South African Davis Cup Waiver Sparks Controversy

Written by: on 17th May 2012
South African Davis Cup Waiver Sparks Controversy   |

© “DAILY TENNIS NEWS WIRE”

Former South African standouts Abe Segal and Gordon Forbes are less than pleased that Tennis South Africa has surrendered its right to stage its Davis Cup World Group play-off against Canada. Tennis Canada has accepted the right to host the September tie at an undetermined location

“I don’t think too many of the 185 member nations of the International Tennis Federation, let alone a country with a proven history in the sport like SA, would have made a decision like this,” Segal told South African Business Day. “Imagine Arsenal being drawn at home in a Cup tie against Manchester United and then requesting the match be staged at Old Trafford.”

Forbes, who was once the president of the South African Tennis Association, said he sympathized with the Tennis SA administration “because I had personal experience of how difficult it has become to secure sponsorship for tennis in the country, and I’m sure they did their best”.

Tennis SA has cited an inability to secure the required sponsorship money. The country also gave up its ATP sanction last year. “We tried everyone; the government, private sector, TV companies and affluent individuals who we hoped would be sympathetic,” Tennis SA president Bongani Zonde said. “But no money was forthcoming.”

Tennis SA’s Ian Smith added that the organization is not bankrupt. “But our funds are strictly limited and we had to weigh up whether it was worth spending more money on the Davis Cup at the expense of development projects and such-like.”

Segal said he was amazed that the country could not raise the necessary funds, which for a World Group play-off, would not be that steep. “SA was a force in world tennis in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s and the sport was thriving in the country,” he said. “We attracted the best players in the world to the country, instead of turning them away.”

© “DAILY TENNIS NEWS WIRE”

Topics: ,








10sBalls Top Stories

In Case You Missed It

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA thumbnail

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA

Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday that Eugenie Bouchard is the winner of the 2018 Excellence Awards in the Female Player of the Year and Singles Player of the Year categories.
TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE

Time to get tickets to watch! Surly you have heard about The Largest Open Tennis Event in America!
TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER

According to Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal was supposed to be back at practice on either Dec. 4 or 5. Well, better late than never!
Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife thumbnail

Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife

Española y checa ya trabajaron juntas durante el pasado Open de Estados Unidos
ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS thumbnail

ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia hits a forehand to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during her second round match at the Nature Valley International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, Great Britain, on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.