Tennis: Davis Cup, now an 18-team event

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World tennis chiefs yesterday approved a radical Davis Cup revamp that will overhaul the 118-year-old competition, condensing the annual worldwide showpiece into an 18-team, week-long event.

The shake-up for the men's team tournament received 71.43 percent support from about 120 delegates at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) annual meeting here. ITF president David Haggerty supported the revamp proposed by Kosmos, a group led by Barcelona football star Gerard Pique and backed by Japanese billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani, that has vowed $3 billion over 25 years for the new event.

Haggerty called the reform plan key to ensuring that the ITF and its member nations will guarantee a bright future for the sport. The current Davis Cup format is a knockout event played in February, July, September and November at home and away venues around the globe with a best-of-five match ties.

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