New-look Cup up for vote

A NEW Davis Cup format that tennis’ governing body believes is more enticing for players and more lucrative for nations will be voted on this week.

The proposal to overhaul the calendar-year format of the 118-year-old event is being discussed this week at the International Tennis Federation conference in Orlando, Florida, with the vote set for tonight. If approved, 18 nations would play in a week-long, World Cup-style event at the end of the year.

The original proposal has been amended after some countries — with Australia being one of the most vocal — objected to simply an 18-team tournament at a neutral site, largely because of the loss of home matches.

The proposal calls for 24 teams to play home-or-away matches in February, with the 12 winners moving to the final. They would be joined there by the four semi-finalists from the previous year, and by two wildcard teams.

ITF president David Haggerty said he was optimistic for approval, which he said would be good for the sport’s growth.

“The money that we will make will go to the nations to put into their development programs for juniors and for the future of tennis,” Haggerty said.

In the current model, only the team hosting the Davis Cup saw much financial benefit, he said, whereas “this will be $25 million of incremental funding that goes to 200 nations around the world for Davis Cup, for Fed Cup, and for development”.