ITF

ITFWorld // WINTER 2019/20 15 "As with anything in life, we can make some tweaks and changes to make the product even better in future." D A V I D H A G G E R T Y WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID VASEK POSPISIL CAN "Whenever you make changes there will be pros and cons. I like a lot of things about the new format and it has tremendous potential. Any time you're starting something new, it might take a few years for that event to really pick up steam and reach its maximum potential. An event like this has tremendous potential." NOVAK DJOKOVIC SRB "I miss playing at home for Serbia but I also support the fact there had to be change from the old format. The old model of the Davis Cup wasn't generating enough interest in the world of sport or in the world of tennis." JAN-LENNARD STRUFF GER "They treated us very well. I didn't want to say that it's a good or bad event before I came here and saw it for myself. I liked a lot of things here, but some things have to be changed. But, in general, I like the event, although it's a bit different than normal Davis Cup I would say." Pablo Carreno Busta in action "One of the things we have already talked about is scheduling and whether there are ways over the week to do things differently in terms of start times or number of courts. That is an area we will certainly look to improve. "We will engage with all stakeholders and talk to journalists. There were over 650 journalists there during the week from all around the world and their presence was crucial to ensure coverage. "We want to make sure the event is successful for all parties. It was a great start, but there are ways to make it even better." The on-court action, meanwhile, was thrilling and intriguing. Spain's moment of triumph – their first Davis Cup title since 2011 – arrived when Rafael Nadal defeated Denis Shapovalov 6-3 7-6(7) and fired the delirious hosts into an unassailable 2-0 lead. Roberto Bautista Agut had earlier overpowered Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(3) 6-3, and Spain's sixth Davis Cup title was particularly poignant for the 31-year-old who had endured a testing week. Bautista Agut had left the Spanish camp on the Thursday to be with his father, Ximo Bautista, who sadly passed away that evening. Bautista Agut returned to support his team on the Saturday and, following Spain's triumph over Canada, reduced his team mates to tears during his post-match address to the crowd. All five members of Sergi Bruguera's squad – Nadal, Bautista Agut, Feliciano Lopez, Pablo Carreno Busta and Marcel Granollers – took to the court as Spain beat Croatia, Russia, Argentina, Great Britain and Canada. But, with injuries hitting Granollers and Carreno Busta heading into the weekend, it was world No.1 Nadal and Bautista Agut, described by Lopez as "a superhero" and "our MVP" respectively, who hauled their nation onto the winners' podium. Nadal, who has now played his part in five of Spain's six Davis Cup victories and chalked up eight wins – five in singles and three in doubles – during the week, heaped praise on the durability and unity of his side. "We know how difficult it is to win this trophy and we know how difficult it's going to be to keep winning in the future," said Nadal, who noted that four members of the side were over 30, in stark contrast to 20-year-old Shapovalov and 19-year-old Auger-Aliassime. ➝

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