MADRID, 25 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Billie Jean King Cup (BJKC) announced this Thursday a change in the format of its Finals, which will be held in La Cartuja (Seville) between November 12 and 20, which will consist of a direct elimination of 12 teams, while the Spanish Conchita Martínez will continue as tournament director.
The BJKC Finals, which are held a week later than usual – because it coincided with the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia – will be played starting this year with a 12-team direct elimination format. Of these, four seeds will be exempt from playing the first round, directly accessing the quarterfinals.
Therefore, the previous and usual group stage disappears, giving way to four preliminary qualifiers that will be played from Tuesday, November 12 to Thursday, November 14. The quarterfinals will be played from the 15th to the 17th, the semifinals on the 18th and 19th, and the final of the tournament on Wednesday the 20th.
La Cartuja will host again, as happened in 2023, when the Canadian team won the tournament, thanks to the outstanding performance of Leylah Fernández.
The changes occur, according to the statement issued this Thursday by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), “taking into consideration the comments of the players, captains, fans and television stations.”
In this way, a fortnight of ‘Tennis World Cup’ will be established, with Spain as the venue, since on November 19 the Davis Cup Finals will also start in Malaga, until November 24.
Conchita Martínez, renewed as tournament director, said that “the BJKC finals will be bigger and better this year.” “Every season we see how much this unique and historic competition means to both the players and the fans,” she noted.
The five-time winner of the competition stressed that “there is nothing in women’s tennis that comes close to the excitement, energy and passion that the BJKC creates.” “I’m looking forward to welcoming the best players in the world back to Seville later this year and seeing how the battle to be crowned World Champions in 2024 unfolds,” she said.
For his part, ITF president David Haggerty said that they are “delivering a memorable November in 2024.” “The first ball on court at the Tennis World Cup will open the BJKC Finals on November 12, and the last ball will close the Davis Cup ‘Final 8’ on November 24,” he recalled.
“This gives us a great opportunity to maximize fan viewing and participation in both Tennis World Cup competitions, and is a special way for them to enjoy both the men’s and women’s events, and when traveling between two cities, enjoy Andalusia to the fullest,” stated the top leader of the ITF.
The draws for the Finals and Playoffs will be held next Tuesday, April 30, at 1:00 p.m., from the ITF office in London.
2024-04-25 11:50:08
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