Tennis greats Novak Djokovic and Lleyton Hewitt have called for a return to the traditional Davis Cup format as poor crowds continue to plague the iconic tennis teams tournament.
The format changed in 2019 when the International Tennis Federation scrapped the home and away, best of five sets structure after striking a $4.58 billion, 25 year partnership with ex-football star Gerard Pique's Kosmos group.
World No.1 Djokovic will lead Serbia against Great Britain in a quarter-final tie on Friday morning (AEDT).
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"I actually personally feel that the best format will be somewhere in between the old one and the new one, but I don't think that this is best for the nations participating in the World Group," Djokovic said.
"The fact that we, as a team, have not played in Serbia many years is not great, because we don't give an opportunity to, you know, people in Serbia to watch us play, especially young people, young tennis players.
"This is a competition that is played globally. It shouldn't stay in one place more than a year."
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Malaga is hosting all of the marquee finals matches in 2023 while Serbia has not played a Davis Cup tie on home soil since 2018.
"I don't think we all agree. We will have probably difference of opinions, but the home and away ties is something the Davis Cup historically has been very famous for," Djokovic said.
"Giving one nation to host the (final) eight for four years is too much. It has to travel."
Hewitt, Australia's Davis Cup captain, agrees.
"The No.1 thing is home and away ties," he said as Australia beat Czech Republic to advance to a semi-final tie against Finland in Malaga.
"I have watched plenty of vision the last few years, even of back in the day when I was playing, (Pat) Cash, (Pat) Rafter, these guys. The crowds, even me coming back here to Spain and remembering 2000.
"Rafa Nadal was carrying the flag onto the court in front of over 20,000 people, all booing and screaming against me, and it was still an unbelievable atmosphere that I'd want a dream of playing in.
"You know, that's what the Davis Cup was about. So yeah, whether we played home semis and finals in Rod Laver Arena or away in France, in Nice, or obviously Barcelona, it was an unbelievable experience and some of my best memories. Some of my hardest memories, as well, but some of my very best."
Australia came from behind to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 and reach the last four for the second straight year.
Alex de Minaur recovered from a set and a break down to keep the Aussies alive, then Max Purcell and Matthew Ebden won the decisive doubles match.
Tomas Machac defeated Jordan Thompson 6-4, 7-5 in the first singles match to put the Czechs ahead, but De Minaur beat Jiri Lehecka 4-6, 7-6 7-5, and then Purcell and Ebden — the 2022 Wimbledon champions — sealed the comeback by defeating Adam Pavlasek and Lehecka 6-4, 7-5 in the doubles.
"I prided myself on a never say die attitude and he's certainly in the same category," Hewitt said of de Minaur.
"For him to go out there and put the boys on his back again, we're so proud of him. He had to dig really deep and yet again he saved us."
De Minaur, the top ranked Australian and No.12 in the world, broke back at 3-5 down in the second set and went on to force a tiebreaker.
He then broke serve at 5-5 in the final set before closing out the match with four straight points.
"It would have been quite easy for me to roll over under the circumstances, but that's just not the type of player I am," the 24-year-old said.
"I have had plenty of these types of matches in my career. It's part of my identity. I'm not going to give up. I'm going to fight until the end."
Lehecka, No.31 in the world, finished his season early to be fully fit for the last eight in Malaga.
Machac broke Thompson's serve once in the first set and twice in the second, including at 5-5 before closing out the match in the first singles.
In the doubles, Purcell and Ebden broke serve once in each set to clinch the victory.
"These two, what they just did, let's not take it for granted," Hewitt said.
"That was massive effort, not knowing if they were coming out here or not, riding the ups and downs of the first two matches and then coming out and putting on a clinic like that, it was bloody impressive."
Australia became only the second nation, after the United States, to reach 200 tie victories in the Davis Cup.
Last year, Australia lost to Canada in the final after defeating Croatia in the last four.
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