The International Tennis Federation, the ruling body...

The International Tennis Federation, the ruling body of the sport, said its $6-million tournament would take place Dec. 10-16 next year but that it wanted to talk to the Assn. of Tennis Professionals to avoid future scheduling conflicts. The ITF also said that Davis Cup performance had been dropped from qualifying criteria, at least temporarily.

The ATP, the players’ union, takes over operation of the men’s tennis tour next year. It announced several months ago that it would stage its end-of-season championships in Frankfurt, West Germany, and viewed the ITF’s tournament as a direct challenge to its tour.