SYDNEY -- Sydney is set to host the finals of the inaugural ATP Cup men's team competition next January in an overhaul of the Australian swing for men's tennis ahead of the season-opening Grand Slam tournament.
Sydney, Brisbane and one other Australian city will co-host the tournament, featuring 24 national teams in three groups of eight and is expected to involve more than 100 players from the men's tour.
"The first week of the season is when the players want to play and that's why the tournament has their strong support," ATP World Tour president Chris Kermode said Monday. "By staging the event with Tennis Australia, which is renowned for its experience as an outstanding event promoter, we know that the tournament will be a great success from year one."
The Australia Open starts in mid-January in Melbourne and has recently been preceded by tournaments across the country in Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart and in Auckland, New Zealand.
"We want to build on the great tennis we have in Australia," Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley said. "The timing is right for expansion. We want more players rewarded, more opportunities for them, more opportunities for fans to get to see them, more global exposure for the sport."