Australia refuses DCup trip to India, risks ban

BRISBANE, Australia — Australia could face a one-year suspension from the Davis Cup after refusing to travel to India in May for the tennis competition, citing “high-risk” security concerns.

Tennis Australia said Saturday there is an “unacceptable level of risk” in Chennai, India, and had appealed for a change of venue after the International Tennis Federation said last week that the southern Indian city was approved by security consultants.

The ITF on Friday rejected Australia’s appeal and upheld the decision to hold the matches in Chennai as originally planned May 8-10. The winner would advance to the World Group playoffs in September.

Less than 12 hours after the ITF announced that decision, Tennis Australia president Geoff Pollard said his team — which could have included past Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion Lleyton Hewitt — would boycott the match.

If a team withdraws from the competition after the draw, Davis Cup rules say the country will not be eligible to take part in the competition the following year and be fined up to $100,000.

The ITF said the Davis Cup Committee would decide on any penalties “in due course.”

“The ITF regrets and respectfully disagrees with the decision of Tennis Australia to default,” the competition’s governing body said in a statement.

Voting in the Indian general election finishes three days after the match. Cricket’s Indian Premier League was moved to South Africa over concerns that the election would make security tougher to carry out.

“We asked for the tie to be moved because we have major security concerns for the players, particularly during the election,” Pollard said at Mildura, Victoria, where Australia is playing Fed Cup tennis this weekend. “The ITF decision has left us with no other option. We cannot send the team. It is extremely disappointing. Davis Cup is very important to us, but some things are more important than tennis.”

Australia Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald said he was angered by the ITF decision.

“It is just irresponsible. Surely some thought must be given to the players’ safety,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald said his players hope the ITF will change its mind.

Concerns about security on the Indian subcontinent increased after the terror attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team in Lahore, Pakistan, last month.

Terror attacks in Mumbai last November, blamed on Islamic extremists, killed 166 and injured 304 in the Indian financial center and forced an international Twenty20 cricket tournament to be scrapped.

India’s federal sports minister, M.S. Gill, said there was no justification for Australia’s boycott.

“I regret that Australia is not willing to come to Chennai to play us. We’re fully conscious of security concerns and there is no justification for Australia not to play in Chennai,” Gill said in a statement. “There is no law-and-order problem in Chennai. India does not have a slightest of problems regarding security in sports.”

AP Sports Writer Sandeep Nakai in New Delhi contributed to this report.