The first-round losers went into the Davis Cup World Group play-offs, and the winners progress to the quarterfinals.

Sweden attracted controversy when they forbade fans from seeing the matches inside Baltiska Hallen, fearing anti-Israeli violence.

[16] Several Swedish politicians, including the mayor of Malmö and the head of the Green Party, said that they wanted to cancel the match instead of having an Israeli team play in the city, but after it was strongly pointed out that Sweden would suffer a forfeit loss and immediate elimination from the Cup tournament, the prospect of a cancellation was nixed.

[18] On the 7 March a breakaway group from an anti-Israel protest attacked police outside the stadium as the match was ongoing inside.

The Davis Cup fined the Swedish tennis federation $25,000 and ordered them to pay an additional $15,000 in what would have been gate receipts.