Cedrik-Marcel Stebe beat former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets on Sunday to give Germany a 3-2 win over Australia in their Davis Cup playoff and retain its place among the World Group elite.
The result keeps Australia, a 28-time winner, in the second-tier Group I for the sixth-straight season.
World No.127 Stebe won 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 in the deciding rubber after being 3-0 down in the first set.
Earlier Sunday, Florian Mayer of Germany overcame Bernard Tomic of Australia 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 to level the scores at 2-2 and set up a decider.
Elsewhere, Israel climbed back into the World Group as world No. 223 Amir Weintraub overpowered Go Soeda of Japan, ranked 170 places higher, 6-3, 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-3 in the deciding rubber.
Earlier in the day, Kei Nishikori labored to a 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over Dudi Sela of Israel to level the scores 2-2 after four rubbers.
Russia's men were eliminated from the elite group of tennis-playing nations for the first time, falling to a 3-0 defeat to Brazil in their Davis Cup World Group playoff.
