MADRID: Costume-wearing fans, boisterous crowds, exciting matches.

Old traditions were preserved when the revamped Davis Cup began a new era on Monday in Madrid.

As the 18-team Davis Cup Finals got underway in its new weeklong World Cup-style format at the Magic Box tennis complex, fans were encouraged to provide atmosphere, and delivered.

The Croatian marching band roused the centre court. Drum-beating Canadian fans lit up Stadium 2. Dressed-up Belgians kept the crowd going in Stadium 3.

Umpires were made to work hard at all the courts by constantly asking for the fans to stay quiet before points.

But amidst all the glitz and glamour in Madrid’s La Caja Majica there was only gloom for reigning champions Croatia as two-time champions Russia, Belgium, and Canada took an early lead in round-robin play.

Without their injured talisman Marin Cilic and with the team in upheaval after captain Zeljko Krajan was axed two days before their opening tie they drubbed 3-0 by Russia.

Borna Gojo lost to Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-3, Borna Coric was edged out by Karen Khachanov 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-4 and they could not even manage a consolation point as Khachanov and Rublev combined to beat Ivan Dodig and Nikola Mektic in the doubles.

The 18 nations have been split into six groups of three at the Caja Magica, with the pool winners and two best runners-up to play in the last eight of the first edition of the revamped tournament.

Canada claimed a 2-1 victory over well-fancied Italy to strike first in Group ‘F’.

World number 12 Fabio Fognini slumped to a 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 defeat by Vasek Pospisil, ranked 150th, before rising star Denis Shapovalov edged out Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-5).

Belgium got the best of Colombia thanks to Steve Darcis’ 6-3, 6-2 win over Santiago Giraldo and David Goffin’s 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Daniel Elahi Galan.

But the world number one doubles pairing of Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah grabbed a historic win for Colombia by battling past Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2019