Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/560492
SUMMER 2015 WELCOME 2 ITFWORLD SUMMER 2015 I n 2015, more than a century after it was founded, Davis Cup by BNP Paribas reminds us yet again what a surprising and challenging competition it is. After one of the most highly-fought first rounds in years, the quarterfinals offered both drama and history. The Australians, who looked down and out to Kazakhstan in Darwin, staged a comeback from 0-2 down casting 34-year-old Lleyton Hewitt, one of the most passionate Davis Cup players of all time, into the familiar role of hero. Hewitt and Sam Groth won the doubles, with Groth replacing Nick Kyrgios to win the fourth match and Hewitt replacing Thanasi Kokkinakis in the fifth to set up a semifinal for Australia against old rivals, Great Britain. On his way to being one of the Davis Cup greats himself, Andy Murray staged a tour-de-force winning all three points, including the doubles with brother Jamie, to put GB into the semifinals for the first time in 34 years. On the other side of the draw, David Goffin led Belgium to the semifinals over a Canadian team depleted by injury. This takes nothing away from the Belgians who are a very talented team who will host an unexpected Argentine side who took out Serbia in Buenos Aires. Other notable results include the comeback from two matches down by Russia over Spain in Europe/Africa Group I, with 17-year-old ITF Junior World Champion Andrey Rublev playing a leading role to set up a match against Italy in the World Group Play-offs, and the win by Dominican Republic over Ecuador led by 34-year-old Victor Estrella Burgos, putting his country into the World Group Play-offs for the first time where they will host Germany. Davis Cup is a competition I never tire of because it creates heroes and generates interesting stories each and every round. All four of our semifinal nations have long histories in the competition and, for each, a title in 2015 would be a dream come true. Historically, we are also poised to witness another amazing achievement. All of us who love tennis certainly hope to see Serena Williams, whose victories at Roland Garros and Wimbledon guaranteed her a second 'Serena Slam', achieve the elusive calendar Grand Slam. Only three other women (Maureen Connolly in 1953, Margaret Court in 1970 and Steffi Graf in 1988) and two men (Don Budge in 1938 and Rod Laver in 1962 and 1969) have won the calendar Grand Slam so, if she succeeds, Serena will be only the sixth player in history to join this very exclusive club. She has fought hard for it too, coming back from a set down four times in Paris and once at Wimbledon to win the titles. Serena is a true champion and we wish her success in New York as this would be a glorious addition to an already stellar resume. Standing in her way will be all the great talent on the WTA Tour, players like Garbine Muguruza who delighted everyone with her march to the Wimbledon final, and Lucie Safarova who forced a third set before falling to Serena in the Roland Garros final. As I said, exciting times for tennis. Novak Djokovic is so far one match short of equalling Serena's achievement in 2015, having won in Australia and at Wimbledon where he dominated Roger Federer in the final. His defeat by Stan Francesco Ricci Bitti and IOC President Thomas Bach are joined onstage at the ITF World Champions Dinner by Olympic gold medallists Serena William, Bob and Mike Bryan, and Lindsay Davenport CREATING HEROES