Germany made a strong start to their Davis Cup Finals campaign, defeating Slovakia 3-0 on Tuesday despite the absence of their star player, Alexander Zverev. The victory sets up a crucial clash against the United States in Group C.
The first singles match saw Maximilian Marterer, ranked 104th in the world, secure a comfortable 6-4, 7-5 victory over Lukas Klein. In the second singles encounter, Yannick Hanfmann faced a tougher challenge against Jozef Kovalik. Hanfmann, displaying impressive resilience, fought back from a set down to ultimately prevail 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3), saving a match point in the process.
The German duo of Tim Pütz and Kevin Krawietz wrapped up the victory with a dominant doubles performance, defeating Lukas Klein and Igor Zelenay 7-5, 6-3. The victory secures Germany’s early lead in Group C.
The Davis Cup Finals, featuring four groups competing across four cities, are underway this week. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Final 8 knockout stage in Malaga, Spain, in November.
The tournament has drawn a number of big names, including Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and British player Jack Draper, who reached the U.S. Open semifinals last week. Australia, a two-time runner-up, is considered a strong contender, having faced France in their opening Group B match.
Italy emerged as the 2023 champions after defeating Australia in a thrilling final. The current edition promises to be another captivating battle for the coveted Davis Cup title.
