Plan to revamp the Davis Cup leaves Noah ‘heartbroken’

ITF ignores opposition to neutral final venue Britain take on France in quarter-finals today

Great Britain will be playing not just Lucas Pouille and Jérémy Chardy when this afternoon’s Davis Cup quarter-final gets under way. They will be up against one of the most charismatic figures in the sport, French captain Yannick Noah, the only man in history to be both a Grand-Slam champion and a platinum-selling recording artist.

At the traditional pre-match dinner on Wednesday night, the British captain Leon Smith gave his usual speech. He was then upstaged by Noah’s a cappella version of a West African folk song, which found the assembled dignitaries joining in. “It was like a West End show,” said Smith afterwards. “One of the best things I’ve ever seen.”

Called back to the captaincy for the third time last year, Noah has as good a chance as anyone of awakening this sleeping Davis Cup giant. France have not won the competition since 2001, even though, as a nation, they supply 48 members of the world’s top 500 to Great Britain’s meagre 13.

As the teams assembled for yesterday’s draw ceremony, Noah was full of enthusiasm for his men, especially Chardy, the world No68 whom he has promoted to the front line ahead of the more experienced Gilles Simon. “Yes, he’s new,” said Noah of Chardy, “but he doesn’t have anything to lose. From the way they behave, the body language and the results when they play sets, I could really sense that he wanted it.”

Yet Noah turned melancholic when asked about the future of the Davis Cup, a competition that is finding it increasingly hard to attract the top players. As in February’s opening round, Novak Djokovic is the only member of the top 10 to make himself available in these quarter-finals.

“I guess I’m from the old generation,” said Noah. “It’s almost devastating to see such an event disappearing. It is heartbreaking for me. Of course I understand that the economy is central to all the decisions nowadays but sometimes dreamers can think there is more than that.

“I always played in the competition,” Noah added. “It was an opportunity to meet other people, and go to different places where they don’t have the opportunity to see this kind of tennis. So yes, we might have a different format and go to Dubai [for a neutral final]. It’s going to be economically very good but I think we’re going to lose something that is essential which is about two countries meeting each other.”

Noah’s complaints come as question marks surround the wider future of the competition. A vote at August’s annual meeting of the International Tennis Federation will