LONDON: International Tennis Federation (ITF) president David Haggerty on Thursday announced that the new-look Davis Cup this year will continue with the same format of home and away matches during the opening stages of the tournament.
The ITF had decided back in February that the Davis Cup will see the creation of an 18-nation World Cup of Tennis finals played in one location in November 2019. The new proposal found many critics but Haggerty has tried his best to calm the situation down.
“We are looking at a round of 24 home-and-away ties in February, in the week after the Australian Open, producing 12 winners,” Haggerty was quoted as saying by Reuters.
“They would then go on to the November tournament, along with the four semi-finalists from the previous year, and two invited teams.
“It’s important for the national federations to be able to stage ties. It’s a way of promoting the sport and of connecting with fans.”
Haggerty also announced that a similar revamp of the Fed Cup tournament will be implemented in 2020.
“The Davis Cup reform is a very big project. We’re looking to get it set up from next year and then we will try to take the Fed Cup in the same direction,” Haggerty was quoted as having said.
