Australian Disputes Surface Planned by U.S. for Davis Cup

Australia’s Davis Cup captain said today that the clay court surface the United States plans to use in next month’s final may not comply with the rules.

The United States Tennis Assn. announced Thursday that it would use a red brick-dust surface to be imported from Germany.

But Australia’s Neale Fraser said he is not satisfied the surface falls within the regulations.

The latest move follows the setting of disputed times for the matches to start and delays in announcing a surface, both of which Neale said exceeded International Tennis Federation deadlines.

“It appears that the United States has gone for the trifecta,” Fraser said. “First, they delayed announcing the surface. Secondly, they selected controversial starting times, and now thirdly they have to import the court surface from Germany.”

Davis Cup rules provide that the court surface must have been used in at least three tournaments in the 1990 men’s Grand Prix circuit and be “in general use for tennis in the country where and when the match is held,” according to Fraser.

Fraser has asked Tennis Australia President Geoff Pollard to seek confirmation from the ITF that the nominated surface satisfies the “general use” requirement, given that it needs to be imported from Germany.

Tennis Australia said today that technically, American-style clay is different from European-style clay, but did not specify in which areas.