World tennis chiefs today approved a radical Davis Cup revamp that will overhaul the 118-year-old competition, condensing the annual worldwide showpiece into an 18-team, week-long event.
The shake-up for the men's team tournament received 71.43 per cent support from about 120 delegates at the International Tennis Federation annual meeting in Orlando, well ahead of the two-thirds majority needed for approval.
ITF president David Haggerty supported the revamp proposed by Kosmos, a group led by Barcelona football star Gerard Pique -- who flew in from Spain for the vote -- and backed by Japanese billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani, that has vowed USD 3 billion over 25 years to support the new event.
Haggerty called the reform plan "key to ensuring that the ITF and its member nations will guarantee a bright future for the sport."
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