In a year of reform on the ATP and ITF Tours, the new look Davis Cup gets underway all over the globe with 24 countries facing off in what promises to be a fascinating weekend of tennis. Here are our top Davis Cup Qualifiers betting tips and predictions.
Tournament History
The Davis Cup was launched in 1900 as the ‘World Cup of Tennis’ and has been contested annually ever since. As one of the very few tennis events that takes place as a team competition, individual ranking rarely holds too much significance with patriotism from players and fans often creating a carnival-type atmosphere at Davis Cup fixtures.
Format
2019 is a year of change as the Davis Cup moves towards being the ‘World Cup of Tennis’. This weekend’s qualifiers feature 24 teams, with the 12 winning counties going into the ‘World Group’ which features Croatia, France, Spain, USA, Argentina and Great Britain to comprise a 16 team competition. The knockout fixtures take place intermittently throughout the year – factored into player commitments around the ATP Tour schedule and culminate in the Davis Cup Final – annually held in November. Each fixture is played at a venue in one of the two countries taking part in the tie, with the hosts being determined on an alternate basis.
To summarise, each Davis Cup fixture is comprised of 5 matches – 4 singles and a doubles and takes place over two days (Friday & Saturday). Friday sees two singles matches whilst Saturday begins with doubles match before the reverse singles fixtures with one point awarded for a win – meaning each tie is competed over the best of 5 matches.
Dates
Friday 1st – Saturday 2nd February 2019.
Previous Winners:
With a 119 year history, the list of Davis Cup winning countries is extensive. The United States leads the way with 32 Davis Cup triumphs – the last of which coming in 2007. Australia has also performed well in the competition, clinching the trophy on 28 occasions. European powerhouses France and Great Britain have won the Davis Cup 10 times each, whilst Sweden is next in line with 7 triumphs.
2019 Davis Cup Qualifiers Preview:
Brazil vs Belgium – Uberlandia, Brazil
Brazil:
World number 1 doubles player Marcelo Melo will be looking to help his team spring a surprise here as he partners up with doubles specialist Marcelo Demoliner. In the singles department, they may struggle somewhat with Thomaz Bellucci still out of the team through injury; also, Thiago Monteiro could struggle a little against the experienced Belgians.
Belgium:
As the 4th ranked team in the official Davis Cup rankings, Belgium will be bemoaning their luck as they travel to Brazil with a strong looking squad. David Goffin will spearhead the Belgian team once again along with the experience of Steve Darcis and the upcoming exciting talents of Ruben Bemelmans.
Playing the game on clay will assist Brazil in front of their home fans; however, Belgium should come through this one relatively unscathed.
Tie winner odds:
Our Score Prediction
Belgium to win 4-1 – 8/1 (BetBright)
Slovakia vs Canada – Bratislava, Slovakia
Slovakia:
Slovakia is the 2nd lowest-ranked team featuring in the Davis Cup qualifiers and they will be keen to use home advantage against a potentially dangerous Canada team. Martin Klizan and Andrej Martin will be playing the singles ties; meanwhile, picking a doubles partnership could be a challenge for captain Miloslav Mečíř.
Canada:
2013 semi-finalists Canada look to be a team to watch this year with Milos Raonic fit and firing alongside one of the hottest properties in world tennis Denis Shapovalov. With the likes of Vasek Pospisil and doubles specialist Daniel Nestor in their ranks too, the Canadians could well be going deep in the 2019 Davis Cup – provided they keep their team fit.
The atmosphere in Bratislava could be hostile for the Canadians; however, with Milos Raonic in blistering form, they should blow the hosts away.
Tie winner odds:
Our Score Prediction
Canada to win 5-0 – 11/1 (Bet-at-Home)
Germany vs Hungary – Frankfurt, Germany
Germany:
Three-time Davis Cup champions kick off their campaign against Hungary in front of their passionate home support in Frankfurt. Alexander Zverev will be the go-to man for the Germans and he along with Philipp Kohlschreiber and Jan-Lennard Struff will be keen to put their local rivals to the sword here.
Hungary:
A relative lack of experience could go against Hungary with Márton Fucsovics their only representative that is currently operating in the world’s top 50. They pushed Belgium all the way in the first round however last year and look to have a solid team that is capable of causing an upset or two should they sneak through this one.
Hungary have a stronger team than most people think, particularly in Márton Fucsovics; however, Germany has too much fire power and should win in Frankfurt this weekend.
Tie winner odds:
Germany – 1/10 (Coral)
Our Score Prediction
Germany to win 4-1 – 9/1 (Ladbrokes)
Czech Republic vs Netherlands – Ostrava, Czech Republic.
Czech Republic:
2012 & 2013 winners the Czech Republic will be looking get their campaign underway in style against the Netherlands. The return of Tomas Berdych will be a huge boost for the Czechs and his experience combined with the youth and exuberance of Jiří Veselý could be the ideal combination for another charge on the title this year.
Netherlands:
Paul Haarhuis’s Dutch side will be looking to progress to the world group having not dined at the top table of world table since 2001 where they reached the semi-finals. Robin Haase and Thiemo de Bakker will be keen to lead the charge in the singles whilst doubles specialist Jean-Julien Rojer also a real threat for any team he comes up against.
This promises to be one of the most difficult ties to call; however, it could be the home advantage that sees the Czech Republic through here.
Tie winner odds:
Czech Republic – 8/11 (William Hill)
Our Score Prediction
Czech Republic to win 3-2 – 17/2 (Ladbrokes)
Here is our Davis Cup Accumulator:
Kazakhstan vs Portugal – Kazakhstan to win
China vs Japan – Japan to win
Germany vs Hungary – Germany to win
Australia vs Bosnia – Australia to win
Uzbekistan vs Serbia – Serbia to win
Slovakia vs Canada – Canada to win
If all six teams win, an accumulator bet pays 6.13 with 888sport.
Don’t forget to check out our other top betting tips and best tennis betting strategies.