The ATP said that Sydney's tennis facilities "are in urgent need of an upgrade," according to James Buckley of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The organization "sees Australia as a potential host nation" of its revamped World Team Cup in Australia from '20. Singapore, China and the U.S. "are all believed to be vying for the right to stage the event" when it returns to the men's calendar for the first time since '12, but Australia "looms as the most logical location for the season-opening tournament that is set to become the key lead-up to the Australian Open." The proposed World Team Cup "is envisaged to be the biggest tennis event on the globe outside of the four grand slams," with 24 countries to be represented by most of the world's top 100 players in a round-robin format culminating in a three-day finals series. A decision on the host nation is not expected until at least March. Securing the World Team Cup "could hinge on the NSW Government significantly improving Sydney's tennis facilities," which have "laid stagnant" at Olympic Park since the 2000 Olympics. Should Australia be awarded the tournament, the ATP "believes Sydney should host the final given its standing on the global stage." Ken Rosewell Arena, which has a capacity of about 10,000 and is hosting the Sydney Int'l this week, does not have a roof or the "required corporate and player facilities to host a premier ATP event." Brisbane and Perth "are ATP standard" while a "redeveloped arena in Adelaide" was announced earlier this week, which places Sydney "beneath that trio" and Melbourne in terms of tennis infrastructure (SMH, 1/9).
'MAJOR PRIORITY': In Brisbane, Paul Malone reported a women's tour tennis tournament "would still be staged in Brisbane in its current week in January" from '20 "even if the city loses its men’s event." If Tennis Australia succeeds in bringing a WTC for men to Brisbane and three other Australian cities from '20, a WTA Premier level tournament would "remain prominently on TA’s summer circuit," uncoupled from the men’s event that has accompanied it since '09. TA CEO Craig Tiley said that if a WTC was integrated into the January schedule in Australia, it "would replace the Brisbane International as it is today." Brisbane Int'l Tournament Dir Cameron Pearson said, "Brisbane has long been and will always continue to be a major priority for tennis" (COURIER-MAIL, 1/8).
