[iH1wMOhE]

It's going to be interesting to see what happens.

[RooxiaNof]

Will be interesting to see how the federation react to the top players not doing any publicity activities.

On a tennis note, forgot that the balls would be flying thru the court with higher altitude.

[iH1wMOhE]

According to this article Munoz has issued a public apology to the players for his previous behavor.

“It’s not the first time nor last time that we will have disagreements,” Munoz told The Associated Press. “I apologised publicly to the players yesterday for not honoring all of our pre-existing deals. http://thepost.com.pk/SportsNewsT.as...160054&catid=5

[kubekniekubek]

It's Madrid! So let's see what the players do. I'm sure that Rafa and company will play.

Davis Cup - Spain overrule rebel players
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/090520...l-players.html

Davis Cup - Spain overrule rebel players

Eurosport - Fri, 09 May 20:39:00 2008

Spain's tennis federation selected Madrid's Las Ventas bullring as the site of the Davis Cup semi-final between Spain and the USA over the objections of top Spanish players, including Rafael Nadal, who prefered other locations.

Spanish players had made it clear they prefered any of the three other locations - Benidorm, Tenerife or Gijon - for their September 19-21 best-of-five series against the defending champions.

They argued that the Spanish capital's 600-metre (2,100-foot) altitude would favour the US players' faster game and accused federation president Pedro Munoz of favoring the capital city because of sponsorship money.

Earlier this week Nadal and eight other players, including Spain captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario, David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro signed an open letter vowing not to take part in any federation event as long as Munoz is its head in protest at the likely choise of Madrid.

"Our only objective is and will always be to represent Spain under the best possible conditions," the letter said.

"It is us players who play and defend the colours of our country and we feel we are the main ones to be hurt by the decisions that have been taken," it added.

Spanish media have reported that the federation is under pressure to select Madrid as the site of the Davis Cup semi-final because the city's tourist office is a key sponsor of the event through 2010.
AFP



"Madrid chosen to host U.S.-Spain Davis Cup semis"
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/ten...ory?id=3388479

Friday, May 9, 2008
Despite Spanish team objections, Madrid to host Davis semis

ESPN.com news services

MADRID, Spain -- Rejecting pleas from its players and coach, the Spanish tennis federation chose Madrid's bullring Friday as the venue for the Davis Cup semifinal series against the United States.



The Spanish players had preferred one of the three other candidates -- Benidorm, Tenerife and Gijon -- for the Sept. 19-21 matchup against the defending champion Americans.



Rafael Nadal, the three-time French Open champion, was among eight Spanish players and captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario who signed an open letter this week denouncing the federation's process for choosing the host city.



The team said Madrid's 2,100-foot altitude will remove the team's home-court advantage and accused federation president Pedro Munoz of favoring the capital city because of sponsorship money.



The Spaniards are at their best on a slow clay surface, while the Americans -- led by hard-serving Andy Roddick -- are likely to benefit from the higher altitude speeding up play.



It's the first time in 10 years that Madrid will host a Davis Cup match.


Friday's decision was made by a secret ballot of federation board members, with Munoz abstaining, national news agency Efe reported. Madrid received nine votes, Benidorm four, Gijon two and Tenerife one.


The players -- also including fifth-ranked David Ferrer and former French Open champion Carlos Moya -- have threatened to boycott all the promotional events for the federation and its sponsors as long as Munoz remains president.



"The problem is not so much the altitude but ... at first he [Munoz] said he would adhere to the requests of the players and then he went back on his word. That is what hurt us, that he doesn't honor his promises," Sanchez Vicario told Radio Marca on Friday.



In an interview with the Spanish sports daily AS on Friday, Munoz defended himself. "They can say I didn't keep my promise but not that I lied," he said.



"I have asked them to release me from my promise because I have been advised I cannot deny the event to a city that meets the requirements stipulated," Munoz said. "It is the board who decides, not the president."


Madrid's selection came three months after the city's tourist office signed up as a key sponsor with the Davis Cup through 2010. Madrid also is bidding to host the 2016 Olympics.



The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this story.

[rowneigerie]

I really wanted it to be Gijon

[kubekniekubek]

I was hoping for the Canary Islands, but Madrid should be fun. Time to brush up the European Spanish.

FYI- right now I see the cheapest round trip from NYC to Madrid is 715 which includes all the crazy taxes.

[rowneigerie]

I was hoping for the Canary Islands, but Madrid should be fun. Time to brush up the European Spanish.

FYI- right now I see the cheapest round trip from NYC to Madrid is 715 which includes all the crazy taxes.

OooOO. Maybe I should go

[kubekniekubek]

BTW, it is now "official" since the ITF has made the announcement.

From the Davis Cup web site:

"Davis Cup semifinal venues setThe venues for the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas semifinal ties between Argentina and Russia, and Spain and USA, to be played on 19-21 September, have been announced.

Argentina will be looking to extend its unbeaten home run of 12 ties when it hosts Russia on clay at the Estadio Parque Roca in Buenos Aires. The two nations last faced each other in the 2006 final when Russia emerged victorious 3-2 in Moscow.

The Spanish Tennis Federation has chosen the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas in Madrid for the showdown between Spain and titleholders USA. Spain lost to USA in the quarterfinals last year and will be looking to reach the final for the first time since winning the title in 2004, when it defeated USA in Seville."


Anyone have tourist advice on Madrid for me?
Gracias!

[kubekniekubek]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/120520...sion-hurt.html

Davis Cup - Nadal: Madrid decision could hurt

Rafael Nadal warned the decision of the Spanish Tennis Federation to host their Davis Cup semi-final against the United States in Madrid could backfire.

Nadal and the rest of the Spanish players, furious that their wish to play the tie at sea level was ignored, signed a letter saying they would refuse to appear at promotional events for the RFET while Pedro Munoz remained president.

"We never had any problem with playing in Madrid," Nadal said in Hamburg. "But we can't accept that the president told us 100 times that we were going to decide, and then we don't decide."

The ball moves slower at low altitude which would generally suit clay-court specialists Spain.

"What you can't do now is keep saying we're the clear favourites. We're not playing against number 50 and 60 in the world. Roddick is at number six and Blake is at eight and they have the world's number one doubles team.
"It's going to be a very difficult tie and we'll do everything we can to win but it's going to be very open and anything can happen."

Spain play the United States from Sept. 19-21. They have only beaten the U.S. three times in eight Davis Cup meetings, with all three coming at home, on clay and at low altitude.
Reuters

[Leczyslaw]

Some things are hard to understand... this is one of them. How can you go against team's opinion about where to play? If Spain suffers shocking loss, they will know who to blame.