Sydney will serve as "primary host" in '20 for the inaugural ATP Cup, a 24-nation "men's teams competition bringing together the best players on the planet" at the upgraded Ken Rosewall Arena at Sydney Olympic Park, according to Chris Barrett of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The preliminary round-robin rounds of the Jan. 3-12 competition will be "staged across six days in Sydney, Brisbane and a yet-to-be-confirmed third capital city," with Sydney then hosting the quarterfinals, semifinals and final over the remaining four days. The new tournament, a "re-imagining of the former ATP World Team Cup held in Dusseldorf, will come just weeks after the first installment of the controversial new Davis Cup finals." The ATP Cup is also the "centerpiece of a significant revamping of the Australian summer schedule." There has been "uncertainty about the impact on the Hopman Cup in Perth." But Tennis Australia confirmed that the Brisbane Int'l would be "retained as a women’s tournament," while the Sydney Int'l would "remain on the calendar for both men and women" (SMH, 1/7). In Brisbane, Paul Malone reported after the U.S. Open in September, players will be "invited to form national teams of up to five men for the ATP Cup." ATP Cup ties will "comprise two singles matches and one doubles match." ATP players voted in favor of Australia hosting the event. TA Head of Major Events Cameron Pearson said that the $16M purse was the "biggest in the sport other than the four majors" (COURIER-MAIL, 1/7).
