The ITF Annual General Meeting today passed a landmark resolution giving 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 amendment received overwhelming support at the close of the 2017 ITF AGM in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on 4 August.
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.
ITF President David Haggerty said: "This is a ground-breaking decision. 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."
The AGM earlier voted on a series of proposed reforms for Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas. The nations approved the following proposals:
- 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% support from member nations, but each reform required a two thirds majority in the voting.
Haggerty added: "Change is needed to ensure the long-term future of these iconic and historic competitions, and we remain committed to working with our national associations and other stakeholders on finding ways to enhance Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas."
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) and 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.
The 2018 ITF AGM will be hosted by the USTA in Orlando, Florida on 13-16 August 2018.
For more information, please contact:
ITF Communications
Tel: +44 (0)20 8392 4632
Email: communications@itftennis.com
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