MUMBAI: The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has announced that the eight first round ties of the 2004 Davis Cup competition attracted encouraging television numbers from around the world. The event took place from 7-9 February.

 
ITF's television department was able to secure coverage of the competiton in 15 of the 16 World Group nations, and the selected 'feature' tie - Czech Republic v Spain - was distributed across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. In India, the Davis Cup action airs on DD Sports.

Spain's pubcaster TVE registered around 1.5 million viewers during the fifth and deciding rubber between Radek Stepanek and Rafael Nadal in the Spain v Czech Republic tie, and averaged over one million viewers for the three days. Not surprisingly, the Aussies tuned in large numbers to watch their side take on Sweden in Adelaide. The event aired on Channel 7. The crucial doubles rubber on Saturday between Wayne Arthurs/Todd Woodbridge and Jonas Bjorkman/Joachim Johansson attracted a 64 per cent and 56 per cent market share in Melbourne and Sydney respectively.

Holland's NOS gained a very healthy 59.7 per cent market share during its highlights transmission of the Netherlands vs Canada tie. An official release adds that viewership of this round of the competition was not solely restricted to World Group action, with the ITF also securing promising coverage for the Zonal groups. TVN in Chile welcomed a 30 per cent market share average during its coverage of the Peru v Chile Americas Zone Group I tie.

A Davis Cup highlights programme, produced by TWI for the first time, was also sold to 16 broadcasters. Sports programmes TransWorld Sport and Gillette World Sports Special included Davis Cup material in their programming.