Another change to the structure of the Davis Cup has been announced with a return to home-and-away ties next September, a move that will doubtless win the approval of Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt.
The historic tournament has undergone a number of alterations in recent years, with the most recent format featuring a group stage held just after the US Open.
Four cities over the past three years hosted groups of four teams for a round-robin event that whittled down 16 teams to eight but neutral ties were blighted by low attendances and players complained about the workload.
Now the International Tennis Federation has opted to return to home-and-away ties, with the winning seven teams joining the host nation at a final-eight event in November.
The news will presumably be welcomed by Hewitt, who has long been a fierce critic of the format changes which meant there were only home-and-away ties staged before the group stages.
The Billie Jean King Cup, the women’s equivalent event, will also move to an eight-team finals event next year from the current 12.
In order to make the transition, a group stage will now be held in April with seven groups of three.
As in the Davis Cup, the winners will then join the host nation for the final eight.
ITF president David Haggerty said: “Today’s news is another positive step forward for both the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge and Davis Cup, and I am excited for the future of both competitions.
“The format amendments aim to build on the success we have seen across both events in recent years and contributes towards our long-term ambition to bring them more in sync under the World Cup of Tennis banner.”
Source Agencies
