Madrid picked for Davis Cup semi-final despite objections

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MADRID (AFP) - Spain's tennis federation selected Friday Madrid as the site of the Davis Cup semi-final between Spain and the United States in September despite objections from Spanish players, including Rafael Nadal, who said the city's high altitude would hurt their game.

Federation president Pedro Munoz told a news conference that Madrid's Las Ventas bullring would host the September 19-21 best-of-five series, beating rival candidates from three coastal towns: Benidorm, Gijon and Tenerife.

"It was very difficult to make this final decision but we are proud to feel that the entire country is behind this group of tennis players," he said.

Earlier this week Nadal and eight other players, including Spain captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario, David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro signed a joint statement that they will boycott promotions for the federation and its sponsors in protest at the likely choice of Madrid.

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.

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

Speaking to public radio RNE after the decision was announced, Vicario said he was not surprised that the player's concerns were overlooked. "I imagined this would happen," the Spain captain said.

Ferrer said the priority now was "to beat the Americans no matter where."

"We will play where they tell us, but the defeat the Americans we need the slowest possible surface. If the captain calls on me, I will give my best for my country," he said.

Spanish media have reported that the federation was 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.

In a statement posted on its website earlier this week, the federation said the decision on the site may not be based "on strictly sporting aspects if there are extraordinary reasons in the interest of Spanish tennis."