Overview
- Jan-Lennard Struff edged Yoshihito Nishioka 6:4, 6:7 (4), 6:4, firing 18 aces and saving all 10 break points.
- Yannick Hanfmann defeated Shintaro Mochizuki 6:3, 6:3 to put Germany two points up after day one at Ariake Coliseum.
- The doubles opens Saturday at 6:00 on Tennis Channel with Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz slated to play for the clincher.
- One more win sends Germany to the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna from 18 to 23 November under the best-of-three, first-to-three format.
- Alexander Zverev is absent from Germany's squad, and Japan is without Kei Nishikori, who was replaced by Rei Sakamoto.