ITF

ROUND-UP NEWS W I N T E R 2 0 1 9 / 2 0 N E W S The ITF and International Tennis Hall of Fame presented the 2019 Davis Cup Award of Excellence to three-time Davis Cup champion David Ferrer in November. The accolade is awarded annually to a player who has shown great dedication to Davis Cup and who represents the ideals and spirit of the competition. It was this year presented by ITF President David Haggerty and International Tennis Hall of Fame representative Mark Woodforde. Ferrer, a former world No.3 who retired from the ATP Tour in May 2019, was an integral part of the Spanish Davis Cup team for 12 years, competing in 20 ties during that time. He compiled a 28-5 win-loss record, with all his matches being in singles. Overall, Ferrer is third for most Davis Cup singles victories by a Spanish player – behind only Hall of Famers Manolo Santana and Manuel Orantes. Ferrer is one of eight men in Spanish Davis Cup history to have competed in 20 or more Davis Cup ties and one of 10 Spanish men to have had a Davis Cup career spanning 10 or more seasons. The 37-year-old's final Davis Cup match was in last year's quarter- final in Valencia, during which he defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany in five sets in the decisive fifth match to send Spain to the semi-finals. Ferrer, who was also a member of the Spanish Olympic team on three occasions, said: "I am honoured to receive the 2019 Davis Cup Award of Excellence from the ITF and Hall of Fame. It has been a privilege to play for my country for 13 years and I have so many special memories, particularly the two titles in Barcelona and Seville. "I would like to thank the Spanish Tennis Federation and all my teammates for their support and friendship and I hope I can encourage the next generation of Spanish Davis Cup players." International Tennis Hall of Fame CEO Todd Martin added: "David Ferrer was a relentless competitor. His commitment to excellence motivated his teammates, competitors and younger generations. "There is no grater privilege and responsibility for an athlete than to represent one's country and David represented Spain with great honour throughout his remarkable career." Ferrer honoured with Davis Cup Award of Excellence Washington to host Fed Cup tie for first time REVAMPED ARIAKE PARK ON With most of the venues already delivered and preparations intensifying, excitement is starting to build ahead of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo. That state of readiness extends to the revamped Ariake Tennis Park, where players, ITF officials and local Games organisers convened for the Olympic and Paralympic test event – the Mitsubishi All-Japan Championships – between 23 October and 3 November. Court No.2 has yet to be constructed, but with the new- look Coliseum show court and brand new Court No.1 in play, things were shaping up nicely in Ariake – and elsewhere – for Koji Murofushi, Sports Director of Tokyo 2020. "The good part is we are on time for all the venues, especially as we are building them and the related infrastructure all the time, so that gives us a very big advantage – not having to worry about this," said Murofushi, a former hammer thrower who bagged gold at Athens 2004 and bronze at London 2012. "We have great tennis players in Japan. Japanese people are very proud of them and expectations are really high, and together with the ITF we really want to prepare the best we can for the Olympic and Paralympic Games." After winning a single-set exhibition match at the test event, Wheelchair Tennis's Yui Kamiji gave positive feedback as she led ITF officials around the facilities. 40 ITFWorld // WINTER 2019/20

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