Tennis chiefs plan revamp of Davis, Fed Cup finals

LONDON: Tennis chiefs plan to adopt the NFL’s Super Bowl model, by selecting fixed-venue cities in advance for their showcase Davis and Fed Cup finals.

The switch away from one of the finalists hosting the decider is part of a broader strategy aimed at developing the men’s and women’s international team events.

“This is all part of our mission to make the appeal of tennis broad and wide,” International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty said.

Other options under consideration include a tweak of formats to reduce the length of matches, and expanding the top-tier Fed Cup competition to feature 16 nations.

Haggerty, elected president a year ago, hopes to have the new hosting system in place by 2018. “Davis Cup is 135 nations,” he said. “This is a way to unlock potential revenue which will help grassroots tennis.”

Haggerty did not name a figure cities would have to come up with to host the final, but said he thought it would be “significant”. “We’re waiting for cities to distinguish themselves,” he smiled. “And we’ll see what it is. I don’t want to prejudge what it might be.”

The ITF membership will vote on the plans next August.

In American football’s Super Bowl, the host city is selected well in advance, usually three-to-five years before the game.

Similarly, European soccer’s governing body, Uefa, selects the host city for the Champions League final two years in advance.

Haggerty said he hoped to see cities, federations and their sponsors come together to bid for 2018.

“The most likely scenario would be for two-to-three-year terms,” said the American, who won a four-year presidential spell in 2015.

Croatia will host Argentina for the 2016 Davis Cup title after winning their respective semi-finals last weekend. But a host city has yet to be named.

“It is really hard to plan and get viewership and fans excited,” Haggerty said of the current format. “Last year we had a fantastic final in Ghent. But the reality is, Britain could have sold out the (13 000-capacity) stadium. Belgium could have sold it out, too.”

In the women’s competition, Haggerty is eager to introduce an expanded Fed Cup top group, and introduce a “Final Four” format. – Reuters