Davis Cup: tickets to Bologna up for grabs — Prague and Quebec City get decided, Zverev lands in Halle

The Davis Cup enters its decisive round: from September 18 to 20 the Qualifiers are played — seven ties (best of five rubbers) whose winners reach the Final 8 in Bologna (November 24-29), where defending champions Italy are already waiting. Friday left two ties red-hot — 1-1 in Prague, 1-0 in Quebec City — and this Saturday the first tickets are handed out, while Germany-Croatia opens in Halle with Alexander Zverev, US Open champion just five days ago. (Sources: daviscup.com, AP, USTA, Tennis Canada, The Canadian Press, tenniswatcher.com.)

Prague, 1-1: Tien wins his debut and Lehecka stops Shelton

The O2 Arena had a Friday of mixed feelings for the United States. Learner Tien (20) made his Davis Cup debut with a commanding win over Jakub Mensik, 6-2 6-4: only 15 unforced errors against the Czech's 34, per the official daviscup.com report. But then Jiri Lehecka (No. 24) shut down Ben Shelton (6-4 6-4) in the US Open runner-up's first match since the New York final: the Czech broke Shelton's serve early in each set and neutralized the weapon that carried the American to the Arthur Ashe final. One apiece, everything to play for.

Today the format takes over: doubles and two reverse singles — Mensik-Shelton and Lehecka-Tien (tennisuptodate). A rematch with a 2025 flavor: last year, in Delray Beach (Florida), Berdych's Czechia already beat the Americans 3-2 on their own turf. And there is history at stake: if Lehecka wins both of his singles this weekend, he ties Lukas Rosol in 4th place on Czechia's all-time Davis Cup singles wins list (12). Shelton, meanwhile, sticks with the Yonex EZONE 98 — Yonex EZONE 98 (8th gen)from 247,99 € —, the 98 sq-in frame with the enlarged sweet spot he took to the final against Zverev.

Quebec City: Draxl delivers the upset and Canada smells the pass

At the Centre Videotron, the first Davis Cup tie in Quebec City since 1975 started with a surprise: Liam Draxl beat France's No. 1, Arthur Rinderknech, 6-2 7-5, the biggest win of his career according to Tennis Canada, putting the hosts 1-0 up. In the night session, Felix Auger-Aliassime faced Quentin Halys in the second singles. If the world No. 5 delivered in his hometown — Tennis Canada spelled it out: "if the Canadian wins, Team Canada would only need one point on Saturday" — the tie gets decided today with the Chan-Auger-Aliassime doubles against Bonzi-Herbert and reverse singles if needed.

FAA is again the team's anchor with the 2026 Babolat Pure Aero 98 — Babolat Pure Aero 98 (Gen 9)from 269,99 € —, the same 98 sq-in, 16x20 frame Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune use (source: Babolat), already with a player page in our catalog.

Halle: Zverev, five days after New York

Saturday (2:00 pm local, noon UTC) opens Germany-Croatia at Halle's heristo-arena, with a freshly laid indoor hard court. The draw paired Alexander Zverev, world No. 2 and double Grand Slam champion in 2026, against Matej Dodig, and Daniel Altmaier against Dino Prizmic (tennistemple). Zverev confirmed his availability five days after lifting the US Open — "everyone around him was trying to talk him out of it," recalled captain Michael Kohlmann this week — and it will be his first Davis Cup in front of a German crowd since Trier in 2023. He is joined by Hanfmann, on six straight Davis Cup wins, Altmaier (who took the fifth squad spot ahead of Jan-Lennard Struff) and Krawietz-Puetz, the US Open doubles finalists.

Croatia arrive without Marin Cilic, but with the Olympic doubles pair Pavic-Mektic (gold in Tokyo 2020, Wimbledon doubles champions 2021) as their great weapon of the weekend: they need the doubles plus an upset in singles to return to a Finals they have missed since 2023. The German's racquet is already in our catalog: the Head Gravity Tour Zverev 2026 — Head Gravity Tour Zverev 2026from 228,95 € —, the gold-and-purple limited edition he conquered Roland Garros and New York with.

The seven winners of this weekend meet in Bologna from November 24 to 29 for the Final 8. Before that, team tennis continues with the Laver Cup in London (September 25-27), the last big stop before the Asian swing.