MADRID (Reuters) – Serbia and France have both received wildcards to next year’s Davis Cup Finals, meaning they will not have to qualify, the International Tennis Federation said on Saturday.
They will join the four semi-finalists from this week’s inaugural edition of the revamped Davis Cup, and 12 teams who will come through qualifying rounds in March.
Canada beat Russia in the first semi-final in Madrid’s Caja Magica on Saturday, with Britain up against Spain later.
Serbia were beaten in the quarter-finals by Russia on Friday after Novak Djokovic and Viktor Troicki squandered three match points in the deciding doubles rubber. Afterwards the Serbian captain Nenad Zimonjic and his players were in tears.
Ten-time champions France, runners-up in 2018, bowed out in the group stage.
The wildcards were decided by the Davis Cup Steering Committee. The draw for the qualifying round, which will be played at “home” venues, takes place on Sunday.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by David Holmes)
