In the Davis Cup, the world group can be simply called the championship group, while the regional group can be called the "promotion/relegation group."
There are three large regions, and within each regional group, it can be divided into four groups:
One group, two groups, three groups, four groups.
Every year, the competition is held between countries in the same group. Those who win are promoted to the next higher group; those who unfortunately lose are relegated to the first group.
Here, there are two keys.
First, the winner of one group will face off against the team that lost in the first round of the World Group. The winner will enter the World Group and the loser will be relegated to one group.
Among them, there are four places in Europe and Africa, two places in North and South America, and two places in Asia and Oceania. A total of eight names have advanced to the world group.
Second, the losers in the fourth group will not be demoted again, because there is no level below that can be downgraded.
The detailed events of the World Group and Regional Group can basically be divided into four rounds if we go into more detail:
The first round can also be called the knockout round, because the losing teams need to play in the play-offs to try to stay in their original group.
The fourth round, for the teams that advance all the way, is a championship battle and a competition to qualify for promotion; for the teams that lost in the first round, they will continue to play, but they are not competing for the championship. , but a relegation battle. Once they lose, they will be relegated. The world group will be dropped to the regional group, and within the regional group, they will drop one level at a time.
It is precisely because of this that confusing keywords often appear when the media reports on the Davis Cup.
Such as relegation.
Such as the play-offs.
For example, the World Group and the Asia-Pacific Group.
For example, why are there still games going on for a team that has clearly been eliminated before?
For example, after losing in the first round, the defending champion was put into a terrible situation of relegation?
Etc., etc.
But after combing through it carefully, and understanding it equivalent to the European Football League's Super, A, B, and C, the whole system suddenly became clear.
It's not difficult to understand.
Chinese men's tennis has been declining, but this is equivalent to world tennis. It is not the best but not the worst in Asia.
In 2007, Chinese men's tennis fell into a trough. After losing in the first round of the regional group tournament, they lost to Kazakhstan in the play-offs. They failed to survive relegation and were relegated to the second group. This was also the darkest and most depressing period. some time.
But then, in 2008, after the Chinese men's tennis defeated New Zealand, they returned to the first group of the regional group and have never fallen out of the first group since then.
In the Asia and Oceania region, Australia, India, and Neon are the traditional strong teams. Kazakhstan, Kimchi, Uzbekistan, etc. also have excellent competitiveness. Among them, China is neither better nor worse, and it seems that it always lacks the final strength. One breath cannot pierce the last layer of window paper.
Over the years, China Men's Tennis has advanced to the final round three times in the regional group, and was only one step away from the play-offs. However, it lost to Kazakhstan in 2010, Australia in 2011, and Australia in 2014. Uzbekistan. All failed.
In other words, in recent years, Chinese men's tennis has not even entered the play-offs to advance to the world group, let alone advance to the world group.
Such a situation does not seem unfamiliar——
absolute! Absolutely no connotation of any other items is intended.
This year, China is still in the regional group. The seed teams in the same group are Uzbekistan and India. The other teams in the same group are Kimchi, New Zealand and Thailand. In the end, six countries will decide on two teams to participate in the world group. Play-offs for a chance to enter the world group next year.
Here, there is a key question!
If the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup are the only ways to the Olympics, then their status is naturally different and they should be very popular among professional players. There should be no conflict of interest with the ATP and WTA, and the relationship should be particularly harmonious. .
However, this is not the case.
Every year, there are countless voices complaining about the formats of the Davis Cup and Fed Cup; conflicts and contradictions between the ITF, the ATP, and the WTA have always existed.
The reason is simple yet complex: conflict of interest.
The most important thing is the schedule.
ITF's schedule is a separate system, which has also caused their schedule to frequently conflict with ATP and WTA, and has been controversial.
Generally speaking, there are four Davis Cup events throughout the year.
For the first time, around February to March, each group in the world group and regional group had their own knockout rounds.
The second time, look for a gap between April and July.
The third time, around September.
The fourth time, around November to December, the World Group will hold the finals, and the Regional Group will hold the play-offs to determine promotion to the World Group.
In recent years, the itf schedule has gradually become fixed:
The first time is usually arranged a week before Indian Wells; the third time is usually arranged a week after the US Open.
Is this really good?
Before the "Sunshine Double Championship" is about to come, players will fly long distances to another venue to compete, and then travel around to return to North America to compete.
The US Open has just ended, and the players have not yet adjusted their condition and need to compete non-stop, and the Magic City Masters is right around the corner.
The ATP and WTA have been criticized for their intensive schedules. Now the ITF has crammed extra games into the airtight schedule and used Olympic qualification as a bargaining chip. This has also made the players miserable because of fatigue. Injuries caused by competition are increasing.
In this regard, the ITF, ATP, and WTA all stood firm and refused to give in. Both sides were so tough that the players became the recipients of a dilemma.
In fact, mid-level players ranked around 100 in the world are the most difficult——
For those top players, because they have abundant funds and free time, whether they refuse ATP events or Davis Cup, the subsequent impact will not be big.
Those low-ranked players may not be qualified to participate in those top ATP events. The Davis Cup is an option without any worries.
There are only those players in the middle who are neither good nor bad. On the one hand, they need to continue competing and strive for income and points; on the other hand, they also hope to play for the country, so that they have to travel all over the world.
Take this week for example.
They need to participate in the Davis Cup, but then, regardless of win or lose, they have to go to Indian Wells to participate in the qualifying round for a chance to reach the Masters.
"Tired of running for my life", this word suddenly became vivid and vivid.
For Gawain, this is not a difficult choice——
He longs to fight for his country.
Although tennis is an individual sport, the feeling when stepping onto the court with the national flag on the chest is different after all; and he has always been looking forward to being able to step onto the Olympic court, and the four-year event will be another one. A challenge.
Just imagining it makes my blood boil.
Gawain was a little curious. When he stood on the court, not representing an individual, but representing the glory of the country, what kind of excitement and excitement did he feel when he was not fighting alone?
At this time, Gao Wen officially embarked on the journey. Before going to Indian Wells, he took the lead in traveling to Auckland to represent China in the Davis Cup for the first time!
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