ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW...
SO, WHAT’S THE STORY WITH THE DAVIS CUP, THEN?
Now heralded as the world’s largest annual team competition, with 122 nations taking part last year, this World Cup of men’s tennis actually looked more like the old Ryder Cup when it began in 1900 — when Harvard’s tennis team came up with the idea of pitting the best Americans against the finest players from the British Isles. One of those students, Dwight Davis, bought the original trophy — hence the name.
HOW DOES IT WORK NOW?
How long have you got? There are divisions and groups, relegation play-offs and zones. Having expanded to six teams in 1905, the Davis Cup responded to the onset of the Open era by going global in 1969. If you’re in the elite top 16, where Britain are now, it becomes a whole lot more simple. Straight knock-out matches, with the winner of the final walking off with the trophy.
AND BRITAIN ARE GOOD, ARE THEY?
Since reaching the final in 1978, GB have plummeted to some pretty low depths over the years. Now ranked 11th, think of us as the West Brom of tennis, yo-yoing up and down between the top division and the Europe/Africa Zone 1.
HOW DOES THE SCORING WORK?
There are five matches — or rubbers — played over the course of three days, with a team point available in each rubber. It starts with two singles matches on the Friday, there’s a doubles rubber on the Saturday, then the reverse singles on the Sunday. It can all be over by Saturday afternoon, if one team wins the first three rubbers. Team GB will lean heavily on Andy Murray, who may yet play in the doubles — as well as his two singles rubbers — despite not being named alongside brother Jamie in yesterday’s draw.
WHAT HAPPENS IF WE WIN THIS ONE?
A victory for Britain would see them progress to the World Group quarter-finals, to be played between July 17-19. Yes, that’s right, the same weekend as the Open Championship. Lose and it’s a relegation playoff in September.
HOW DO WE GET TICKETS?
Despite over 20,000 tickets selling in around 10 minutes when they were made available back in November, there are now extra places available. See http://www.lta. org.uk/majorevents/international-events/daviscup/davis-cup-tickets/ for more details.