LONDON -- The Davis Cup team tennis
competition will remain a year-long contest despite the protests
of American players and coaches, the International Tennis
Federation (ITF) said on Wednesday.
Both Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras have repeatedly called
for the Davis Cup to be reduced to a one or two week event and
to be played every two years.
The top level of the annual competition is currently
contested over four weekends between February and December.
U.S. captain John McEnroe resigned his post last November
saying changes needed to be made to the scheduling and format of
the competition to encourage top players to take part.
Neither Sampras nor Agassi were available for the U.S.
semifinal against Spain, scheduled shortly after Wimbledon last
July. Spain won 5-0.
But ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti said: "If a nation
cannot persuade its players to take part in the Davis Cup, it is
a problem between the nation and the players not a problem with
the format.
"We have a lot of respect for the country which always makes
these comments about the format.
"They are the first nation in world tennis but we have to
take care of 199 other nations.
"If all the other nations are still happy with the format,
and it seems they are, then we must look after them.
"Agassi and Sampras are great, great players. They are
getting to be quality players rather than quantity players. That
is a kind way of saying they are getting old," he smiled.
The ITF also announced a new Davis Cup sponsorship deal with
BNP Paribas.
The French bank, who also sponsor of the French Open, Paris
Masters and Nice Open Women's Tournament, have pledged about
10.7 million euros ($9.98 million) to the Davis Cup over six
years.
|
|
|
