ITF

6 ITFWORLD SUMMER 2017 ITF AGM Throughout the three days of the Conference, there were a series of breakout sessions, including an update from the ITF's media rights partner, beIN Sports, a rules of tennis forum, and information about the process for nominations for, and appointments to, ITF Committees and Commissions. The ITF Board of Directors met with executives from the six Regional Associations, giving the Board the opportunity to explain the strategy behind ITF2024 and Regional Associations the chance to raise issues on behalf of their member nations. Friday's formal AGM was the nations' time to vote on a series of proposed reforms to Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, and they approved some important changes to the ITF's flagship team competitions. A landmark resolution was passed which gives the ITF Board of Directors the authority to make changes to Davis Cup and Fed Cup regulations on a trial basis without needing to seek approval from the general membership. The resolution was submitted for vote based on feedback from the delegates in Vietnam indicating that they have confidence in the Board members to make changes they deem necessary to enhance the ITF's flagship team competitions. Previously, changes to the Davis or Fed Cup regulations could be only be made annually at the ITF AGM, with a two-thirds majority needed. "This is a ground-breaking decision," Haggerty said. "The resolution gives the board the latitude and flexibility of trialling changes to Davis Cup and Fed Cup without waiting for approval of the AGM. In a fast-changing world, we need to be agile and nimble to make decisions, and this resolution gives us that ability. We thank our members for their support in the ITF Board." Other changes approved were as follows: • The finalists in both Davis Cup and Fed Cup will be guaranteed the choice of hosting their first-round tie in the following year. • Match court availability and practice court requirements will be lower to reduce hosting costs for national associations. • Davis Cup pre-tie commitments for players will be reduced to a single function combining the draw, post-draw press conferences and interviews, and an official lunch. The AGM did not approve the proposal for singles matches in Davis Cup to be played as best-of-three tiebreak sets, rather than best-of-five sets. The motion received 63.54 percent support from member nations, but each reform required a two thirds majority in the voting. It was announced that the 2018 ITF AGM will be hosted by the USTA in Orlando, Florida, on 13-16 August. The AGM also approved Awards for Services to the Game to: Abdulla Al Shaibani (UAE), Ian Froman (ISR), Roland Hansson (SWE), Herman Hu (HKG), Andrei Kornilov (UZB), Jorge Lacerda (BRA), Anne Pankhurst (GBR), Tatiana Poutchek (BLR), Olga Savchuk (UKR), John Shannon (FIJ), Gennadiy Zhukov (RUS) Tennis Cambodia was awarded the inaugural International Tennis Hall of Fame Global Organisation of Distinction Award in recognition of its outstanding achievements in rebuilding tennis in the nation following the sport's eradication during the genocide by the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. Rithivit Tep of Tennis Cambodia receives his award from ITHF CEO Todd Martin and David Haggerty Haggerty with Andrei Kornilov Haggerty presents to John Shannon's family

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