Robin Soderling Proposes Davis Cup Should be Held Once Every Four Years
Robin Soderling, best known for his win over Rafael Nadal at the French Open, says that he always thought that the Davis Cup needed to be reformed but the change in the format has been too drastic.
Soderling says, "For years, I've been saying that the Davis Cup needs to change, but maybe not as drastically. However, I thought of something different - having the tournament every year or every four years, as the World Cup. When I started playing for Sweden in the Davis Cup, it was impressive, there were a lot of people. But now people have lost interest because there are too many meetings. I don't think this is the right way to keep the tournament going. It was clear that the old format didn't work either, because the Davis Cup was dying, but I don't think it's the right thing to do now. There's the ATP Cup, the Davis Cup, the Laver Cup - they're all looking for team tournament form. They just have to sit down and think about what can be done. There has to be a change, but not a change."
The former World No. 4 also believes that the ATP season should be shortened to benefit the players as well as maintain interest among the fans. "If you look at the other sports, they all have a break after the end of the season, in which to recover and start preparing for the new campaign. And now we see a lot of injuries in top players, it's hard. Top players have the option of choosing to play in fewer tournaments, but those with lower rankings have to play every week. Roger, Rafa and Novak have no problem - they can play directly in the Grand Slam tournaments and know that they will perform well. However, lower-ranked competitors do not have this advantage. They have to play a lot to keep their place. It becomes very difficult for the players and, in my opinion, if the break between seasons is longer, it will create more interest in the sport. I think the level during the campaign will be much better this way."
Finally, speaking about the next generation of players on the men's tour, the Swede says that he is impressed with the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner. "I would say Tsitsipas has a great game. I watched him play a few games in London. He is young and has been playing for 10 years in Tura - it impressed me. When Zverev shows his best tennis, he is very strong. In Milan I watched Sinner, he was capable of doing something impressive. I think he will be in the top 20 next year. The way he moves is impressive. He is tall but he is moving well. And his attitude in the matches - he is calm at important moments."
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2Pa4B3G
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