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Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas

The International Tennis Federation's team competition for boys and girls aged 16 & under was launched in 1985 as the "World Youth Cup".

ln 2002 the ITF re-branded the boys' competition as part of a new partnership with BNP Paribas, title sponsor of the Davis Cup, and re-named the boys' competition the "Junior Davis Cup by BNP Paribas". ln line with the boys' event, the girls' competition was re- named the Junior Fed Cup. In 2006, the girls' competition was also changed to Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas.

On average, the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas attract around 150 teams each year, spanning approximately 85 nations. Regional qualifying rounds are contested in 5 regions between April and August: Africa, Asia/Oceania, South America, North/Central America & Caribbean and Europe. With the exception of Europe, where pre-qualifying rounds as well as one final qualifying round is held, each region hosts one qualifying event which takes place over one week. The host nations of regional qualifying rotate every year, as does the host nation of the Finals.

At both regional qualifying and the Final of the competition, each tie consists of three rubbers (two singles and one doubles). The format of play of regional qualifying is usually a combined round robin and knockout format, which differs from region to region depending on the number of entries received. This system guarantees the nations a maximum number of competitive opportunities, ensuring that the best teams win through and that all teams are placed.

A total of 16 boys' teams and 16 girls' teams qualify for the finals. Each region is allocated a fixed number of regional qualifying spots, as decided by the ITF Junior Competitions Committee in an attempt to ensure a fair representation of all the Continents. These are as follows:

The host nation of the Final is automatically awarded a place in the finals without having to take part in regional qualifying. The number of qualifying spots from that region is therefore reduced accordingly. Reggio Emilia in Italy will host the 2007 Finals, and San Luis Portisi in Mexico staging the event in 2008 and 2009.

The 16 teams final is played at one venue during one week, usually in the months of September, October or November. Traditionally, the competition is structured in two separate, but jointly staged events, one for boys' teams and one for girls' teams. The format is a combined round robin and knockout system (main draw and consolation), which places all teams from 1-16.

Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas is the premier international team competition for aspiring tennis stars at the Boys' and Girls' 16 & Under level. By re-branding the competition to mirror the senior events, the stars of tomorrow will get the chance to sample the unique atmosphere of Davis Cup and Fed Cup at an early stage in their career.

Official site: www.itfjuniors.com