ARGENTINA AND GREAT BRITAIN HANDED WILD CARDS FOR 2019 DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS FINALS
The ITF and Kosmos Tennis today announced that the Davis Cup Steering Committee has selected Argentina and Great Britain to receive wild cards for the 2019 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas finals.
Eighteen nations will compete in the newly-transformed finals. Argentina and Great Britain will be joined by the four semi-finalists from the 2018 competition – Croatia, France, Spain, USA – and the 12 winners from the 2019 Qualifiers to be held on 1-2 February.
The 2019 Qualifier Draw takes place today at 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) at the ITF offices in London, and will be streamed live on the Davis Cup website and Davis Cup Facebook
The Davis Cup Steering Committee is comprised of ITF President David Haggerty, Kosmos Founder and President Gerard Piqué, Spanish former professional tennis player Galo Blanco and ITF Vice President René Stammbach.
Both wild card nations have a rich Davis Cup history and have enjoyed recent success in the competition. Argentina captured its first title in 2016, defeating Croatia in Zagreb on its fifth appearance in the Davis Cup final, while Great Britain won its tenth title in 2015 overcoming Belgium in the final in Ghent.
Argentina and Great Britain are replaced as seeded nations for the 2019 Qualifier Draw by Australia and Switzerland, who were the highest-ranked unseeded nations that lost in the 2018 World Group play-offs.
Australia and Switzerland are replaced as unseeded nations in the draw by the highest-ranked nation from their respective region in order to maintain the allocation of unseeded nations (six from Europe/Africa, three from Asia/Oceania, three from Americas). China, P.R. replaces Australia, while Bosnia/Herzegovina will also contest February’s Qualifiers having guaranteed a place in the top six Europe/Africa nations and completed its 2018 Davis Cup season.
The two remaining nations from Europe/Africa will be confirmed after the 2018 Europe/Africa Zone Group I relegation play-offs in October and based on the Davis Cup Nations Ranking of Monday 29 October. These nations will be drawn into the Qualifier Draw following the completion of the 2018 competition.
The 12 seeded nations for the 2019 Qualifiers are:
1. Belgium
2. Serbia
3. Australia
4. Italy
5. Germany
6. Switzerland
7. Kazakhstan
8. Czech Republic
9. Sweden
10. Austria
11. Canada
12. Japan
The 12 unseeded nations for the 2019 Qualifiers are:
Europe/Africa (6 nations)
Hungary
Netherlands
Russia
Bosnia/Herzegovina
Europe/Africa nation TBC
Europe/Africa nation TBC
Asia/Oceania (3 nations)
India
Uzbekistan
China, P.R.
Americas (3 nations)
Colombia
Chile
Brazil
The 12 winning nations in the Qualifiers will compete in the 2019 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas finals, while the 12 losing nations will compete in their respective 2019 Zone Group competitions.
Further details regarding the 2019 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas finals will be announced in due course.
