Spain handed tough draw in new Davis Cup Finals
MADRID: Hosts Spain were handed a difficult draw as they were placed in what looks like by far the toughest group for this year’s inaugural Davis Cup Finals.
Billed as a football-style World Cup of tennis, Spain found themselves in a so-called ‘group of death’ with defending Davis Cup champions Croatia and a potent Russia side in Group B.
France, 2018 runners-up, face Serbia, who are not certain to have world No. 2 Novak Djokovic in their ranks, and Japan in Group A.
A drastic revamp of the 119-yearold team competition will culminate in a week-long event featuring 18 nations at Madrid’s La Caja Magica from Nov 18-24.
There is no place for Roger Federer’s Switzerland, however, after they were knocked out in this month’s qualifiers, but Rafael Nadal has committed to playing for Spain.
“Rafa said he will play and Kei Nishikori will play for Japan and many other players this weekend have given us positive feedback,” David Haggerty, president of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said.
“Now there is definition, they know what the groups look like and the captains can talk to the players.” The ITF, which owns the competition, brought in the controversial new format at a vote of member nations last year.
Partners Kosmos, a Spanish investment group founded by Barcelona and Spain footballer Gerard Pique, will invest US$3bil (RM12.2bil) into the Davis Cup over 25 years.
At the draw ceremony Pique said the new format, which largely replaces the 16-team World Group played throughout the year, would be a “festival of tennis”.
Of the four other “seeded” teams, Argentina are in Group C with Germany and Chile, Belgium are joined in Group D by Australia and Colombia and Britain head Group E with Kazakhstan and Holland. The United States, who have won more Davis Cup titles than any other nation, play Italy and Canada.
The six group winners and best two runners-up will go forward to the quarter-finals. Individual ties will consist of two singles matches and one doubles match, all played on one day.