Spain rallies past Czech Republic to reach Davis Cup semifinals. Germany defeats Argentina

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BOLOGNA, Italy (AP) — Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martinez combined to beat Tomas Machac and Jakub Mensik in the deciding doubles to help Spain rally past Czech Republic and reach the semifinals of the Davis Cup with a 2-1 win on Thursday.

Granollers and Martinez lifted in the absence of top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, the six-time Grand Slam champion who withdrew from Spain's team because of a hamstring injury.

Spain, which hadn't reached the semifinals since it won the last of its six Davis Cup titles in 2019, will next face No. 2-seeded Germany, which defeated Argentina 2-1.

Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz outlasted Andres Molteni and Horacio Zeballos in a third-set tiebreaker in the deciding doubles match to give Germany the quarterfinal victory.

Argentina was trying to win its 100th Davis Cup tie.

Granollers and Martínez clinched the quarterfinal by winning the doubles 7-6 (8), 7-6 (8) at SuperTennis Arena.

The 20-year-old Mensik hit 20 aces en route to beating veteran Pablo Carreño Busta 7-5, 6-4 to give the Czech team the lead. Jaume Munar subsequently won his first Davis Cup singles for Spain by defeating No. 17 Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4.

“I was pretty confident in my tennis,” Munar said. “It doesn’t matter who I have in front of me. I had great confidence in myself and that’s the main thing.”

The fourth-seeded Czechs were trying to return to the semifinals for the first time since 2014.

Tomas Martin Etcheverry put Argentina ahead after hitting 23 aces to beat Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (3), 7-6 (7), but No. 3-ranked Alexander Zverev leveled it for Germany by defeating No. 21 Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-6 (3).

In the doubles, Krawietz and Puetz rallied to win 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10), with both teams squandering match points.

Argentina was aiming to reach the semifinals for the first time since it won the competition in 2016. Germany was a semifinalist last year.

Top-ranked Italy, seeking a third straight title and fourth overall, faces Belgium in the other semifinal. The Italians are without world No. 2 Jannik Sinner, who is resting.

The Davis Cup Finals in Bologna is the sixth edition of the revamped event that crowns a champion at a neutral site.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis