Gerard Pique has come out strongly to defend the newly introduced Davis Cup format. Kosmos Company led by the Barcelona defender has been the driving force behind the new look tennis world cup set to commence in November from 18th to 24th this year.
The revamped Davis Cup will have 18 teams made up of 12 qualifiers,2018 semi-finalists, and two wild cards. There will be six groups, with group winners and the best runners up progressing to the quarterfinals. The knockout stage will follow, with a doubles match set to determine the final.
Addressing the criticism of the new changes, Pique said, “I know it will go well because I am an optimistic and positive person. It has been a very long trajectory hand now. I hope the fans enjoy themselves, it will be emotional, and everyone has an unbelievable experience.
I hope it will be a big show of tennis and that the final will be decided in the doubles match. Hopefully, there will be a clean game in one of the cleanest sports that are there, that it’s not too cold and that we will all enjoy it.”
Pique remains hopeful that the tournament will be a success, despite the criticism the new format is facing and the withdrawal of some great tennis players such as Roger Federer, and Alexander Zverev. There is also a possibility of Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, opting out.
Will Nadal and Djokovic play the Davis Cup?
There are a lot of uncertainties surrounding the possibility of Nadal and Novak Djokovic participating in the Davis Cup. Despite the fact, both have been selected to represent their countries in the upcoming tennis tournament.
Rafa might not feature in the competition. There has been a growing concern regarding his fitness after withdrawing from the Paris Masters, citing abdominal injury. The Spaniard managed to come back ahead of the ATP Finals in London, although his performance has been dismal. He lost 6-2,6-4 to Alexander Zverev in his opening match, beat Daniil Medvedev 6-7(3-7),6-3,7-6(7-4), boosting his chances of qualifying for the semi-finals.
His next match will be against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has already qualified for the semi-finals. However, the Spaniard will need to beat the Greek and hope that Zverev losses to the Russian for him to be among the last four.
Djokovic might also not feature in the Davis Cup due to an elbow issue he sustained playing against Federer in the ATP Finals. However, he is still hopeful of marking it to the Davis Cup Finals.
Why Federer and Zverev will not play
Roger Federer decided to withdraw from the tennis world cup tennis finals due to family commitments. However, he is bound to participate in some exhibition matches alongside Alexander Zverev, who withdrew from the competition in the wake of the new Davis Cup changes. The idea of the tournament being played in one week does not appeal to him.
Federer in London, ranking, and results in 2019
Ranked no.3, Federer has a 51-9 win-loss record in 2019. The Swiss is competing in London where he bested Matteo Berrettini 7-62 6-3 and Novak Djokovic 6-4 6-3.
Nadal in London, ranking, and results in 2019
Now the world no.1, Nadal has a 52-7 win-loss record in 2019. The Spaniard is currently having a run in London where he ousted Daniil Medvedev 6-73 6-3 7-64 and Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-74 6-4 7-5.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played each other 42 times. The head to head is 26-16 for Nadal.
The last time that they squared off, Roger Federer won 7-63 1-6 6-3 6-4 in the semifinal in Wimbledon on the 12th July 2019.
Here the highlights.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal |
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