PARIS -- Chile had a ban on hosting Davis
Cup matches reduced by one year by the International Tennis
Federation on Wednesday.
The South American nation will now be able to stage home
ties from 2002 rather than 2003.
The ITF banned Chile from hosting ties after an April 2000
match against Argentina ended in farce.
The visiting team refused to continue after fans threw
plastic chairs, bottles, fruit and coins on the court when
decisions went against the Chilean team.
But the ruling body of tennis said on Wednesday it had been
impressed by Chile's determination to clean up their act.
"The ITF still takes very seriously the situation that led
to the sanctions originally imposed or indeed any violation of
our flagship competition's rules and regulations," ITF President
Francesco Ricci Bitti said in a statement.
"But, having reviewed carefully the progress made by the
Federation since that time, we are happy to accept the
recommendation by the Davis Cup Committee to reduce the penalty
by one year.
"The Davis Cup Committee has carefully monitored the
situation in Chile since the disgraceful incidents of April 2000
and considers that Chile has made sincere and substantial
efforts to demonstrate that they are capable of performing in
future at acceptable levels."
The Argentine Tennis Association supported the decision to
reduce the penalty.
The April 2000 match between Argentina's Mariano Zabaleta
and Chile's Nicolas Massu erupted when the umpire handed
Argentina a penalty point because Chilean spectators shouted as
the Argentine served.
Chilean spectators started to whistle and, when the referee
penalised Chile with another point to Argentina, the crowd
started hurling objects on to the court.
Police were called in to escort the Argentine team to their
dressing room. Using riot shields as overhead protection, they
also helped match officials from the court which ended littered
with objects thrown by spectators.
As an indication of Chile's determination to avoid a repeat,
the ITF cited an exhibition match held in Chile between the
Davis Cup players from Argentina and Chile.
The Davis Cup Committee also noted Chile had lost automatic
choice of ground against the Bahamas in a 2001 American zone tie
and the right to choice of ground by lot against Slovakia for
the World Group qualifying round in September.
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