ITF confirm Russia’s replacements for Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup after nation suspended over Ukraine invasion
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Published 14/03/2022 at 12:12 GMT
Russia and Belarus were suspended from international team competition following the invasion of Ukraine. Russia had won both the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup in 2021, but will not defend their titles. Australia replace RTF in the Finals of the Billie Jean King Cup, while Serbia’s place in the Davis Cup Finals was also confirmed by the International Tennis Federation.
Team Russia (L-R) Liudmila Samsonova, Ekaterina Alexandrova, captain Igor Andreev, Veronika Kudermetova, Anastasia Pavluchenkova, Daria Kasatkina
Image credit: Getty Images
Australia will take Russia’s place in the Billie Jean King Cup finals and Serbia will do likewise in the Davis Cup, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has confirmed.
The Russian Tennis Federation (RTF) were suspended from international team competition, along with Belarus, amid the invasion of Ukraine.
The decision to suspend Russia was announced on March 1, and meant they would be unable to defend their Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup titles – having become only the fourth nation to win both team events in the same year.
The women's RTF team have been replaced in the Billie Jean King Cup by Australia, who were the highest-ranked losing semi-finalists in 2021.
As a result, Slovakia – who were due to play Australia in the qualifiers in April – also receive a bye and advance directly to the 2022 Finals.
The same applies for Belgium, who were set to play Belarus in the qualifiers.
Australia, Slovakia and Belgium will join 2021 runners-up Switzerland at the 2022 Finals, with seven more nations set to advance from the qualifiers, while a host nation is still to be announced as well.
Meanwhile, in the men’s Davis Cup, Serbia advance to the Finals as the highest-ranked losing semi-finalist in 2021.
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Russia's Evgeny Donskoy, Russia's Andrey Rublev, Russia's Daniil Medvedev, Russia's Karen Khachanov, Russia's Aslan Karatsev and Russia's Davis Cup captain Shamil Tarpischev pose for pictures with the trophy after winning the Davis Cup tennis tournament
Image credit: Eurosport
Serbia had initially been awarded a wild card, and the Davis Cup Finals Steering Committee will announce a replacement wild card nation in due course – which will be one of the 12 losing nations from the recent 2022 Qualifiers.
That wild card team will join 2021 finalists Croatia, Serbia, wild card Great Britain and 12 more nations who won their 2022 Qualifiers earlier this month – Argentina, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea Republic, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and USA.
The group stages take place across four cities in September, with a fifth city set to host the quarters, semis and final in November.
The group stage of the Finals will take place across four cities in September before the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are hosted at a fifth city in November.
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