Davis Cup playoffs return to Cyprus

The Cypriot Davis Cup Team will fight in Cyprus for qualification at the European Zone Group B promotion play-offs.

According to a statement by the Cyprus Tennis Federation, Herodotou Academy will host the Davis Cup World Cup matches between 12 and 17 June 2023 for the second time in the last two years, the previous one being in 2021.

Referring to the organizational issues, the captain of the Cypriot team Dimitris Herodotou noted that the previous experience is an advantage to the people who will work for the organization of the tournament.

"We got the approval of the Cyprus Tennis Federation to contest for the event’s organization from the International Tennis Federation. Two years ago, in the midst of a pandemic, we were given credit for a perfect organization, which was probably the main reason why they trusted us again. In these two years, our facilities have been upgraded, and with hard work, we are confident that we will succeed again, in an event that can only bring profits to Cypriot tennis," he said.

Seven European countries will take part in the matches, competing for three tickets to the Group B promotion play-offs. The countries are (in brackets the position in the World Ranking), Cyprus (75), Estonia (68), Malta (93), Moldova (95), Montenegro (91), North Macedonia (89) and San Marino (86).

Regarding the team's goal, Dimitris Herodotou said that securing one of the three playoff tickets is a must. "But we want to get the first place in Cyprus, mainly to please the fans who will come to support our athletes," he added.

It is a fact, Dimitris Herodotou continued, "that in recent years we came very close to securing the promotion, but details did not allow us to do so."

"We qualified relatively easily in the playoffs, but in the final knockout matches, both in the matches against Egypt last year and in those against Tunisia this year, we didn't make it in meetings held at the home of our rivals, falling short of a win or in some cases even a set lost by momentary circumstances. I hope that the new effort will start with good performances next June and will then be crowned with success," he added.

The preliminary call-up of the tennis players who have been training together for the last two months includes the six tennis players who made up the teams that participated in the Davis Cup last year, namely Petros Chrysochos, Menelaos Efstathiou, Eleftherios Neos, Sergis Kyratzis, Stylianos Christodoulou and Fotos Fotiadis.

The official call-up of the final five is expected in the coming week.