Germany achieved a commanding 3-0 victory over Slovakia in the opening match of the Davis Cup Finals group stage, despite the absence of world No. 2 Alexander Zverev. Maximilian Marterer and Yannick Hanfmann delivered strong performances in the singles matches, with Hanfmann saving a match point to secure his win. The German duo of Tim Pütz and Kevin Krawietz completed the sweep with a doubles victory. The tournament features four groups competing across different cities, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Final 8 in Malaga, Spain, in November. The German team faces additional challenges from the U.S. and Chile in Group C. Concerns have been raised regarding the decision to host European teams in China for this stage of the tournament.