Paul and Quinn Forge US Lead in Davis Cup Qualifiers

Tommy Paul and Ethan Quinn put the United States in the driving seat on the opening day of its tie against Hungary in the first round of the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers. Paul set the tone in the opening rubber with a composed 7-6(3), 6-3 victory over Zsombor Piros, his deep crosscourt forehands absorbing the Hungarian’s early aggression on the indoor hard. Quinn then pushed the lead to 2-0 with a gripping 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(11) win against Fabian Marozsan, saving four match points in a third-set tiebreak that echoed the raw tension of team play.

Quinn digs deep in decider

Marozsan controlled the first set with low slice backhands that forced Quinn into awkward stretches, but the American countered by ramping up heavy topspin on his returns to disrupt the rhythm. In the tiebreak, Quinn’s one–two combinations—serve deep to the body followed by inside-out forehands—kept him alive, turning potential defeat into a surge of momentum. This edge leaves the US one win from advancing, a buffer that lightens the load for Sunday’s rubbers amid the qualifiers’ grind.

Rodionov rallies Austria to thriller

Elsewhere, Jurij Rodionov delivered for Austria in its tie against Japan on Saturday, the World No. 170 earning a 5-7, 6-1, 6-0 victory against Yoshihito Nishioka to clinch a 3-2 win. After the tie sat 1-1, Yosuke Watanuki and Takeru Yuzuki put Japan ahead with a 7-6(4), 6-7(8), 6-4 doubles victory against Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler in Tokyo, their net poaches thriving on the crowd’s roar. Lukas Neumayer leveled it at 2-2 with a 6-3, 6-3 dismissal of Shintaro Mochizuki, his flat groundstrokes slicing through the young Japanese player’s defenses.

Rodionov’s turnaround came via aggressive down-the-line serves that pinned Nishioka back, exploiting the surface’s pace after a shaky start. The Austrian’s final-set dominance, conceding just one game, captured the emotional high of a home crowd’s energy clashing against resolve, propelling his team to September’s second round. With the Final 8 set for Bologna in November—where Italy defends its three-peat—these swings highlight how qualifiers test a nation’s depth.

Croatia and Germany clinch ties

Dino Prizmic secured a 3-1 victory for Croatia with a 7-6(5), 7-6(2) win against Denmark’s Elmer Moeller, holding firm in tiebreaks through precise return positioning. Earlier, Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic beat Johannes Ingildsen and Carl Emil Overbeck 6-2, 7-5, their quick volleys off underspin setups overwhelming the Danes’ baseline game. Croatia’s straight-path execution eases the path forward, building on a season of targeted team builds.

Germany also sealed a win on Saturday against Peru, leading 2-0 from Friday before Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz beat Ignacio Buse and Arklon Huertas Del Pino Cordova 6-0, 2-6, 6-4 for a 3-0 lead. The pair’s third-set recovery relied on crosscourt lobs to reset after Peru’s middle-set push, a tactical nod to their three-time champion roots last tasted in 1993. This unassailable position underscores Germany’s blend of experience and adaptation in the early rounds.

Czechia will take a 2-0 lead against Sweden into Sunday’s play, Jiri Lehecka beating Dragos Nicolae Madaras 6-3, 6-4 with varied backhand slices that broke the Romanian’s flow. Dalibor Svrcina downed Olle Wallin 6-1, 6-3, his powerful serves dominating the indoor tempo. India and the Netherlands are level at 1-1, Guy Den Ouden beating Sumit Nagal 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 before Dhakshineswar Suresh overcame Jesper de Jong 6-4, 7-5, narrow margins that keep the pressure alive.

Belgium leads Bulgaria 2-0 thanks to wins for Alexander Blockx and Raphael Collignon on Day 1, their fresh approaches setting an early tone. As these ties head into final days, the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers reveal the mental edges that propel teams toward Bologna, where eight nations will battle in a compressed format heavy on strategy and heart.