ITF weighs sanctions <br />U.S. may be fined for withdrawal from Fed Cup<br />Posted: Wednesday November 28, 2001 10:56 AM<br /> LONDON (Reuters) -- The United States faces being fined by the International Tennis Federation for pulling out of last month's Fed Cup women's team finals in Madrid after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. <br />The ITF voted last weekend to allow the U.S to compete in next year's competition, but a spokesman told Reuters on Wednesday that a decision on a fine would not be made until their next board meeting in February. <br />"Any other issues, which would include a possible fine, will be dealt with at our next board meeting in February," the ITF spokesman said. <br />"The reason for the delay is that we are still waiting for a report from the Spanish tennis federation who hosted the 2001 Fed Cup finals." <br />U.S Fed Cup member Monica Seles spoke out against a possible fine for the U.S Tennis Association. <br />"It's very unfortunate and very difficult situation to go over there when the FBI was advising us not too," she told American reporters. "We shouldn't be fined. It's unfortunate....We've supported Fed Cup for so many years." <br />Seles, who was a member of the U.S team that won the cup in 2000, said that she would have gone to the finals if asked by captain Billie Jean King, despite the potential threat. <br />"If Billie would have asked me, I would have played," she said. "I played right away after Sept. 11 in Brazil. Your life has to go on." <br />USTA Fed Cup Committee chairwoman Carol Graebner, a former Fed Cup player herself, was annoyed that a sanction is being considered. <br />"It's an outrage that the ITF is even considering it," she said. "Billie Jean King and I have been involved and supporting Fed Cup for the last 38 years. <br />"The ITF should know that if we couldn't go, it was for a very legitimate reason." <br />Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin gave Belgium their first Fed Cup title in this year's finals, beating Russia. <br />The U.S is the top seed for the 2002 event and will host Austria in the first round.
How idiotic is this? For those of you who called the Americans cowards for not playing, the FBI told them not to.
How idiotic is this? For those of you who called the Americans cowards for not playing, the FBI told them not to.