The French Tennis Federation (FFT) wants the “sports format” of the Davis Cup to be reviewed and definitively gives up organizing the group stage of the 2022 edition, it announced in a press release on Monday.
«The FFT’s desire to promote and revitalize the Davis Cup is stronger than ever. It now wishes, in the interest of this competition and of tennis, to contribute to the reflection on the sporting format of the competition and the evolution of its economic model for more attractiveness, within the framework of a governance respectful of the values and the spirit of the Davis Cup“, Indicates the French authority. The historic format of the Davis Cup, in matches at home or away, was modified in 2019 after the takeover of the competition by the Spanish group Kosmos, all the teams being grouped together over a week in Madrid to play a phase of hens then a final table.
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In the face of criticism, and after a cancellation in 2020 due to covid, the 2021 edition was changed again: the group stage was staged in four cities and the final draw in Madrid. But here again the criticisms have rained and the International Federation (ITF) and Kosmos are trying to set up a new version this year.
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Just after France qualified for the final phase in March, the FFT applied to receive one of the four group stage groups (September 14-17) of the 2022 edition. But the ITF had not accepted this candidacy, preferring Malaga (Spain), Bologna (Italy), Glasgow (Great Britain) and Hamburg (Germany), the final table (from the quarters to the final) of the competition having to be played in a fifth city.
The FFT then seized the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). But since then, Malaga has been designated to organize the final table and the ITF must still designate on April 26 according to a new procedure, the city which will replace the Spanish city for the group stage. “The new procedure (…) takes into account the criticisms formulated by the FFT in the context of its procedure before the CAS, by now providing in a clear and transparent manner the deadlines applicable to apply and the stages of the procedure.“, underlines the FFT which “was able to integrate the designation process“. As a result, “the FFT has decided to withdraw its action today (Monday) before the CAS since it no longer has any object“, but she decided for all that”not to submit an application given the requirements imposed, in particular on the operational and financial level».