Thaindian News

Melbourne, April 26 (IANS) Tennis Australia (TA) Sunday said it will appeal if the International Tennis Federation (ITF) suspends them from the Davis Cup after their pull-out from the tie in India.
The TA Saturday decided to boycott the Asia-Oceania Group I tie to be held in Chennai May 8-10 because of security concerns after ITF rejected their appeal to shift the tie to a neutral venue.

The ITF has the power to suspend Australia for a year but TA president Geoff Pollard said Sunday he expected a penalty of no more than $25,000.

TA, however, is confident of avoiding relegation, The Australian reports.

Even if suspended, Australia is unlikely to drop back to the Asia-Oceania Group II section because it already beat Thailand earlier this year.

Pollard said it was likely the ITF decided Australia’s sanction at meetings either during the French Open or at Wimbledon and an appeal would be ready to be presented during the Davis Cup committee’s AGM in Madrid in July.

“They have got the power to do all sorts of things, I suppose, but anything they do would be subject to the rights of appeal,” he said.

In the most recent precedent, in 2004, Denmark refused to play Algeria in Algiers, also due to security issues and was dropped from World Group II to World Group III - because it was a first-round match and the country was considered to have forfeited their right to remain in the higher group.

But Denmark was not suspended and was allowed to play in 2005.