In a weekend of intense Davis Cup qualifying action, Spain and Belgium emerged victorious in tightly contested ties to join hosts Italy and five other nations in the Final 8, which will take place in Bologna, Italy, from November 18-23. Spain overturned a 2-0 deficit against Denmark, while Belgium survived an Australian resurgence to win 3-2.
Spain’s comeback from despair
Spain found themselves staring down elimination early in their tie against Denmark in Marbella. The visitors had taken a commanding 2-0 lead after the opening two rubbers, putting Spain under immense pressure — one more point would have sealed the tie for Denmark.
Key moments in Spain’s reversal included:
- A doubles win by Pedro Martínez and Jaume Munar over August Holmgren and Johannes Ingildsen, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, which kept Spain alive in the competition.
- In a high drama singles reverse match, Pedro Martínez edged out world number 11 Holger Rune in a three-set thriller, 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(3), even saving a match-point while Rune was serving at 5-3 in the final set.
- Finally, Pablo Carreño Busta sealed the deal for Spain by defeating Elmer Møller 6-2, 6-3 in the decisive rubber.
The win marks the first time Spain has ever won a Davis Cup tie after dropping the first two rubbers.
Belgium hang on despite Australia’s fightback
In Sydney, Australia were similarly behind after losing the first two rubbers to Belgium. But they mounted a strong response:
- The doubles pairing of Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson won their match to make it 2-1 for Australia.
- Alex de Minaur then beat Zizou Bergs 6-2, 7-5 to level the tie 2-2, forcing the tie into a decisive fifth rubber.
The decider saw Raphael Collignon stepping up under pressure. After losing the first set, he came back strong to beat Aleksandar Vukic 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3, securing Belgium’s place in the Final 8.
It was Belgium’s first qualification for the Final 8 since 2018.
Final 8: The field and what’s ahead
With these wins Spain and Belgium join the following nations in the Davis Cup Final 8:
- Italy (hosts and title-defending champions)
- Germany
- Argentina
- France
- Austria
- Czech Republic
The Final 8 in Bologna promises high-stakes clashes among many of the sport’s elite national teams. For Spain, the comeback will serve as a morale booster, especially without their top player Carlos Alcaraz in the tie. Belgium, meanwhile, will take confidence from Collignon’s clutch performance and their ability to withstand pressure from a fired-up Australian side.
