The World Team Cup, a men's tennis event "offering high prize money and ranking points," could begin as soon as Jan. '19, sources said following meetings between tennis stakeholders in N.Y. this week, according to Simon Cambers of REUTERS. According to two sources familiar with the discussions, "there are plans to hold it over 10 days at the start of each year." The event would include "a maximum 24 nations of up to five players per team," with as many as 1,000 ATP Tour ranking points on offer to players who win all their matches. The competition "could be held in multiple cities, most likely in Australia and the Asia Pacific region, forming an integral part of the build-up" to the Australian Open, which begins in mid-January. Tennis Australia, "which has invested heavily in the sport in recent years, including a state of the art facility in Brisbane, is backing the World Team Cup plans." The organization said in a statement, "The protection and growth of the Australian Open and Australian Open Series is always a major priority for us." The new event "may yet cause a headache for the ITF, which runs the Davis Cup and Fed Cup team events in an already crowded calendar" (REUTERS, 9/7).
