Dodig Names Strongest Squad: Čilić and Prižmić Lead Croatia
Croatia seeks a spot at the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna in Halle on September 19-20, with the captain holding a trump card on the bench.
Croatia seeks a spot at the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna in Halle on September 19-20, with the captain holding a trump card on the bench.
Croatia's Davis Cup captain Ivan Dodig announced the squad on Monday for the second-round qualifier against Germany. The lineup features Croatia's highest-ranked singles players, Marin Čilić and Dino Prižmić, along with the top doubles pair of Mate Pavić and Nikola Mektić.
The tie will be held on September 19-20 in the German city of Halle, at the Heristo Arena on hard courts. The winner will secure a spot at the 2026 Davis Cup Finals, which will take place in Bologna, Italy, featuring eight nations.
Dodig confirmed that the strongest available lineup has been selected, with special emphasis on the fifth player situation.
"We've named the best squad we have, and with it, we want to try to secure a win. We'll still decide who will join us as the fifth player. Borna Ćorić will be with us in Halle; he's slowly returning from a long and tough injury. I hope he'll be with us as support, maybe as a player... We'll see how things develop. We have time to decide. A big match against Germany awaits us, and I hope it will be successful and that we'll have plenty of fans," Dodig said.
According to the captain, Ćorić is returning from a long and difficult injury, and the final decision on his role with the team will be made later.
Germany's captain Michael Kohlmann has included one of the world's top players, Alexander Zverev, in his squad, alongside Yannick Hanfmann, Kevin Krawietz, and Tim Pütz. Germany will also name their fifth player at a later date.
In accordance with Davis Cup regulations, captains are allowed to replace up to three players from their originally nominated team before the tie begins. For this event, the Heristo Arena will be able to host 11,500 spectators.
Tickets are available through the Reservix and Eventim platforms. The cheapest, category three tickets cost €69 for both days, or €39 per day. The most expensive VIP package is €775, while a daily child ticket costs €25.
This will be the fifth meeting between Germany and Croatia in the Davis Cup, with Croatian players having won only once so far. On Saturday, September 19, the first day of competition, two singles matches are scheduled, with a start time of 2:00 PM. On the second day, Sunday, September 20, a doubles match and two singles matches will be played, with the program starting at noon.
