The University of British Columbia will once again play host to some of the best tennis players in the world. From March 6-8, 2015 the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group first-round tie between Canada and Japan hits the courts at the university’s Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. It’s a return to the same city and venue that overwhelmingly supported Canada on its run to the Davis Cup semifinals in 2013.
“The entire set-up here treated us extremely well last year and helped us make history,” said Canada’s Davis Cup captain Martin Laurendeau. “Everything from the venue, court surface, staff, volunteers, hotels, food and, most importantly, the fans contributed to us feeling comfortable and confident to win here.”
“Engaging our community is a key part of our university strategy,’ said UBC President, Arvind Gupta. “Hosting Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group at UBC will bring tremendous excitement to the campus and the city, and this event will further our goal of promoting excellence in sport.”
“UBC is thrilled to host another Davis Cup and deliver a world class experience to inspire Team Canada to a home victory,” added Kavie Toor, Director of Facilities and Business Development for UBC Athletics and Recreation. “This event builds upon our goal to host exceptional events at UBC and establish Vancouver and Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre as a leading destination for tennis.”
“With the support that the team has received here combined with the success they have achieved, it was an easy decision to return to Vancouver,” said Gavin Ziv, vice-president of professional and national events for Tennis Canada.
The four Miele Canadian Davis Cup team members to face Japan will be selected by Laurendeau at a later date.
Tickets will go on sale Saturday, December 6, 2014 and will be available through Ticketmaster.
Background
The No. 12-ranked Japan will be competing in the World Group for a second straight year. Its victory over Canada in February marked the first time Japan advanced out of the World Group first round. Missing an injured Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals, Japan then fell 5-0 to Czech Republic.
Japan holds a 6-0 record over Canada, with their previous meeting prior to 2014 coming back in 1938. Canada will be the seeded team for this upcoming first-round tie. The winner of this tie in March will move on to the World Group quarter-finals and will also be assured to keep its spot in the World Group for the following year. The losing nation will be forced to play a World Group play-off tie to keep its spot in the elite level for 2016.
“We are excited to welcome the Davis Cup back to Vancouver for the tie between Japan and Canada,” said Coralee Oakes, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. “Sport tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism industry and can have a tremendous impact on local economies. With events like the Davis Cup and the upcoming 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, B.C. is growing its reputation as a premier sport hosting destination, capitalizing on the tremendous legacy of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.”
Davis Cup by BNP Paribas is the largest annual international team competition in sport with more than 122 nations competing. Only 16 countries entered in Davis Cup competition qualify for the World Group each year.
About Davis Cup by BNP Paribas
Davis Cup by BNP Paribas is the World Cup of Tennis. It is the largest annual international team competition in sport, with 122 nations taking part in 2014. The competition is 114 years old having been founded in 1900.The title sponsor is BNP Paribas, the Official Bank of Davis Cup. International sponsors are Rolex (Official Timekeeper) Adecco (Official HR Sponsor) and NH Hotels (Official Hotel), while Wilson Sporting Goods (Official Ball) is an international partner. Follow all the action on www.daviscup.com, www.copadavis.com, www.twitter.com/daviscup, www.facebook.com/DavisCupTennis and www.daviscup.tv.
About Tennis Canada
Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association with a mission to lead the growth of tennis in Canada and a vision to become a world-leading tennis nation. We value teamwork, passion, integrity, innovation and excellence. Tennis Canada owns and operates the premier Rogers Cup presented by National Bank WTA and ATP World Tour events, eight professional ITF sanctioned events and financially supports 13 other professional tournaments in Canada. Tennis Canada operates national junior training centres/programs in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the International Wheelchair Tennis Association, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Fed Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada please visit our Web site at: www.tenniscanada.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.