TNT Sports
ITF to investigate venue
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Published 27/09/2005 at 17:00 GMT+1
The International Tennis Federation are to assess Bratislava's National Tennis Centre, after Slovakia proposed to stage the Davis Cup final in its tiny 8,000-seater stadium. Home to victories over Spain, Netherlands and Argentina in the World Group, Slova
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Slovakia scored a shock 4-1 victory over favoured Argentina over the weekend to reach the Davis Cup final for the first time where they will face Croatia in December.
The Slovaks want to again play at their National Tennis Centre (NTC), which only seats around 4,000 -- the absolute minimum allowed under Davis Cup rules.
By comparison, Spain won last year's title in front of 27,000 spectators, the largest crowd to attend an official tennis competition ever.
"An International Tennis Federation (ITF) team will come to assess the situation next week," said Zuzana Wisterova, a spokeswoman for the Slovak Tennis Federation.
"Nothing has been decided yet, but obviously, the team wants to stay in the National Tennis Centre."
ALTERNATIVE VENUE
An alternative venue for the final is an ice hockey stadium in Bratislava, which could seat around 8,000 spectators, but the players are against such a move.
"It's possible that we will have to play someplace else," said Slovak number one Dominik Hrbaty. "But we'd like to play in the NTC, we know it well there and we feel good there."
The tennis centre opened two years ago with a 3-2 loss to the United States.
But it has since seen the team ride a wave of victories, including an upset of title holders Spain in the first round as well as thrashings of the Netherlands and Argentina.
The Slovaks believe they would not have to change the stadium, although they will have to obey to regulations on making available space for sponsors, players, fans and the ITF itself.
"It is 99 percent certain that we will play here (NTC). I believe that the ITF will accept this," head of the Slovak Tennis Federation, Igor Moska, told journalists.
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