The draw has taken place for next year’s Davis Cup with 16 teams in the top tier of the competition discovering who they will play in the first round of the event in February.
16 countries will battle it out in the world group. The 2017 field will see the return of past champions Spain and Russia after they triumphed in the playoff matches earlier this year. Both countries will replace Kazakhstan and Poland, who has been relegated to the Group I zone.
Top seeds Argentina will begin their campaign against Italy on home territory. It will be the second consecutive year that the two countries have played each other after their July meeting in Pesaro, Italy. On that occasion, the Argentine’s triumphed 3-1.
Croatia faces a tough opening tie against Spain. The second seeds, who will be hosting the tie, will be hoping to get revenge on the Spanish team following their 5-0 whitewash in 2003. Croatia is currently on a four-tie winning streak and will play Argentina in the 2016 final in November.
Other first round matches include 2015 Champions Great Britain against Canada in what will be their first meeting in the competition since 1967. The United States, who has won the title on 32 occasions, could endure a tough clash against Switzerland depending on who the Swiss team will feature. Finally France will travel to Japan in what will be their first ever meeting on Japanese soil.
Full draw (host country in bold)
Argentina [1] vs. Italy – Argentina leads the head-to-head 2-1
Belgium [7] vs. Germany – Germany leads the head-to-head 8-0
Czech Republic [4] vs. Australia – Australia leads the head-to-head 7-1
Switzerland [5] vs. USA – USA leads the head-to-head 3-1
France [6] vs. Japan – France leads the head-to-head 3-0
Great Britain [3] vs. Canada – Great Britain leads the head-to-head 1-0
Serbia [8]* vs. Russia – Russia leads the head-to-head 1-0
Croatia [2]* vs. Spain – Spain leads the head-to-head 1-0
The first round will occur during the first weekend of February. The 2017 tournament could be the last to be played under the current format if proposed changes by the president of the International Tennis Federation is approved next summer. David Haggerty has introduced a plan of selecting a neutral venue to host the final of the competition in an effort to boost interest and revenue in the event.
2017 Davis Cup timetable
First round: 3-5 February
Quarterfinals: 7-9 April
Semifinals and Play-offs 15-17 September
Final: 24-26 November
