four forehand errors in a row. Munar saved two match points, including hitting a high volley to close the gap to 5-6. Zverev played the serve and volley hammering a T serve before hitting a smash on his third match point to seal the win in a little under two hours. 

Zverev hit 32 winners, including 12 aces. 

“I am happy to get the win. I am not feeling my best, but I am happy to get the win for our team”, said Zverev.

Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martinez beat Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 6-2 3-6 6-3 in the doubles match

Granollers and Martinez broke twice in the first and third games to race out to a 4-0 lead in the opening set. The Spanish team served out the opening set 6-2 with a hold at 30. 

Krawietz and Puetz converted their only break point in the fourth game and served out at love in the ninth game to win the second set 6-3. 

Granollers and Martinez broke serve in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead with a series of forehand returns. They held serve in the fifth game for 4-1. 

Granollers and Martinez saved one break point when they were serving for the match at 5-3 30-40 and sealed the win on their first match point. 

Spain have reached their first final in years despite the absence of world number 1 Carlos Alcaraz. Italy, themselves without world number 1 Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, beat Belgium 2-0 to reach their third consecutive final. 

Spain and Italy are set for their first Davis Cup match since the 2006 World Group Play-Offs when team captains Filippo Volandri and David Ferrer played. 

“I am really proud of my players, they fought a lot to be here. We are really excited but we have to rest and be ready for the final.  Italy have very good players. They do not have Jannik and Lorenzo, but also we do not have Carlos. I am sure that we will compete”, said David Ferrer.

Italy is aiming to become the first country to win three Davis Cup titles since USA in 1971