2023-09-13 12:09:39
By the editorial staff
Published 1 hour ago, Updated now
Julien Benneteau. GIAMPIERO SPOSITO / Giampiero Sposito / Panoramic
The former Davis Cup player did not digest Gerard Pique’s justification after Wawrinka’s criticism of the absence of spectators in Manchester.
“Thank you Gerard Piqué,” Stan Wawrinka said ironically on Wednesday in front of the empty stands in Manchester at the time of opening the meeting between France and Switzerland. Gilles Moretton, the president of the French federation, for his part added on Two leading tennis nations for a historic competition that no longer fascinates. It is urgent to rebuild the Davis Cup! “). Gérard Pique, the former FC Barcelona player, briefly responded: “ Last year the attendance was (plus 113,000 spectators in Hamburg, Bologna, Glasgow and Valencia). You can compare Stan Wawrinka for yourself. We no longer organize it. »
Before being attacked by Julien Benneteau, former Davis Cup player and current captain of the French Billie Jean King Cup team, in unkind terms which express the extent of resentment in the face of the waste: “ How dare you speak? You literally killed one of the pillars of tennis with the International Federation. So please at least shut up ».
The Kosmos investment group, chaired by Gerard Piqué, transformed the format of the Davis Cup from 2019, a year after obtaining the 25-year organizing rights from the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
The traditional and popular home and away duels which built the legend of the event have been abandoned. The new formula struggled to convince and the ITF decided to terminate the contract at the start of 2023, without changing the format for the current season.
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