Rafter wants Cup change

AUSTRALIAN tennis legend Pat Rafter believes the Davis Cup must be revamped to restore its standing as the sport’s showpiece event.

Rafter is a former Davis Cup captain and holds the historic tournament, essentially a battle for supremacy among tennis nations, close to his heart.

But he has been disappointed by its fall down the pecking order in recent years, leading him to suggest organisers take a leaf out of the book of the Laver Cup. Named after Australian tennis great Rod Laver, the inaugural edition of the Laver Cup was held at the weekend and attracted the biggest of names including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

“I don’t know what the relevance really is of Davis Cup when your top players aren’t playing,” said Rafter, who was spotted on the Gold Coast last week coaching up-and-coming players.

“For me it has been dying a long time. Davis Cup should have been changed 10 years ago.

“I’ve been having this disstill

cussion for years with Davis Cup, trying to get them to change.

“I just think it’s becoming a second-tier event and it needs relevance again.

“They have dropped the ball so now you have seen the demise of it.

“It means so much, it’s been around for a long time – it should be the top of our sport. I believe it should be but the players aren’t playing it so something has got to change.”

He said there were clear pointers to be taken out of the Laver Cup’s success in Prague, specifically revolving around a shorter competition format.

“Big money and a shorter period of time,” he said of the attraction to Laver Cup.

“It has prestige. Rod Laver is one of the greatest names, you have got John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg as captains, you have got two of the greatest names of all there, and you have got the greatest players playing it.

“Right now

Australia earlier this month missed a golden opportunity to end their 14-year Davis Cup drought, squandering a 2-1 lead against Belgium to be knocked out in the semi-finals.

While disappointed, Rafter praised the team’s effort.

“You won’t get a much better opportunity but at least you know the boys had a real crack at it and Belgium were just too good,” he said.

“That’s what happens when you have a home court advantage. Obviously the clay really hurt Australia.” it has got relevance.”