Dani Mérida makes his Davis Cup debut with a comeback full of character

Perhaps many thought that putting Dani Mérida to play the first point of the Davis Cup tie between Chile and Spain was a great risk, but after watching the match, everyone has realized it was the smartest decision. His victory over Alejandro Tabilo helps Spain start this series in the lead, with a ticket to the Final Phase at stake.

Today Dani survived against the best player on the local team thanks to a comeback where he demonstrated that, in this competition, experience is not everything (5-7, 6-3, 6-3). It means putting the score at 0-1 in favor of David Ferrer's team in Santiago, marking an unforgettable debut in the Davis Cup. A victory of great merit under conditions that were never the easiest.

Since 1:00 PM (local time), with the sky completely covered over Santiago and a clay court that made the ball even slower, every point seemed to take a lifetime. The Chilean crowd pushed Tabilo, as if they were playing every shot. The first set was a battle of nerves, with very few differences and the constant feeling that hitting the ball was incredibly difficult. Until it reached 5-5. Mérida hesitated, felt the weight of the moment and Tabilo, seven years older, took advantage to take control. The first break of the match gave the Chilean a 7-5 lead.

Mérida wins the mental battle against Tabilo

The second set seemed to follow the same path, but something had changed. Not in the score, but in Mérida's expression. The Spaniard looked uncomfortable, worried, as if he wanted to escape from a court that was becoming increasingly overwhelming. David Ferrer tried to rescue him from the bench, encouraging him and reminding him that the goal was still near. At 3-3, when Tabilo threatened to break, Dani held on. And that's when everything changed.

¡Punto para España!

🇪🇸 Dani Mérida se lleva una gran victoria por 5-7, 6-3 y 6-3 ante Tabilo para abrir la serie en Santiago#CopaDavis pic.twitter.com/gIeVehLN6l

— Copa Davis (@CopaDavis) September 19, 2026

After that moment, it was Tabilo who started to tremble. The Chilean began to make errors, many of his shots went into the net, and he dropped his serve. Here Mérida didn't need much more: he seized the opportunity, closed the set at 6-3, and bought himself one last chance.

The third set was a survival exercise, everything moved slowly, and winning a point was extremely hard. The match seemed completely divided between two players who knew that any small detail could decide it. However, the first to step up was Mérida. He broke in the third game, confirmed it afterward with his serve, and took a 3-1 lead. From there, the match began to be played more in the mind than with the racket.

Tabilo had the crowd behind him, but he couldn't turn that push into energy. Mérida, on the other hand, had already found something he didn't have an hour before: confidence. It only took a few more points to complete the comeback. Spain starts winning in Santiago, and Daniel Mérida, a debutant among debutants, discovered that the Davis Cup is also about surviving when everything seems to be against you.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Dani Mérida debuta en Copa Davis con una remontada de mucho carácter