6:35 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 6:5
Accordingly, Struff once again has his back to the wall and has to hold his service in order to stay in the set. Good first serves help. 30:0!
18:34
Etcheverry – Struff 6:5
Etcheverry fires his sixth ace and makes the game 6:5.
6:33 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 5:5
Now Struff returns strongly to the Argentine’s feet. Etcheverry only manages an emergency strike. On the way forward, however, the German plays a weak backhand and cannot do anything with the opponent’s subsequent passed ball.
18:32
Etcheverry – Struff 5:5
Struff then wants to attack a second serve from his competitor, but he serves it into the body. The backhand return lands in the net.
6:30 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 5:5
Struff dominates the rally with his forehand, first playing cross and then longline. That’s too much for the opponent. 3:30 p.m.!
18:28
Etcheverry – Struff 5:5
Unimpressed by the latest break, Struff plays through the game and hits his fourth ace. When a backhand from Etcheverry hits the net shortly afterwards, the German has his third clean sheet in the bag and equalizes to 5:5.
18:27
Etcheverry – Struff 5:4
Suddenly Struff is under pressure and has to serve against losing the set. The Warsteiner doesn’t lose his courage and starts off successfully with serve and volley.
18:26
Etcheverry – Struff 5:4
Moving forward, Etcheverry takes his chance, has no trouble with the high forehand volley on the way to the net and takes the lead for the first time in this match. 5:4!
6:25 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 4:4
Struff doesn’t let himself be deterred and shines with a backhand longline. Then a few centimeters are missing on a return. Etcheverry thus gains a game ball.
18:23
Etcheverry – Struff 4:4
Now Struff is back in control of things online. The German also had everything under control in the following rally, but then caught a fantastic counterattack from the Argentine. The backhand ball cannot be reached short crosswise. But there is also a bit of luck involved.
18:21
Etcheverry – Struff 4:4
Struff remains brave, but that is not rewarded. The attempt to go for the forehand winner fails. Again, only a few centimeters are missing. The German gives up the serve game and therefore also the break advantage. Everything back in line – 4:4!
6:20 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 3:4
Struff then builds up the rally very well, seems to have everything under control, but doesn’t score the point. And then there seems to be a lack of concentration when playing the backhand volley. That means three breakballs!
6:18 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 3:4
Struff is still required not to expose himself when it comes to his own service. This time the Warsteiner starts with a forehand that falls to the ground too late. Then the 35-year-old plays a very demanding backhand lob. He lands just behind the baseline. 0:30!
6:16 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 3:4
Now Etcheverry also steps on the gas and pulls the matter through to zero for the first time. His fourth ace concludes the game and brings him to 3.4. The South American cannot be completely shaken off.
6:14 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 2:4
Struff doesn’t spend much longer with this game, but ultimately gets help from the opponent. Etcheverry goes inside-in forehand and hits the edge of the net. And from there the felt ball flies out of bounds. That gave Struff his second clean sheet and the 4-2 win.
18:13
Etcheverry – Struff 2:3
Then Struff is in a hurry. The points are quickly at hand – including an ace, his third in this game.
18:11
Etcheverry – Struff 2:3
At the end, Struff misses a cross-played backhand that was supposed to serve as an attack ball. With this, Etcheverry gets the game on his side, prevents the double break and reduces the score to 2:3.
6:10 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 1:3
Etcheverry defends herself with a good first serve. Then a second one is enough because Struff rolls the return into the net.
6:10 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 1:3
Struff doesn’t let up, returns strongly and looks for the way forward. The forehand flight ball sits and gives him another break ball.
6:08 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 1:3
With luck and a net roller, Etcheverry destroys a break chance. Then Struff wants to take the initiative, plays aggressively, but heaves his forehand into the mesh. Debut!
6:07 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 1:3
With a slight backhand error, the ball hits the ball much too late, Etcheverry offers two break points again.
6:06 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 1:3
When his opponent serves a second time, Struff immediately takes command, doesn’t let his opponent escape and executes with his forehand. 0:30!
6:04 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 1:3
As a result, two good firsts help Struff. And then the 35-year-old shows his feeling for the ball, plays a very short half-volley with his backhand and makes it 3-1.
18:03
Etcheverry – Struff 1:2
With his second ace, Struff gets a game ball. After that, however, the Warsteiner comes under pressure. Etcheverry puts down his failed attempt at praise with a delicate touch. Debut!
18:02
Etcheverry – Struff 1:2
But then the Argentine carelessly misses a forehand return after Struff’s weak second serve. The German then hits his first ace.
6:01 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 1:2
For Struff it is now a matter of maintaining the break advantage and, at best, carrying it through the set. But Etcheverry is no longer so easy to play.
5:59 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 1:2
Now Etcheverry also seems to have arrived in the match. This time the 26-year-old doesn’t have any problems with good first serves, he quickly gets the score to zero and gets on the scoreboard, shortened to 1:2 from his point of view.
5:57 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 0:2
So far Etcheverry only knows how to please with aces, that’s number three. A little later, the South American can put himself in the spotlight during the rally, applying decisive pressure with his longline forehand.
