Details scant on new Australian tennis event

PAUL MALONE A MEETING this week between the warring bodies both trying to own the best teams event in men’s tennis has cast further uncertainty over the long-term future of Australia’s summer circuit.

An announcement by the ATP and Tennis Australia in London yesterday revealed a name change for their new annual men’s teams event in Australia in January 2020, but fleshed out few new details other than confirming three Australian cities would be involved.

The 24-team event will now be known as the ATP Cup, not its working title, which was the ATP World Team Cup.

TA CEO Craig Tiley said in July that Brisbane’s Queensland Tennis Centre would be one of the venues for the event, which will be played over 10 days and start on December 28, 2019.

Tiley did not say yesterday which three Australian cities would host 2020 ATP Cup group ties, quarter-finals, semis or finals.

But talks by TA on financial support by the State Govern- ment, which holds a contract for a men’s and women’s Brisbane International until 2021, have not been straightforward and are ongoing.

Tennis Australia plans the Brisbane International in January to be the last played by men, with the women’s tour- nament to continue in January 2020.

TA has revealed plans for the Brisbane International women’s tournament to continue in its current January dates in 2020, with its matches being augmented by ATP Cup men’s scheduling on some days.