Krawietz/Puetz save 1 MP, reach Nitto ATP Finals title match

Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz became the first all-German team in tournament history to reach the Nitto ATP Finals title match on Saturday in Turin. The eighth seeds rallied from a set and a break down and saved one match point in the Match Tie-break to overcome Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson 2-6, 6-3, 11-9.

The Germans looked in trouble when they trailed 2-6, 0-2, but upped their aggression to turn the second set around and force a Match Tie-break. Krawietz and Puetz then fought back from 5/7 and 8/9 in the Match Tie-break to eventually advance to the title match after 80 minutes.

"The first part of the match was a lesson and then we tried to apply what we learned from those two," Puetz said. "They lowered their level a bit and we came up a bit and it was close and at the end it was quite strange. But that is what happens in doubles with the scoring format."

Krawietz and Puetz are aiming to become the first No. 8 seeds to win the title since Top Eight seeding was introduced in the doubles' field in 1995.

"We knew when we came here we could beat everyone," Krawietz said. "Being No. 8, we were happy to qualify here and then just tried to see what we could do and it has worked out very well."

??? A German masterclass ???

Kevin Krawietz & @GoldenSetTim become the first No. 8 seeds to reach the doubles final!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/UogQ2r6t1Z

By overcoming Purcell and Thompson, the Germans gained revenge for their US Open final defeat to the Australians in September. Krawietz and Puetz are now locked at 1-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series with fifth seeds Purcell and Thompson.

Chasing their second title of the year, Krawietz and Puetz will face top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic or Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten in the final on Sunday afternoon.

Krawietz, 32, competed in the tournament each season from 2019-21, but never advanced beyond the round-robin stage, while Puetz, 36, is making his debut.

The Germans, who are 43-19 on the season as a team, emerged victorious in Hamburg in July and also made championship matches in Brisbane and Halle earlier this season.

Purcell and Thompson were aiming to become the first all-Australian team to win the title since legendary pair Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde lifted the trophy at the prestigious year-end event in 1996. The last Australian winner was John Peers (with Henri Kontinen) in 2017.

Purcell and Thompson enjoyed a standout season, including a run to their first major title together at the US Open, where they lost just one set en route to the trophy. In New York, Purcell and Thompson became the first men from their country to win the US Open doubles crown since Woodbridge triumphed with Swede Jonas Bjorkman in 2003.

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