Plea to restore 'disgraceful' Davis Cup to former glory

1 year ago 45

If it ain't broke, don't hole it.

For its much than 100-year history, the Davis Cup remained mostly unchanged and stood caput and shoulders supra the remainder arsenic the pinnacle of team-based men's tennis.

However, erstwhile sports and amusement promoter Kosmos Tennis took the reins and fiddled with the format it near galore successful the manufacture disillusioned.

Now, calls are being made to reconstruct the Davis Cup to its erstwhile glory and bring the contention backmost to the people.

It comes aft the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced its divided with Kosmos, opting not to renew its statement aft conscionable 5 years."The ITF tin corroborate that its concern with Kosmos Tennis for Davis Cup is ending," a connection from the International Tennis Federation read.

"The ITF has ensured fiscal contingencies are successful spot and, arsenic the custodian of the competition, volition run the 2023 Qualifiers and Finals arsenic scheduled, with the Final 8 taking spot successful Malaga, Spain, this November.

"The ITF negotiated a beardown woody for tennis successful 2018. The concern accrued participation, prize wealth and involvement successful Davis Cup and produced backing to enactment the planetary improvement of our sport.

"As good arsenic being focused connected delivering different spectacular variation of the men's World Cup of Tennis, we are focused connected the aboriginal maturation of the largest yearly planetary squad contention successful sport."

In 2018, the ITF and Kosmos parties signed a 25-year statement to organise and make the Davis Cup.

Started successful 1900, the tourney underwent a polarising format alteration erstwhile Kosmos took over.

This year's tourney was marred by the abrupt inclusion of Canada, who were walloped successful the qualifying stages 4-0 by the Netherlands.

Canada were fixed a wildcard into the last aft Russia was banned from the contention pursuing the country's penetration of Ukraine.

Canada went connected to bushed Australia successful the final, drafting the ire of Davis Cup immortal Todd Woodbridge.

"The ITF's determination to grant a wildcard to Canada into the Davis Cup finals aboriginal this twelvemonth is conscionable the latest successful a drawstring of disgraceful decisions that person done thing but harm a once-great tournament," helium wrote successful a Wide World of Sports column.

"Instead of rewarding a state that really had a triumph successful their opening necktie from World Group I, Canada are fixed a escaped thrust into the finals.

"It's simply incorrect and unfair.

"Where's the legitimacy of having a state that has already mislaid going done to the finals, up of Chile, who were the top-ranked winners successful World Group I?"

With the promoter retired of the representation for 2024 and beyond, Davis Cup semi-finalist John Millman has called for the timepiece to beryllium coiled back.

"Let's springiness tennis backmost to the people," helium wrote connected Twitter.

"ITF has an accidental to reignite 1 of sport's oldest squad competitions.

"Change the format, find a compromise with players schedules, bring backmost much location and distant ties (especially successful second stages). The athletics volition ever beryllium for the fans."

Canada downs Aussies successful Davis Cup final

Kosmos, led by Spanish footballer Gerard Pique, had pledged to put $3 cardinal successful the tourney implicit the 25-year period.

Under Pique's reign, the Davis Cup was held implicit conscionable 1 week successful a World Cup-style tournament.

Previously, the contention took spot implicit 4 weeks passim the year. Under its erstwhile guise, Australia brought the Davis Cup to the regions.

That's thing tennis manager and erstwhile satellite No.2 prima Magnus Norman said made the Davis Cup truthful special.

"Hope Davis Cup volition travel backmost to location and distant again," helium wrote.

"It brought tennis to the astir distant places and smaller countries had a accidental against bigger nations due to the fact that of aboveground etc. I miss it arsenic a tennis fan."

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