ITF kept players out of loop for Davis Cup revamp: Anderson

PUNE: The  ATP calendar is in for a radical shift from this year. The change, ironically, will first be led by Davis Cup, a product owned by International Tennis Federation (ITF). While there will be around as per the traditional home-and-away format in early February, a bulk of match-ups — including the semifinals and final — will be staged in a frantic week in November. Needless to say, this has rubbed a lot of people associated with the sport the wrong way. 

Even elite players do not really like what ITF is doing to Davis Cup. “I am not going to change my mind about the new format. I’m not going to play in Davis Cup anymore. That was the last time,” was what Lucas Pouille, who played in the final last year against Croatia, had said after losing that clash. As it turns out, ITF hasn’t consulted players before ratifying the format after a vote had okayed the change. At least that’s what Kevin Anderson indicated during a press conference at the ongoing Tata Open Maharashtra on Monday. 

“I can’t speak too much on ITF and Davis Cup. They have been sort of doing their own thing. They haven’t really collaborated with us as closely as we would have liked. It has been better in the last year or so, which is positive. But it is tough for me to comment on something that is out of players’ hands.”  

The World No 6, vice-president of ATP’s players council, said the players’ priority was very clear. His allegiance is with the upcoming ATP World Team Cup, which will be played in Australia in 2020, after a gap of eight years. “There has been a lot of talk about Davis Cup and World Team Cup. We have been very focussed on the latter to make it as strong as possible. It is great for the Tour and it is going to increase the popularity of our sport.”

The thing to be noted here is that it is easy for the 32-year-old to be blase about Davis Cup. It’s because the South African, who is the top seed at Tata Open, hasn’t played in the “World Cup of Tennis” since 2011. His boycott will not be changing any time soon. 

The two-time finalist also revealed that he would like to see “on-court coaching allowed”, but in a “structured sense”. “We will still have to discuss what that process would be. But I will be in favour of something down that path.”Anderson’s opinions, because of his position on the council, have heft. It will be interesting to see if ATP decides to do something about it.

Prajnesh bows out in Rd 1 of Tata Open
Prajnesh Gunneswaran, India’s leading player on the Tour, bowed out in the opening round to US’ Michael Mmoh. The World No 107, coming into the tournament as a wild card, put up an admirable fight but lost 7-5, 6-3. Select results (Rd 1): Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) bt Pablo Andujar (ESP x8) 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (6); Steve Darcis (BEL) bt Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP x6) 6-3, 6-4.
Select fixtures (Rd 1): Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) vs Ivo Karlovic (CRO), Saketh Myneni (IND) vs Benoit Paire (FRA x5), Marcel Granollers (ESP) vs Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND).