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.”
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner is “very confident” that he will avoid a doping ban after the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed a decision to clear him of wrongdoing following two positive drug tests.
The Montreal-based WADA announced on Saturday it was seeking a ban of one to two years for the US Open champion and has appealed to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“I’m still surprised but I will collaborate like I did before,” Sinner said on Friday, the day before his first match at the Shanghai Masters.
“I had three hearings which all went my way, it was good. But now let’s see.
“But I’m very confident that it comes out very, very positively. I would be very, very surprised if it would be the opposite side.”
Jannik Sinner with the US Open trophy after defeating Taylor Fritz. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The appeal means the case might not be resolved before Sinner begins the defence of his Australian Open title in January, but the Italian can continue playing while the appeal is being heard.
In a news release on Friday, CAS said it formally registered the WADA appeal and was working to confirm a panel of three judges.
The court appoints a panel chair, WADA picks a judge and the respondents — Sinner and tennis authorities — collectively can choose one.
With no panel yet confirmed to take possible requests on fast-tracking the case, CAS said “it is not possible to indicate a time frame for the issuance of the decision.”
The 23-year-old Sinner learned of WADA’s decision to appeal at the start of the Chinese Open, where he went on to lose to Carlos Alcaraz in Wednesday’s final.
“It’s not in a situation where I feel comfortable in, that’s for sure, because I thought it was over,” he said. “And, now, once again. So it’s not easy.”
Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March but was not banned because an independent tribunal of the International Tennis Integrity Agency determined in August he was not to blame.
Sinner’s accepted explanation was the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who used a spray containing the steroid to treat his own cut finger.
Newshttps://https://ift.tt/oHrWyYS happy to see Davis Cup go back to the future with revamped format
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