ERSA Pro Stringer Magazine 4 - 2019 prostringer 4 -2019 web | Page 13

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NEWS SHORTS
The schedule has been announced for the new-look Davis Cup fi nals ,
which will be held in Madrid from 18- 24 November 2019. 18 teams will compete in six initial
groups of three.
The six group winners plus the two second placed teams with the best records - based on
percentage of sets won, followed by games won, then points won - will advance to the
quarterfi nals.
All four semi-fi nalists will progress directly to the Davis Cup Madrid Finals in 2020. The two teams
with the worst record after the group stage will be relegated to their respective Zone Group I tiers
next year.
The 12 remaining teams will compete in the 2020 Davis Cup Qualifi ers.
The ITF has confi rmed that all matches at the 2020 Olympic Games will be played over the
best of three tie-break sets. Men’s, women’s and mixed doubles matches will feature a
Champions Tiebreak at one set all.
The 30th anniversary of the Umag tournament in Croatia in July will feature an
exhibition match between Goran Ivanisevic and Pat Rafter, 18 years after their celebrated
Wimbledon fi nal. Antomi Ramos Viera has become the fi rst Spaniard to top the ITF Beach Ten-
nis Tour men’s rankings.
40-year old Ivo Karlovic became the oldest player to win a match in Masters 1000
series history at Indian Wells recently.