Canadian men to take on India from September 15-17 at Northlands Coliseum
Tennis Canada announced Monday that Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton will be the host site for Canada’s Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group play-off versus India, set to take place September 15-17, 2017. The tie will be held on an indoor hard court with a capacity of 6,800 spectators.
Davis Cup is making its return to Edmonton for the first time in over 21 years. In April 1996, Canada defeated Chile 3-2 in an Americas Zone Group I tie at the Universiade Pavilion, better known as the Butterdome. The province of Alberta has not hosted a tie since 2008, when the Stampede Corral in Calgary was home to a match-up between Canada and Mexico.
This will be the highest-level Davis Cup tie Canada has ever hosted in Alberta, along with the nation’s 3-2 World Group play-off win against Brazil held in Calgary in 2003. The team’s record in the province currently stands at 6-1 going back to 1987, with that one loss coming the first year.
“We are thrilled to be bringing Davis Cup tennis back to Edmonton after over two decades. Davis Cup is elite tennis and truly unique in the world of sports, and with tennis growing across the country we are always looking for ways to bring this level of professional tennis to new locations. Edmonton is such a strong supporter of sports and special events, and the time is right to come back to the city,” said Gavin Ziv, vice-president, professional and national events, Tennis Canada and Davis Cup tournament director. “Our aim is to excite and inspire the people of Edmonton with a world-class event. Thank you to Edmonton Events and Northlands Coliseum for their support, and together we know we can put on a great weekend of tennis.”
Davis Cup returning to Edmonton for first time since 1996
Canada and India will be facing off for the first time in Davis Cup history. With a Davis Cup ranking of No. 16, Canada is the seeded nation in this tie while India is ranked No. 18. The winner of this tie will compete in the elite World Group for 2018 while the loser will play in Group I of the regional zones, one step below the top tier.
The Canadian squad has been a World Group stalwart since 2012, and in this stretch has reached the semifinals (2013) and quarter-finals (2015). Canada is participating in this play-off tie due a World Group first-round loss in February, posting a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Great Britain in Ottawa.
India defeated Uzbekistan 4-1 in the Asia/Oceania Group I second round in April to earn the right to compete in this World Group play-off. This will be the fourth year in a row the Indian team fights for the right to make World Group, though the nation has only participated in the top level of play twice since 2000 – in 2010 and 2011.
The four-man roster set to compete in Edmonton for Canada will be selected by team captain Martin Laurendeau closer to the tie. In the last few years, many players have represented Canada including Philip Bester, Frank Dancevic, Daniel Nestor, Filip Peliwo, Peter Polansky, Vasek Pospisil, Milos Raonic, Adil Shamasdin, and Denis Shapovalov.
“The team is excited about playing in Edmonton for the first time in many years, and we know the city will be first-class in terms of facilities, crowd support, and hospitality. Our goal is to win this tie and to do so we always want to provide our players with the best possible conditions. We are confident we will receive that in Edmonton and we can’t wait to play in front of our fans there and what we know will be an amazing, loud, and supportive crowd,” added Canadian Davis Cup captain, Martin Laureandeau.
Tickets go on sale June 23 via Ticketmaster
Davis Cup by BNP Paribas is the largest annual international team competition in sport, with 134 nations participating in 2017. The prestigious Davis Cup trophy has been handed out since 1900. Only the Top 16 nations qualify for the World Group each year, and thus the right to compete for the Davis Cup title.
Tickets for Canada vs. India will go on sale to the public on June 23 at 10 a.m. MT, starting at $85 for the full three days. They will be available for purchase through Ticketmaster.
