Davis Cup to count towards rankings

As the quarter finals of this years Davis Cup gets underway, it has been announced that from 2009 ATP ranking points will be awarded to players for their participation in Davis Cup matches.

The points can be attained from the four rounds of Davis Cup, and also the play off stage. The accumulated points then count as one result, which can be eligble as one of the players best results from the year.

Up to 500 points are on offer, with an additional 125 bonus points for any player who manages to win all eight live singles rubbers as well as lifting the trophy at the end. To find out more about how the rankings work, look here.

In my opinion this should have been introduced a long time ago. Over recent years we have seen a decrease in competitive Davis Cup play from the top players,mainly because they simply do not want to risk their health by competing in matches which have no bearing on the world standings.

This was shown clearly when Andy Murray opted out of Great Britains crucial away tie against Argentina because he didnt want to risk injury, much to the dismay of British tennis fans. This new set-up should re-ignite many players desire to compete for their countrys and could take Davis Cup back to its deserved stage as one of the most imporant tournaments in the tennis year.