India to host Italy in Davis Cup Qualifiers

India will play host to Italy in the 2019 Davis Cup Qualifiers and the winner will progress to the Finals to be held in November.

This will be the first time the new Davis Cup format will be implemented.

India will host Italy in the Davis Cup 2019 Qualifiers, which will be played from February 1-2. The draw was held in London on Wednesday.

India lost 4-0 in its World Group play-off tie against Serbia but made the qualifiers owing to its superior ranking in the Asia/Oceania zone.

Hosting Italy ends India's streak of three away ties the side has played over the last two years. The Indians travelled to Canada in September 2017, China in April this year and more recently went to Serbia this month.

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This will also be the first time the new Davis Cup format will be implemented. Under the new set of rules, the tie will now consist of five best-of-three set matches and will be held over two days. The winner of the tie will compete in the revamped 18-team Finals which will be held in November 2019.

Madrid to host new-format Davis Cup in 2019 and 2020

Madrid has been chosen to host the first two new-format Davis Cup finals in 2019 and 2020, the organisers of the top international men's team tennis event said Thursday.

Under a format proposed by the Kosmos group, headed by Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique, and adopted by the International Tennis Federation in August, the competition will bring together 18 nations in one place for a week at the end of the tennis season.

(With inputs from AFP)