Davis Cup change

Press, 12 July 1980, Page 22

Davis Cup change

NZRA-Reuter Vienna The International Tennis Federation (1.T.F.) has adopted a proposal to change the Davis Cup into a two-tier competition with a 16-nation top group and the rest playing in zones.

The annual general meeting of the I.T.F. in Vienna approved the new proposal, which was submitted by the I.T.F. management committee, by 35 votes to 13. An I.T.F. spokesman said that the meeting also approved China’s readmission into the federation in crinciple, and that discussions were going on with Taiwan. Under the new Davis Cup format the world’s top 16 tennis nations will meet in a knock-out tournament every year, while the rest will battle it out in zoned groups for promotion to the premier division. _ Four teams — two Euro-

pean, an Asian and an American — will be promoted to the top group and four relegated each year. The I.T.F. hopes it will make the competition more interesting for the big tennis powers, giving them more varied competition, while giving more incentive to the others.

The top eight teams will be seeded, which should prevent the strongest teams meeting each other in the first round, as has happened in the past. Selection to the top group for 1981 will be based on performances in this year’s tournament, meaning that the four semi-finalists from the European . zones and the Asian and American semifinalists will go in. Seeding in the first' year will be on merit and in subsequent years based on the results in the previous year’s competition.