By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, November 25, 2024
Photo: ITF Facebook
The Davis Cup will resume a time-honored tradition, but it has no plans to go the distance.
The 2025 Davis Cup format will return to traditional home-and-away ties in the September phase, moving away from the current four-group stage events played last September.
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However, International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty said there are no plans for Davis Cup to resume best-of-five-set matches.
Meeting the media in Malaga, Spain ahead of Italy’s victory over the Netherlands in the Davis Cup final yesterday, Haggerty said there are two main reasons why the Davis Cup will continue to feature best-of-three-set matches:
1. Many players and captains have sought the best of three sets, especially at the end of a long and grueling season. 2. Best-of-three-set matches can be just as compelling as best-of-five, said the ITF President.
“I think we’ve spoken to the players and the captains. That’s why we’re the best of the three groups,” Haggerty told media in Malaga. “We think it makes sense. Especially in the final when you play games sometimes, Italy will play today, they played yesterday. So we think best of three sets is good.
“I haven’t been and I don’t think anyone here can tell me a match that wasn’t compelling in either the Billie Jean King Cup or the Davis Cup, and we had a best-of-three match, it was almost four hours. I think from the fans’ point of view, we want to make sure that they have a nice experience and for the players and for their health as well.”
Haggerty said the return to home-and-away matches next September, a return to a fundamental Davis Cup principle, is a direct result of feedback from players and captains.
“When it comes down to, you know, looking at what else we could do, we listened to the players, we listened to the nations,” Haggerty said. “One of the things we’ve always wanted to do is balance the Davis Cup tradition with some Final 8 innovation.
“So, as you know, next year the September round, which has been four group stages, will be converted into home-and-away stages. This will give the nations the squad to celebrate their stars and whoever they are drawn against coming to their nation. or for those nations that have to travel, so it really gives us what we think is the best balance of competition.”
