Former Spanish tennis player and Davis Cup director, David Ferrer, explained that in this edition of the final stage of the competition, which will be held from November 22 to 27 at the Martín Carpena Sports Palace in Malaga, “the matches will not last until dawn” as happened in 2019, when the company’s new format was implemented Cosmos.
“Except for Thursday, when there will be a double day, the rest of the days will have one tie each day and that will be the cause the parties didn’t last until dawn. That happened to us the first year and now that has changed. The goal is for the teams to rest”, added Ferrer, 40, in an interview with EFE.
The crosses of the final phase of the Davis Cup are Australia-Netherlands (November 22nd), Spain-Croatia (November 23), Italy-United States (November 24) and Germany-Canada (November 24). The semifinals will be played on the 25th and 26th and the final on the 27th.
“I consider Spain, the United States and Italy to be equal favouritesbut these last two will face each other in the quarterfinals”, said Ferrer.
“Even Spain will also have a very tough quarter-final against Croatia. Italy came with players who are in a very good moment, like Matteo Berretini (number 15 in the ATP ranking) and Jannik Sinner (12)”, he pointed out.
In any case, Ferrer warns against that “Spain will have Carlos Alcaraz (1) and a second very consolidated playersuch as Roberto Bautista (20) and Pablo Carreño (14)” and that “doubles are very important in the Davis Cup and, in this sense, the United States has a really good team”.
Ferrer knows very well what it is like to play the Davis Cup, as it is a competition that he has won with Spain on three occasions: 2008, 2009 and 2011. “The Davis Cup continues to be attractive for the best players. What happens is the calendar is what it is and it’s very crowded. But the important thing is that on a historical level it is a very important tournament”, he considered.
And he asserted: “Playing for your country puts you under extra pressure and the impact of winning the Davis Cup comes only from winning a Grand Slam”.
The competition seems to attract the Malaga public, as Ferrer explained that “ticket sales are going well, especially for the matches in Spain, which are almost full”. On the other hand, in other parties they “work so that as many people as possible can also go.”
Malaga It will host the final Davis Cup in both 2022 and 2023. “It’s a city that loves sports”, Ferrer considers: “From the beginning, its institutions have been very interested in hosting the final stage and everything is compatible. Being Spanish, I am excited that it will go to Malaga”.
On the other hand, nothing has been decided about what could happen from 2024, although in the past there have been reports that put the final stage of competition in the Middle East in the future. “I don’t know what will happen in 2024.”
“The Davis Cup is global, international, and of course it needs to be expanded. But I don’t know if it will change, if in the Middle East, we will see”, ditch Ferrer.
In this edition, for the first time, thanks to Kosmos’ agreement with Ecovidrio, the carbon footprint left by the competition will be measured. “Davis Cup has been working with Ecovidrio for the last three years and we are trying to make the tournament as sustainable as possible”, said Ferrer.
“In Malaga, a tennis court is being built with 22,000 kilos of recycled glass. I’ve never seen it before and I’m curious to see it in person. The goal is to inform the population of the importance of sustainability”, he added.
Ferrer retired as a professional tennis player in 2019. When asked if he misses the adrenaline of competing, he was candid: “Since I retired three years ago, I haven’t missed a day of competing. I’m living another phase of my life and I’m having a great time”.
Although he points out that, as a player, he enjoyed “a lot” and experienced “very strong emotions”. But time passed. “Now I have another life as director of the Conde de Godó Trophy and director of the Davis Cup. I feel fulfilled, I like to learn and have another facet in my life related to tennis. Also, I keep playing the Legends Cup and I try to stay in shape”, explained Ferrer.
Spain lifted the Davis Cup in the first edition organized by Kosmos, in 2019. The following year, the competition could not be played due to the coronavirus pandemic and, in 2021, the Russian Federation won, beating Croatia 2-0 in the end. This time, due to the indefinite suspension of Russia by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the champion will not be able to defend his title.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
