Davis Cup hits historic grass courts at International Tennis Hall of Fame

The Davis Cup will kick off this weekend in Newport, USA as Team New Zealand will take on Team North Korea in a first-round matchup of the international team tennis competition.

Home to the Hall of Fame Open, the grass courts of Newport will play host to the Davis Cup tie between both countries. Although the Davis Cup matches are held in the home of host nations, in this case New Zealand, Covid-19 restrictions have made it difficult for international visitors to enter the country. Therefore, a neutral site was required, and with the players already being in the USA due to the US Open, the International Tennis Hall of Fame was a perfect fit.

This will be the third time that Newport has ever hosted a Davis Cup tie, with the most recent occurrence taking place in 1991 when Spain faced the United States in the quarterfinals.

Team New Zealand will include Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus, who won the bronze medal in men's doubles at this summer's Olympics. Team North Korea will feature World No.76 Soonwoo Kwon, who reached the fourth round of this year's French Open.