Great Britain and Germany faced each other at the same level of competition in 2019 (the 2020 edition was canceled due to Covid-19).

The British then won 2-0.

For a place in the final, the Germans will face Russia or Sweden, opposed Thursday in the quarter-finals.

Like the day before, when Croatia surprised Italy (2-1), in front of their Turin audience moreover, they are not the best placed on paper, even without their flag bearer Andy Murray, nor his brother Jamie , doubles specialist, who emerged victorious.

For the third time in as many duels in this final phase of the Davis Cup, it was the German double, composed of Tim Pütz and Kevin Krawietz, who brought his team the point of victory.

They had already achieved such a performance in the group stage against the Serbia of Novak Djokovic, then against Austria.

Bis repeated Tuesday night against another pair specialist in doubles, Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury, beaten in two decisive games after a match hyper hooked.

And to think that the British got four balls in the first set, then led 5 points to 0 in the second tie-break ...

"We persisted"

This did not deter the German duo, winner of the last seven points, and the game in just over two hours, on a final winning comeback.

"We just persisted, Pütz smiled. It was a very good level. At 5 points to 0 in the tie-break, we played point by point, and there we are!"

"The team is very tight-knit," Krawietz said.

I am happy to go to Madrid. "

The Spanish capital will host the two semi-finals and the final, from Friday to Sunday.

The duo Kevin Krawietz-Tim Pütz (l) gave the double point to Germany against Great Britain in the Davis Cup on November 30, 2021 in Innsbruck, Austria JOE KLAMAR AFP

Everything had started for the best for the British.

Opposed in the first single to Peter Gojowczyk (86th) - strangely preferred to Dominik Koepfer (54th) - Daniel Evans (25th) swept him in less than an hour, 55 minutes precisely, 6-2, 6-1.

A brutal return to national team competition more than a hundred years old for Gojowczyk, who had not been lined up there since 2014 and admits to having been overwhelmed by the stakes.

“It’s not his best game, but I’ve contributed to it I think,” Evans said. took advantage. "

Even without Zverev

"It's a question of mind, admits the German thirty-something. I didn't sleep well, I was nervous and tense, it's always something special to play for your country. My last match was in 2014, it was a long time. It's no excuse, but I never found my rhythm from the baseline, nor on the serve. "

Fortunately for Germany, this was not the case for Jan-Lennard Struff (51st), then opposed to 12th world Cameron Norrie, victorious in his two singles in the group stage.

Between Norrie and Struff, just the first set, pocketed by the German in the decisive game, lasted longer than the first match: 65 minutes.

British No.1 Cameron Norrie surprised by German Jan-Lennard Struff in the Davis Cup quarter-final in Innsbruck, November 30, 2021 JOE KLAMAR AFP

If the Briton then made his regularity speak to tie one inning everywhere, the maximum risk taking of Struff, both big server and big hitter, ended up paying (7-6 (8/6), 3-6 , 6-2).

Then Krawietz and Pütz once again responded.

So much so that the pair have never yet lost in the Davis Cup.

And that Germany - yet deprived of world No.3 Alexander Zverev - is making a place in the last four for the first time in fourteen years, a time when the competition was still fought under its historic formula of home matches and outside.

© 2021 AFP