Carson Gets Davis Cup

The U.S. Tennis Assn. is making plans for next year’s Davis Cup, deciding to hold the first-round match against Croatia at the Home Depot Center in Carson, officials said.

An agreement was reached Thursday by the USTA and Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). The groups already are owners of the WTA event in Carson, which is held in the summer leading up to the U.S. Open.

The opening round against Croatia will be March 4-6. Croatia beat the United States, 4-1, in Zagreb in 2003, the only time the teams have met. Should the U.S. advance, it would either host Romania or travel to Belarus for the quarterfinals in July.

The last time the Davis Cup was played in a major market in the U.S. and in California was at the Forum in 2000 against the Czech Republic.

For the players, the travel schedule will be eased by having the first round of the Davis Cup in Southern California because the matches will fall just before the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells, which starts with main-draw play on the men’s side on March 11.