Other proposals include reviewing the best-of-five-sets format now used in Davis Cup, with all changes needing to be approved at the ITF’s AGM in August 2017.
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The International Tennis Federation announced plans to alter the current set-up of Davis Cup and Fed Cup finals, one of which is to invite bids from national associations and cities interested in hosting finals.
“I do love the home and away atmosphere that we get in the Davis Cup just now”, he said.
“A fundamental thing that I think is important to Davis Cup and Fed Cup is the home-and-away format, especially in the earlier rounds”, Haggerty told ITF World Magazine.
Both tournaments have traditionally staged their season climaxes on the home ground of one of the finalists but the ITF said they will launch “an open bid process to assess fixed host cities. a model used by events including the UEFA Champions League Final, Superbowl and European Rugby Champions Cup”.
“This is all part of our mission to make the appeal of tennis broad and wide”, said Haggerty, who was elected president of ITF in 2015.
“A fixed final will replicate the approach, seen in many other sports, for the tennis season’s finale that players, fans, partners and broadcasters can better plan for”.
Even Andy Murray felt unable to play in Great Britain’s tie against Serbia this year, having barely finished parading the Wimbledon men’s singles trophy before the Great Britain team had to fly out to Belgrade.
In the women’s competition, Haggerty is eager to introduce an expanded Fed Cup top group, and introduce a “Final Four” format.
“A lot of the players have spoken about that, about potentially shortening the format, maybe playing it over Saturday and Sunday, best of three sets, I like that idea”.
“For me personally the last three days, coming off the back of the Olympics, Cincinnati, the US Open and then being on court for 10 or 11 hours over three days, was really hard”.
Both events – the Davis Cup for men and the Fed Cup for women – are among the most prestigious on the tennis calendar but making changes is a key goal for ITF President David Haggerty who was elected to replace Italy’s Francesco Ricci Bitti in September of a year ago.
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This, however, will rely on the plans being approved at next year’s annual general meeting. “The Davis Cup as well has been great in doing that”, he added. It is a little bit sore but I am okay. The final of the 2016 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas will be held on November 12 and 13 at Rhenus Sport stadium in Strasbourg. “Of course it’s all very different, all very different experience, I have to say”. I am very proud to have brought a tennis event here. In the final week, generally in November, we would have the final four teams come together in a neutral location.
