By Chris Oddo | Saturday November 24, 2018
With the ITF and ATP in competition for team tennis supremacy, ITF President David Haggerty says there's potential for the two entities to come together on a solution.
Photo Source :AP
ITF President David Haggerty is hopeful that the powers that be can find a way to solve the current dilemma facing international team tennis. With the Davis Cup and the ATP planning to squeeze two nearly identical team tennis events within two months of each other on the calendar, something has to give.
Haggerty hopes so, at least. And he's hopeful that talks will move in that direction.
The American told reporters that he’s had a very productive meeting with the ATP and plans to have another one at the beginning of 2019. The ATP’s recent unveiling of the ATP Cup, set for January of 2020, has necessitated the conversation.
The ATP Cup offers ranking points and a sensible place on the ATP calendar at the start of the season in January, and suddenly, despite offering more prize money, the 2019 Davis Cup final looks to be in a more vulnerable position when it comes to the all-important battle for player support.
"We had very productive meetings in London with the ATP, Kosmos, the ITF, the Grand Slams and the players to talk about what is the best thing to do for tennis," Haggerty said inside Lille's Stade Pierre Mauroy, according to Reuters. "We talked about two different things. We know that at the heart of the problem is the calendar; no one owns the calendar. We are all responsible for making sure the players have a flow throughout the season, so they can start and finish strong.”
Haggerty, who initially hoped to strike a deal with the ATP to form the new Davis Cup, ended up turning to Gerard Pique and his investment group, Kosmos, to get a deal done. After a controversial vote, Kosmos promptly announced the end of the current Davis Cup format and its plans to start a new Davis Cup team event with a final featuring 18 teams, group play and ties featuring three rubbers and a best-of-three format.
Haggerty has become a villain for those who have long embraced Davis Cup in its current format. The pageantry, the full-throated home support and the potential for a long, drawn-out battle between two nations over a full weekend.
Fans in Lille let their feelings be known when Haggerty turned up at the final on Saturday.
The new Davis Cup hasn’t gone over well with traditionalists and there has been tepid support from the players as well. Things got worse a few weeks ago with the ATP announced its ATP Cup, which will now directly compete with the Davis Cup.
Haggerty and his team appear to be interested in working with the ATP on a joint event now. No doubt it is what tennis needs, but will the competing factions find enough common ground to get it done?
"We also spoke about the possibility of having one event that we could all participate in together,” Haggerty said. “Is there a way down the road to collaborate and work together? A lot of things need to happen to get us there, but I can say it was the most productive meeting we have ever had. We will meet again in January to continue the dialogue."