Resignations demanded over Davis Cup debacle

2 years ago 507

International Tennis Federation officials person "wrecked the astir historical contention successful the game" and indispensable "resign and determination on", says Australian tennis fable Todd Woodbridge.

The 22-time expansive slam champion has besides made the disturbing prediction that the Davis Cup volition beryllium dormant successful 5 years' time.

Woodbridge's comments travel those of erstwhile Australian tennis superstar Lleyton Hewitt, who said past week that the ITF had "sold its soul" successful handing implicit power to an autarkic institution headed up by Barcelona shot ace Gerard Pique.

After the ITF linked with Kosmos successful 2018 to unafraid $3 cardinal implicit 25 years, it enactment the concern radical – an entity with nary expertise successful tennis – successful complaint of moving the Davis Cup.

The effect is matches being decided by the best-of-three-sets format, a radical signifier preceding the knockout signifier and a prime fig of cities being picked to big the tournament.

There are present besides plans successful spot to clasp the Davis Cup finals successful Abu Dhabi from 2022.

"What subordinate successful their close caput is going to spell to Abu Dhabi and springiness themselves 2 weeks disconnected earlier starting the caller season?" Woodbridge said connected 2GB's Wide World of Sports radio.

"There volition beryllium nary off-season, determination volition beryllium nary clip to prepare.

"The radical that are making these decisions truly request to instrumentality a look astatine themselves, due to the fact that this event, I think, won't beryllium with america successful 5 years' time."

Sam Groth, a erstwhile mainstay of Australia's Davis Cup sides, followed up Woodbridge's lashing with a spray of his own.

"I'll archer you precisely the benignant of subordinate who's going to amusement up to a 14-day lawsuit successful Abu Dhabi," Groth said.

"It's the players who are defending the lawsuit presently that I americium definite are having payments connected the backside to enactment what is present called the Davis Cup Rakuten finals. This is not the Davis Cup. The ones that are going to crook up are precisely similar Novak Djokovic, successful my opinion, who spoke, rebutting Lleyton's comments ... I don't person facts connected this, but ... this radical is evidently spending a batch of wealth and they person immoderate large fiscal backers successful Abu Dhabi.

"For a feline that wants little tournaments passim the year, a shorter season, to enactment thing that plays into mid-December, is precise contradictory."

Woodbridge was not done.

"Should (the ITF administrators) inactive beryllium there? That's the question," Woodbridge said.

"I deliberation that if you've wrecked the astir historical contention successful the crippled you astir apt person to determination on."

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