Davis Cup Tickets

While 137 nations have entered the Davis Cup, only 16 countries meet the criteria for the elite World Group each year. They reach the World Group as follows: Eight of the nations that make the World Group cut are the first round tie winners from the preceding year's World Group competition. The eight losers from the first round ties in the World Group go into a 16-team World Group Play-off rivalry. Into this also go the winners of the Zonal Group I sections (two nations from Asia/Oceania Group I, two from American Group I, and four from Euro/Africa Group I). A draw is used to decide the Play-off ties. The eight winners from these World Group Play-off ties are then placed in the World Group for the next year, while the losers are placed in Group I in their Zone. We offer 2005 Davis Cup tickets and information through our agency

Once in the World Group, eight nations will be seeded. The decision as to which nations will be seeded is made by the Davis Cup Committee, who take a range of factors into consideration. Among the deciding factors taken into explanation are the ITF Davis Cup Nations Ranking, how the nation fared in recent Davis Cup action, the power and ranking of the players likely to perform for a given nation, the capability of a nation's players to compete on a diversity of surfaces, and the depth of a nation in terms of doubles. At the levels below the World Group, the Davis Cup nations fight in Zonal Competitions, which are split into three zones: the American Zone, the Asia/Oceania Zone and the Euro/African Zone. In each zone there are four groups, Group I being the highest and Group IV the lowest. Groups I and II operate on a home and away knockout basis in all three zones. The exact format and draw size varies from group to group and zone to zone, but basically winning nations advance until one or more nations are promoted to Group I from Group II, and to the World Group Play-off ties from Group I. See the Draws & Results section for more details. We offer 2005 Davis Cup tickets and information through our agency

Nations which lose in the first round in Groups I and II then play off in one or more play-off rounds, until one or more losing nations are relegated to the group below. Again, the Draws & Results section has more details. In Groups III and IV, teams play in opposition to each other in a round robin format at one venue during one week. In the Euro/African Zone, each group is split between two venues. At the end of the round-robin stages, there are then play-offs to determine the final placings within and promotion / demotion from the group. In the Asia/Oceania and American Zones, the top two nations progress to the group above, while the bottom two are relegated to the group below, while it is four nations up or down in the Euro/African Zone (two up and two down from each venue). There is no demotion from Group IV. We offer Davis Cup tickets and information through our agency

In the World Group, World Group Play-off ties, and Groups I and II, each tie is contested in a best of five matches arrangement, and is played across three days. On the first day (Friday) there are two singles matches, and then the doubles match takes place on the following day. The reverse singles take place on the final day (Sunday). All matches are best of five sets. In Groups III and IV, ties are played over the best of three matches (two singles and a doubles). These matches are best of three sets. The eight first round ties in the World Group are played on a home and away knock-out base, and take place over a weekend in the early part of the year - in 2004, 6-8 February. The winning teams advance to the quarterfinals, which are also played on a home and away knock-out base, over a weekend in the spring - the dates for 2004 are 9-11 April.

The eight losing teams from the first round go into the World Group Play-off ties, all along with the eight qualifiers from the Group I Zonal regions. The World Group Play-off ties are also played on a home and away knock-out basis over the same weekend as the World Group semifinal ties - in 2004, 24-26 September. The World Group Final is played in the last part of the year - 3-5 December in 2004. The option of ground for the above ties is decided by lot or goes automatically to one of the competing nations. To find out how the option of ground is determined, please go to our Rules & Regulations page. Groups I and II are played on a similar home and away basis. Dates for rounds differ from group to group and zone to zone. As Groups III and IV are played in a round robin understanding in all three zones, each event takes place at a single venue over one week, except in the Euro/African zone, where each group is played at two venues. Dates and venues vary and are determined by the Davis Cup Committee. We offer 2005 Davis Cup tickets and information through our agency