FOREST HILLS, N.Y. – Tickets for the historic South Africa vs. Venezuela Davis Cup by Rakuten tie September 18-19 at the West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills are now for sale at www.ForestHillsStadium.com Daily tickets start at $25 with special VIP group hospitality packages also for sale. The matches mark the first time Davis Cup will be played at the iconic and historic former site of the U.S. Open since 1959.
The first day of play will feature two best-of-three-set singles matches starting at 11 am and the second day, also starting at 11 am, featuring the reverse two best-of-three-set singles matches and a best-of-three-set doubles match. The winner will remain in the Davis Cup Group II for the 2022 Davis Cup campaign, two levels below the Davis Cup World Group that determines the Davis Cup champion in the Davis Cup World Finals in Madrid.
The current top South African players are Kevin Anderson, the former U.S. Open and Wimbledon finalist, who achieved a career-high ranking of No. 5, top-50 player Lloyd Harris, who beat Rafael Nadal earlier this summer in Washington, D.C., and former Australian Open and Wimbledon doubles finalist Raven Klaasen. Venezuela is led by No. 585-ranked Ricardo Rodriguez, the all-time leading Davis Cup player for his country.
The best-of-five match series will be played the weekend after the conclusion of the U.S. Open on a hard court in the 98-year-old 13,000-seat historic horseshoe shaped stadium, which hosted the finals of the U.S. Championships and U.S. Open from 1923 to 1977. The stadium last hosted Davis Cup in 1959 when Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and Neale Fraser led Australia to the Davis Cup title with a 3-2 victory over the United States team led by Alex Olmedo, Butch Buchholz and Barry MacKay. This South Africa vs. Venezuela tie will mark the first time that Davis Cup will be played in the New York City area since the 1981 USA vs. Czechoslovakia Davis Cup quarterfinal at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows featuring John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl.
Sponsorship opportunities are available by emailing Weir-Smith at Jason@thewestsidetennisclub.com.
Fans coming from out of town to attend this tie are encouraged to stay at the InterContinental New York Times Square, the official hotel for the South Africa vs. Venezuela tie. Located in the heart of Manhattan, InterContinental New York Times Square makes for an unforgettable retreat within New York City at the crossroads of the theater district, business and entertainment areas. Rooms can be booked here: https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/us/en/new-york/nychc/hoteldetail?cm_mmc=GoogleMaps-_-IC-_-US-_-NYCHC and fans can take advantage of a limited-edition menu of dishes and juices inspired by both Davis Cup teams.
Davis Cup by Rakuten is the largest annual international team competition in world sport. One of the cornerstones of the tennis calendar, Davis Cup provides players with the chance to represent their country in an otherwise individual sport. Founded by Hall of Famer Dwight Davis in 1900, Davis Cup began as a challenge match between USA and British Isles, with that first event being held at the Longwood Cricket Club in Boston, Mass. Today, more than 120 nations compete in the annual event.
