Tennis Today: Mixed reactions to Davis Cup shake-up, Gerard Pique a man of many talents
In Tennis Today, reaction to the Davis Cup revamp, footballer Gerard Pique sets his sights on tennis and Grigor Dimitrov floating around.
What’s on the site
If you took Deggsy Bilton’s betting tip last week then you would have made a few quid as he predicted a 12/1 winner in Rio. If you missed out, here’s another chance as he gives this week’s tips.
Can Roger Federer break Jimmy Connors’ record of 109 ATP singles title? The odds are stacked against him, but the Swiss Maestro has done the impossible before.
Get ready for the World Cup of Tennis as the Davis Cup is set for a major revamp.
Results round-up:
ATP Dubai Open
ATP Mexican Open
WTA Mexican Open
What’s in the news
So you’ve read about the International Tennis Federation’s Davis Cup proposal, but it hasn’t gone down well with doubles legend Todd Woodbridge, who told ABC.net it has been “thrown like a big bomb into the tennis landscape”.
Woodbridge ads “there are so many questions that are unanswered”.
Sportsmail adds: “The amount of space required for such a big event indoors would take up the acreage of something like Heathrow’s Terminal 5, so it will surely have to be held outside. That, combined with the need for some serious sponsors to break even, suggests that it will be held somewhere in Asia or, less likely, the Middle East.”
What’s on social media
Mardy Fish and Jurgen Melzer have different opinions on the proposed changes to the Davis Cup.
I usually agree with u… but not on this one… smaller countries losing their chance to see their stars on home soil… plus home and away atmosphere is gone… wasn’t that what DC was all about?
— Jurgen Melzer (@jojomelzer) February 26, 2018
Yevegeny Kafelnikov is pretty sad.
Goodbye @DavisCup ??! Original spirit of competition is gone https://t.co/aEfZ3yGzo0
— Kafelnikov Yevgeny (@KYevgeni) February 26, 2018
And then there is the fact that Spain and Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique is involved.
While people continue to either hyperventilate about the death of the Davis Cup or applaud forever (there seems to be no middle ground), I’m still just digesting the completely random and bizarre fact that Gerard Pique may soon be one of the most important people in tennis.
— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) February 26, 2018
Judy Murray approves. Read the reply.
Gerard Pique is fronting the new Davis Cup next year, backed by a, “European-based holding company focused on building a global portfolio of media and sports assets, leveraging strategic synergies across forms of content, platforms, technologies and geographies”. Me neither.
— kevin mitchell (@kevinmitchell50) February 26, 2018
Others are not impressed though.
This is NOT Davis Cup! Name it Kosmos Cup or Pique Cup or whatever. Leave the real Davis Cup to history.
— Jane Stevenson (@rioritariorita4) February 26, 2018
Pique, though, is a man of many talents.
Gerard Pique is a man of parts – presented his World Cup of tennis plan to ITF board on Saturday morning then later in the day he played for Barcelona https://t.co/bTsE4tRHfC
— Mike Dickson (@Mike_Dickson_DM) February 26, 2018
The Rio Open delivered some good shots so check out Tennis TV’s Top 5 Best Shots. Of course it features Gael Monfils.
As Roger Federer prepares for the defence of his BNP Paribas Open title, here are some of his best shots at Indian Wells over the years. They are well worth the two minutes and 41 seconds.
Just Grigor Dimitrov floating around.
What’s on TV
ATP Dubai Championships
Top seed Grigor Dimitrov returns to action following the Rotterdam Open while Richard Gasquet is also in action.
10:00-13:30
LIVE – Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Arena
15:00-18:30
LIVE – Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Arena
ATP Mexican Open
Rafael Nadal is the top seed, but the top-class field includes Alexander Zvere and Juan Martin Del Potro.
00:00-5:30
LIVE – Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Action
WTA Mexican Open
Sloane Stephens, Kristyna Pliskova and Belinda Bencic are some of the big names who features.
00:00-02:00
LIVE – BT Sport 3
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