Who will be crowned World Team Cup champions?

Thirty-six teams from 22 nations are set to compete for the men’s, women’s and quad wheelchair tennis titles when the 2019 World Team Cup Finals take place at the Larry and Mary Greenspon Israel Tennis Centre in Ramat Hasharon from Monday.

Hosted by the Israel Tennis Association, the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) flagship wheelchair tennis team event is being held in Israel for the first time in its 35-year history.

Three days of round-robin pool competition will kick off the competition for the 16 men’s, 12 women’s and eight quad teams.

Thereafter, teams will contest semi-finals and knockout draws from Thursday, with the quad final scheduled for Friday, and the men’s and women’s finals for Saturday (18 May).

Japan and Netherlands will begin the six days of competition as the reigning men’s and women’s champions, while Australia are the title-holders in the quad.

Led by world No. 1 Shingo Kunieda, Japan won the men’s title for the third time in 2018 with last year’s runner-up and 2015 champions Great Britain likely to be among the strongest contenders once again. Meanwhile, France start this year’s edition having won the title five times in the last seven years.

Netherlands and China are likely to be battling for the women’s title once again, having contested the last three finals between them. Netherlands won for the 30th time on home soil in Apeldoorn 12 months ago. A year earlier, the Chinese team stunned the Dutch team to win for the very first time.

While Australia will bid to secure victory in the quad event for the third time in four years, they can expect a strong challenge from hosts Israel, USA and Great Britain.