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VALENCIA, Spain (AP) — Germany pair Tim Puetz and Jan-Lennard Struff held off Spain's Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez to win 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 7-5 and take a 2-1 lead in their Davis Cup quarterfinal on Saturday.
Puetz served out the final game of the doubles rubber after 4 hours, 40 minutes on the outdoor clay court in Valencia's bullring.
Germany saved five break points in the fifth set before winning a break to go up 6-5 and finally defuse Spain's comeback.
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal, who leveled for Spain on Friday, is set to play world No. 4 Alexander Zverev on Sunday, followed by David Ferrer faces Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Spain will need to win both reverse singles to keep alive its quest to equal Italy's Davis Cup record of 29 home ties without losing from 1949-64.
Spain, which has won 27 home ties in a row, hasn't lost as host since the first round in 1999 against Brazil.
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