Madrid (AFP)

Matches that end in the middle of the night, polemical packages and abandonment, an affluence and an atmosphere unworthy of its heritage: the new Davis Cup requires facilities, but it is sporting a success with meetings of great intensity.

The darkest point of this first edition of the competition devised by the Spanish investment company Kosmos for the International Federation (ITF)? The programming of the meetings. Three tennis matches (two singles and one doubles), even in two winning sets, separated by 20 and 30 minutes, plus the warm ups can not be completed before the deep night when they start, as is the case at 18:00.

"When we finish at 02:00 in the morning, with the adrenaline we do not sleep until 04:30 and the next day we play again ...", criticized Rafael Nadal.

The palm went back to the United States and Italy who split Thursday at 04:05 ...

As a result, Canada then Australia found the parade by giving up playing this double of the end of the night. A relentless logic decision that distorts the competition since all matches, sets and games are taken into account during the group stage to determine the quarter finalists.

The Canadians, assured of the qualification, flatly declared flat before their doubles against the United States, making note that "three of their four players were unfit to play". And the Australians, under the same circumstances, gave up after their first game against Belgium the next day.

- "No risk" -

"Peersy (John Peers, Ed.) Was just a slight discomfort in the elbow, and I did not think he was going to take any chances with him before the quarter-finals," said Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt.

Another topic of debate, this nervous and collected format that puts all the teams in "danger" because there is no right to the error, according to Nadal. If it is excellent for the show and the broadcasters, it deviates the competition by depriving it of his Homeric duels on three days which have written the legend of this competition since 1900.

Spain, at home and led by a highly motivated Rafael Nadal - as always - lives an event certainly different but that is very close to the experience of a Davis Cup in its original format, with a large public, festive and who pushed it without the least failure.

The other nations had secured the presence of dozens of organized and active supporters capable of igniting a small corner of the platform. Sufficient in any case to make their presence felt by the players.

"If you want to be negative, you can always say that it would be nice to play in a bigger venue with more people, but I'm happy to have played in front of this many people and I'm happy that many people are from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom to watch this game, "said Andy Murray after the British victory over the Dutch on the N.2 court much smaller than the Central.

- "Intimist" -

"The atmosphere was much more intimate, but it was great," said the Scotsman.

Only France has been boycotted by its historical supporters. So much so that captain Sébastien Grosjean was forced to call for help so that his players receive a minimum of support.

With the arrival of the ATP Cup, organized for the first time in January by the body that manages the men's professional circuit, there is the question of maintaining the schedule of these two team competitions.

"There is no other way than to have one big competition: ATP, ITF, Kosmos, Davis Cup, World Cup ... whatever the name," said Nadal, who has a preference for Davis Cup because this name "is part of the history of our sport".

Novak Djokovic, also convinced of the need both to reform the old Davis Cup and to have only one big team competition in an overloaded schedule, proposed yet another solution: a "Super Cup" or "Elite Eight (" Elite 8 ", in the text).

Davis Cup, World Cup, Super Cup, Eight elite ... would it be a question of name?

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