“Get used to it, there is no other choice” Davis Cup tournament director Fernando Verdasco slams Alexander Zverev and other critics
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Fernando Verdasco and Alexander Zverev
Former World No. 7 and tournament director of the Davis Cup, Fernando Verdasco had some words for the critics of the tournament which is also called the ‘World Cup of Tennis’. The tournament saw massive format changes from the 2019 edition after Spanish and Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique‘s company Kosmos got the majority stake in the tournament and made the changes.
While some players welcomed the change, many others did not. With great financial investments and profits, the commercialisation of the tournament has not gone well with many given that it is harming the spirit and the traditions of the tournament. While Fernando himself did not agree with all the amendments, he said there is no other choice but to accept them.
“A lot of people are used to the old tradition and that’s why they don’t approve of this new format. Zverev, for example, is among those who have said that he dreams of winning the Davis Cup his whole life. Things are changing, just like there was no Hawk-Eye before and now there is. We will all have to get used to it, there is no other choice.
“From my perspective, and just because I’m now tournament director, doesn’t think the change is positive enough for the players, due to timing issues and possible injuries. Five months ago, I would have answered the same thing,” said Verdasco in an interview with the Eurosport.
“We all asked for this format”: Fernando Verdasco
Verdasco played in 19 Davis Cup ties for Spain and was a 3-time champion winning the tournament in 2008, 2009 and 2011. Now working in the capacity of the tournament directory, Verdasco talked about the need for a new format that was requested from the time he was playing.
“When I played the Davis Cup, all the players complained asking for this new format, we wanted a Davis Cup of ten days at the end of the season and not have to play four qualifiers spread throughout the year. Sometimes you went from playing the Australian Open, to playing indoors to Belarus and then to South America on clay.
“In three weeks you were playing on three different surfaces, the worst for a player. The factor of playing at home or playing outside was very good, in a stadium of 8,000 people you had the public with you or you had it against you, that made it special. But if we talk about the calendar, we all asked for this format,” added Verdasco.
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Sarthak Shitole
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