BNP Paribas World Team Cup draw promises enticing match-ups
Former quad champions USA and Israel meet in one of Monday’s most enticing round-robin ties as the 2022 BNP Paribas World Team Cup gets underway in Vilamoura, Portugal, with 2019 champions Japan also facing South Africa in a rematch of last year’s quad World Group bronze medal contest.
The USA-Israel Group B contest, featuring two teams that have won 13 World Team Cup titles between them, including the first two titles in 1998 and 1999, throws up the likelihood of a clash between two former world No. 1 players in David Wagner and Shraga Weinberg.
Meanwhile, following Sunday's draw in Vilamoura there are plenty more fascinating head-to-heads in prospect over the three days of round-robin ties in each of the four championship events.
Great Britain and Brazil also feature in the same pool as USA and Israel, with Group A starting with reigning quad champions Netherlands taking on Turkey before both teams play Japan and South Africa.
The men’s, quad and junior events all start on Monday’s first day of play in Vilamoura, with the women’s event beginning on Tuesday.
Monday’s eight round-robin ties in the men’s event include a Group A contest between top seeds Japan and Brazil, while Argentina face South Africa. However, the make-up of the group promises a mouth-watering head-to-head later in the week between Japan and Argentina and the prospect of world No. 2 Shingo Kunieda taking on world No. 3 Gustavo Fernandez.
Reigning champions and second seeds Netherlands face Sri Lanka in their opening Group B tie and with Great Britain and Chile in the same pool then among the potential head-to-heads to come later in the week is possible meeting between world No. 1 Alfie Hewett and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Tom Egberink.
France, Korea Republic, USA and Israel are dawn together in Group C, while Group D in the men’s event begins with a Centre Court meeting between host nation Portugal and neighbours Spain, as Spain begin their quest to try and reach a second World Team Cup final.
With two ties scheduled on Centre Court on the opening day of play following the morning's opening ceremony, Netherlands and Turkey will also take centre stage for their Group A contest.
Monday’s first set of round-robin ties in the junior event, which is supported by the Cruyff Foundation, will see top seeds Great Britain play France in Group A before both nations face USA and Brazil.
Group B sees 2019 junior champions and second seeds Australia drawn alongside 2021 champions Japan, Argentina and former champions Netherlands.
While Netherlands and Great Britain are drawn to meet in the round-robin phase of the men’s event, the two nations will also meet in the round-robin phase of the women’s event once the action begins on Tuesday, with top seeds Netherlands and Great Britain also set to play South Africa.
Second seeds Japan will play Germany and Switzerland in Group B, while a trio of previous World Team Cup medallists feature in Group C with France, USA and Thailand all set to go head-to-head in an intriguing set of ties to decide who advance to the semi-finals later in the week.
Group D in the women’s event will be an all-South American affair between Colombia, Brazil and Argentina.