Spain secure top-seed status ahead of Davis Cup tennis finals in Malaga

Despite missing key players Carlos Alcaraz and Roberto Bautista, Spain will go into the Davis Cup finals in Malaga at the end of the year as a top-seeded team.

This comes after the side, led by captain David Ferrer, triumphed over Australia in a decisive doubles match to clinch a 2-1 victory in Valencia on Sunday and finish top of Group B.

With qualification already secured following victories against the Czech Republic and France, Spain guaranteed top spot with a hard-fought win over the Australians. Pablo Carreño, who has struggled with an elbow injury throughout the year, staged a remarkable comeback in the first match, defeating Jordan Thompson 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(2) after recovering from a set down.

However, Spain’s path to victory was not smooth. Pedro Martínez fell to Alexei Popyrin, winner of the 2024 Canadian Masters 1000, in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. Despite Martínez’s efforts, Popyrin maintained a flawless serve, leaving the match tied at 1-1.

The deciding doubles match saw Martínez partner with Marcel Granollers to face Max Purcell and Matthew Ebden, Wimbledon champions and Davis Cup specialists. After dropping the first set, the Spanish duo battled back to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Now, Spain will go into the Final 8, held at the Martín Carpena arena in Malaga from 19 to 24 November, as one of the top seeds and will face either the Netherlands or Germany in the quarter-finals. The draw is scheduled to take place this Thursday, 19 September.