5:56 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 0:2
Shortly afterwards a short rally develops over the second. Struff ends it with his first slight mistake. This time the forehand doesn’t fit. But the Warstein player still wins the game because his opponent fails due to the obstacle.
5:56 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 0:1
Struff appears very agile and determines what happens on the pitch. The first serve comes and quickly gives you three game balls.
5:55 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 0:1
After this successful start, Struff now has to prove himself. With a good first, the first point is quickly at hand.
17:53
Etcheverry – Struff 0:1
At first Etcheverry holds his ground and counters with his second ace of the match. But then Struff gets another strong forehand return and uses this as an opportunity to storm forward. Ultimately, the 35-year-old hits the forehand volley and gets the break.
17:52
Etcheverry – Struff 0:0
And the forehand again! This time Struff creates a return winner and organizes two break points.
5:50 p.m
Etcheverry – Struff 0:0
Afterwards, Struff is allowed to play a little and also scores because his opponent’s two-handed backhand is too long. The Warsteiner then sets the first tone, pulling through with his forehand. Etcheverry stretches in vain for the ball. 3:30 p.m.!
5:50 p.m
1st sentence
At this moment Etcheverry opens the match. The Argentine starts with an ace.
5:43 p.m
Coin toss
Now the protagonists of the first game, together with the chair referee Arnaud Gabas, face each other to choose their place at the net. The coin falls in favor of Struff, who opts for backlash. Afterwards they both play together some more.
5:37 p.m
invasion
Now something is happening. Starting with the Germans, the players arrive. In addition to the athletes already mentioned, team captain Michael Kohlmann also has Yannick Hanfmann with him. Then come the Argentinians; we haven’t mentioned the name Francisco Comesaña yet. In the Davis Cup, this procedure always takes a long time, especially before the first match, when the national anthems are played.
5:31 p.m
delay
After the game between Spain and the Czech Republic, all spectators had to leave the SuperTennis Arena. The stands were then roughly cleaned. Now the ranks are only gradually filling up again. So we are a little late, but we hope it will start in a few minutes.
5:27 p.m
Davis Cup record
Germany has already faced Argentina ten times in the Davis Cup. The DTB selection won the first duel in 1936 and the last meeting in 2019 at the finals. The third success came in 1991. All other matches went to the South Americans.
5:20 p.m
Opponent in the semifinals
By the way, the next opponent has already been determined. Spain awaits in the semi-finals on Saturday. Without Carlos Alcaraz, who was missing due to injury, the Iberians defeated the stronger Czechs 2-1 in the afternoon. The other match of the semi-finals will be between defending champions Italy and Belgium tomorrow.
5:13 p.m
Head 2 Head
The two professionals will face each other for the third time in an official tennis match. The first meeting took place in 2023 at a Challenger in Bordeaux. Etcheverry won the semi-final easily. A good year later in Gstaad, Struff got his revenge, the German won the quarter-finals in three sets. Both matches were played on clay. Today we have a hard court in the SuperTennis Arena in Bologna.
5:06 p.m
Struff
Jan-Lennard Struff was appointed for the 21st time. Since 2015, the Warsteiner has played 26 matches and won 16. There were also four doubles victories. The 35-year-old is currently number 84 and was number 21 a good two years ago. The right-hander won a tournament last season after a long wait and finally won a final in his fourth attempt. He achieved this in Munich. One of his great successes also includes the final of the Masters in Madrid 2023. Struff regularly competes at Challenger level, recently winning his seventh title there in Lyon.
16:59
Etcheverry
First, Tomás Martín Etcheverry will lay the foundation stone. The world number 60 has not yet been able to win a title on the ATP tour and lost three 250 finals. At the Grand Slam level, it was enough to reach the quarterfinals in Roland Garros 2023. The right-hander hasn’t gotten that far in the 1,000s yet. The 26-year-old only celebrated tournament victories with Challengers – three in total. The former world number 27 is for the Davis Cup team. (2024), nominated for the seventh time since 2023, has played seven singles so far, of which he won five.
16:52
Argentina
The South Americans have also won the Davis Cup once. This happened in 2016 with the assistance of Juan Martín del Potro. There are no professionals left from back then. Argentina’s top player is currently Francisco Cerúndolo. And they are also very well positioned in doubles with Horacio Zeballos and Andrés Molteni. The captain is Javier Frana.
4:45 p.m
Germany
The German team, led by team captain Michael Kohlmann, traveled to Italy with a strong line-up. After Struff, Alexander Zverev and the Kevin Krawietz/Tim Pütz doubles will be playing today. These men all belong to the world class category. At the DTB you can have legitimate hopes for a big hit. The last of the three title wins was 32 years ago. In 1993, Michael Stich led the team to victory.
16:38
Welcome
Welcome to the Davis Cup Finals 2025! Eight nations have been fighting for the coveted title in Bologna since yesterday. Before it is awarded on Sunday, we are pushing ahead with the selection. The last quarter-final between Argentina and Germany is on the program. Tomás Martín Etcheverry and Jan-Lennard Struff are scheduled to play the first singles at 5:00 p.m.