While the 2016 Davis Cup competition is not over, it’s already time to look ahead to 2017. The draw for the 2017 Davis Cup world group was released today. Even with the final still to play in November, most teams are already looking four and a half months down the road to February 3rd, 2017, when the first round of the 2017 Davis Cup will start. With the draw and paths to glory now set, let’s take a look ahead to next year’s international team competition.
The Draw
Czech Republic [4] vs. Australia*
*Hosts
Draw Analysis
14 of the 16 teams who will compete in the 2017 world group also competed in the top division in 2016. Ironically, the two new teams are two of the better teams of this century that had slipped out of the world group. Five-time champions Spain and two-time champions Russia will be returning to the world group, replacing Poland and Kazakhstan, who fell in the playoffs.
Top seeds Argentina will kick off their 2017 campaign on home soil against Italy. This will be a rematch of the 2016 quarterfinal, when Argentina went to Italy and knocked off the hosts 3-1. It’s worth noting that Juan Martin del Potro, who played a massive role in Argentina’s upset of Great Britain in the 2016 semifinals by beating Andy Murray, only played doubles in that tie with Italy. The winner of that tie will take on a playoff survivor from 2016. Both Belgium and Germany lost in the 2016 first round, but kept their place by winning playoffs. Belgium swept Brazil 4-0, while the Germans narrowly survived a tight battle with Poland 3-2.
The young Australian team will look to finally act on their potential as they play host to a downward-trending Czech Republic team, who are starting to suffer as their stars age without young guns to replace them. The Aussies beat the Czechs in the first round in 2015 and dominate their head-to-head 7-1. The United States faces a potentially tricky opponent as they will host Switzerland. A lot will depend on who the Swiss send. The 2014 champions did not have Roger Federer or Stan Wawrinka in their lineup at all in 2016. That being said, the Americans have blown out Switzerland in their last two meetings, including against a Federer-led team in 2012.
France will be making the trek across the world to play their first-round tie in Japan. The ever-deep French team have never lost to Japan. The hosts will need to find some support for Kei Nishikori if they hope to pull an upset. Japan is coming off a 5-0 win over Ukraine in the 2016 playoffs. Canada will need all hands on deck in their first-round tie against Great Britain. The Canadians were without their number one, Milos Raonic, in 2016. They also had to play without their doubles number one, Daniel Nestor, in their playoff last weekend, but that did not stop them from sweeping Chile. They will likely need Raonic and Nestor if they hope to knock off a likely Murray brothers-led GB team. However, the Canadians will have home court advantage which is big for them. Canada has only lost three times since 2000 on home soil (15-3), and only once since earning promotion to the world group in 2012 (6-1).
Russia knocked off their neighbours Kazakhstan to earn their place in 2017 world group, marking a return after a four-year hiatus having been demoted in 2012. They could face a tricky opener as they make the trip to Serbia. If the Serbs have Novak Djokovic in their lineup, the Russians will be in deep trouble. But if the Serbs do not have the world number one available, the Russians might have a shot. Croatia drew potentially the hardest first-round opponent, also depending on who is in the lineup. The 2016 finalists will host Spain, who are returning to the world group after shockingly falling out of the world group in 2014. Spain’s aging stars are having a harder time carrying the team nowadays, but Rafael Nadal still has not lost a Davis Cup singles rubber since 2004. He clinched promotion for Spain last weekend with a doubles win. They will need Nadal if they hope to beat the second seeds.
The first round of the 2017 Davis Cup will be played on February 3rd to 5th.