New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS) India have been seeded No.1 in the Davis Cup Group 1 Asia/Oceania zone despite their tennis team losing their World Group Playoff against the Czech Republic here last weekend.
Uzbekistan have been seeded second in the zone and the two countries will get first round byes, to be held in March, in the 2016 season. The draws for next year will be announced on Wednesday in Santiago on the conclusion of the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The other teams in Group 1 Asia/Oceania zone, apart from India and Uzbekistan, are China, South Korea, New Zealand and Pakistan. World No.21 India and No.25 Uzbekistan were also the two seeded teams of the zone in 2015.
The Anand Amritraj-led Indian team lost their World Group Playoff to World No.1 Czech Republic 1-3 at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) complex on Sunday, following which they will remain in Group 1. A win would have elevated India to the elite 16 nations of the World Group.
Meanwhile, current season’s finalists Great Britain and Belgium head the seedings of the 2016 World Group as No.1 and No.2. According to Davis Cup regulations, the two finalists are seeded No.1 and 2 in the World Group for the following year and will be drawn in opposite halves.
Belgium will host Great Britain in the Davis Cup final to be held from November 27 to 29.
Davis Cup is the World Cup of tennis. With 126 nations participating in it, the competition is 115 years old, having been founded in 1900.
