Revamp of Davis Cup tennis gets green light

TENNIS: Week-long event goes ahead despite LTA objections

A controversial revamp of the Davis Cup format has been voted through at the International Tennis Federation’s annual meeting.

In November next year the competition will see 18 nations compete in a week-long, round-robin tournament.

The overhaul of the 118-year-old competition was rubber-stamped despite the Lawn Tennis Association, the governing body of British tennis, announcing yesterday that it opposed the changes.

ITF president David Haggerty said in statement: “I am delighted that the

anations have voted to secure the longterm status of Davis Cup.

“Our mission is to ensure that this historic decision will benefit the next generation of players for decades to come.”

The ITF outlined the changes in conjunction with Kosmos, a company founded and chaired by Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique.

The Davis Cup is currently played in February, April, September and November at home and away venues.

However, an increasing number of top players have opted not to play in recent years due to the hectic schedule. From next year the 18 countries will be divided into six groups with each qualifying round consisting of three matches – two singles and one doubles – over best-of-three sets.

The top teams from each group and the two highest-scoring runners-up will play the quarter-finals.

In explaining its decision to vote against the changes, the LTA said in a statement: “Concerns remain that the proposed format and its impact on the tennis calendar, extending the season for players, risks player participation and therefore fan appeal.”

Great Britain, who won the Davis Cup in 2015, face Uzbekistan in a world group play-off in Glasgow next month.