Davis Cup

Fate of the flagship

Strangely, nearly a tune of a tragedy is being played with the change of Davis Cup playing format from 2019. The first of it will be in Madrid, Spain. The sad sentiment is coming from the best known past payers and from some very good present players. Will the players support the new format?

The situation is more complex. What is known to the public is Davis Cup is challenged by other events. Survival of Davis Cup could be difficult in the future in the current format. ATP’s Nations Cup could be attractive alternative with ranking points and money.

The trend of thought to change the Davis

Cup format began about a decade ago, or a little more, when nations could not get the best players into their team. When players did not want to be the national team, nations imposed a rule that they cannot play elsewhere during that time. This spark has put Davis-Cup into trouble. It was a call of patriotism in professional era. It did not go well.

Patriotism by demand

By the time patriotic rule was introduced, professional bodies WTA and ATP were well established and had a firm footing which had made ITF, the franchise holder of DavisCup and the women’s FEDCUP relict of the past in the Professional Tennis. ITF never had an ‘ Open’ women’s nor men’s ranking. ITF has only junior ranking which many top end countries just ignore.

The 118-year-old Davis has had 108 successful annual events. [ Davis Cup was not played during the first and the Second World War years]. It was the flagship of Tennis. If not for Davis Cup, Tennis a pastime started on the British lawns less than 200 years ago would have not got this popular. American diplomat Dwight Davis who started the Davis Cup in 1900 knew, if nations do not embrace the sport, it will not survive. Today, it seems Davis– Cup energy has exhausted itself.

Tennis was never meant to be a profession. It is now. There were hardly any Tennis events then. Now there are over twenty every week.

Croatia’s sad win

At the ITF conference in USA 71 nations voted for the new format. The present president of ITF David Haggerty who was at the Davis Cup finals of 2018 in Lille, France was booed for promoting the change. He was confronted by the players too. French Captain Yannik Noah has been bitter about the change of format said ‘shame on all those players, leaders and media, who sold the soul of Davis Cup’. He could not hold back his emotion in Lille. He cried. To him, certainty of Tennis came from 118 years of Davis-Cup. Now it is no more a certainty.

Noah’s blamed the good players for not participating with their national team. Players on their part say there is big money in DavisCup but not for them. This is true even in the tiny island of Sri Lanka. Even with mega sponsorship and ITF grant, many of the players’ travel money, promised to be reimbursed has not happened.

Home and away system

Originally, only two countries played Davis Cup. England and the USA. Then it expanded and the four original winning nations were give the Grand- Slam status. This privilege exists even today. When Ceylon entered Davis Cup in the early 1950’ s, the team had to t r ave l to Canada to p l ay the event. For many years, winner of Davis Cup played only the final, which was called the ‘Challenge round’. This too was done away.

Today 130 countries play Davis Cup. The tie being played at home and away in alternate encounters was an awaited event in all Davis Cup nations. Next year this too will end. The event at the top will be for 18 countries in a single venue. The home away charm will not there anymore. Many countries will miss this. This appeal is another that is making new format unacceptable.

The management issue

The issue from the Davis Cup management side was to find a sponsor. With good players not signing in, sponsors who came up, I think, were not willing to put so much money on the table. Davis Cup annual budget is big. Almost every material and court presentation were pre designed. Material for each tie was air freighted to the venue. Umpires and referees were from overseas. So players saying Davis Cup money is big and we do not see it is true. They may have a message to event organisers. The matter is too late to discuss, it is over now.

Croatia wins 2018 Davis Cup.

The two good Croatian singles players Marin Cilic, a top Ten ranked player and young Borna Coric, with his New- Gen identity made certain the Davis Cup to be theirs with singles win over France. France won the doubles on the second day with a spirited performance. The event was played on clay in France. France chose clay to their advantage. None of the French players are there in the top Ten ranking at present. Their best have past their prime and the country is waiting for the new generation to take over. France’s Captain Yannik Noah conceded that they lost to a better team.

George Paldano, Former int. player; Accredited Coach of German Federation; National coach Sri Lanka and Brunei, Davis-Cup, Federation Cup captain/coach-- contact 94 77 544 8880 geodano2015@ gmail.com -