THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MADRID, Spain -- Argentina's bid to host the Davis Cup final against Spain on indoor carpet will only be accepted if the country's tennis federation selects a venue that meets stringent crowd capacity requirements, ITF officials said Tuesday. Argentina captain Alberto Mancini said after the semifinal win over Russia that the team would host the Nov. 21-23 final on a fast-playing surface to gain an advantage over top-ranked Rafael Nadal of Spain. Cordoba's Orfeo Stadium has a fast synthetic surface, but the stadium falls short of the 12,000-seating capacity required by the International Tennis Federation to host a final. "Absolutely these are the requirements. The rules are not open to interpretation," ITF executive vice-president and Davis Cup committee chairman Juan Margets told The Associated Press. An ITF observer was already in Cordoba inspecting the stadium, Margets added. Argentina must submit its application for the host venue to tennis' governing body by Monday. The ITF is likely to decide within about a week if it meets criteria. "If it doesn't conform to the rules, we don't play there," Davis Cup committee member Neil Fraser said. "They know that the final has to be in a venue that fits at least 12,000 spectators." Slovakia hosted the 2005 final against Croatia at the 4,100-capacity Sibamac Arena National Tennis Centre, although the ITF said that was allowed because it was the only option available. "They can put down whatever surface they want. That's not the issue, it's about meeting our rules," Margets said. "We must reiterate that we haven't received any official application. But Argentina has stadiums capable of meeting requirements." Margets said that a hard-playing surface could easily be laid at Buenos Aires' Estadio Parque Roca stadium, which holds more than 14,000 people. Spain, led by four-time French Open champion Nadal, has arguably the world's best clay-court roster.
No comments:
Post a Comment