Are you ready for the Laver Cup?March 18, 2016

Hours after losing to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Australian Open, Roger Federer thought of a team competition similar to the Ryder Cup. It would be named in honour of Rod Laver, the last man to complete the calendar Grand Slam. The best tennis players in Europe would compete against the best of the rest of the world. But there are too many tournaments in the ATP World Tour.

For Federer, the Laver Cup will be one way of showing his admiration to one of his idols. If it will push through, then the first edition of the tournament will be held next year. It will be scheduled after the US Open and before the Asian swing. Let's look at the pros:

Fans will see Djokovic and Federer on the same side of the net. Federer insists that there's no bad blood between him and Djokovic, and the Laver Cup will dispel any doubts. But don't expect them to play together in the doubles.

Djokovic can play along Andy Murray. Don't be surprised if Djokovic compare himself and Andy Murray to Federer and Rafael Nadal. Fans might disagree with him, as their head-to-head matches won't suggest a rivalry.

The Laver Cup will be another display of camaraderie. Fans haven't forgotten Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, and how their rivalry defined the sport during the 1990s. It got personal, which became media fodder. It was a different story with Federer and Nadal. (The finals of the 2009 Australian Open sent a clear message to fans.) And the Swiss proved that he don't have any ill feeling towards the Spaniard who supplanted him as the top-ranked player in the ATP rankings.

Here are the cons:

Injury will prevent the best players to commit to the event. The final quarter of the year is not an ideal time for players. They are too tired after a grueling summer, so expect some to pass it up. This will prompt some fans to wonder about the semifinals of the Davis Cup, which is held during this time of the year. No one can answer it at the moment.

Players want to see a revamp of the Davis Cup. Not that most players prefer to concentrate on their singles career, but they find the Davis Cup a burden. (Ask Federer.) Unless a bigger prize money is guaranteed, then expect the Laver Cup to remain on paper.

It might be a one-sided affair. The Wightman Cup, a team competition between the female players of the United States and Great Britain, was held annually. It became a one-sided affair after the retirement of Virginia Wade. The event was discontinued after the Americans were too good for the Britons. If the Laver Cup were to be played now, then Kei Nishikori, Milos Raonic, and Nick Kyrgios would likely represent the best of the rest of the world. Fans could see a lopsided score. And it would be advantage Europe.

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