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Brazil recovers from top players` boycott with new Davis Cup squad
Rio De Janeiro, Mar 26: Brazil have named a new Davis Cup team for next month`s tie with Paraguay after former world number one Gustavo Kuerten led a boycott of their leading players.
Rio De Janeiro, Mar 26: Brazil have named a new Davis Cup team for next month`s tie with Paraguay after former world number one Gustavo Kuerten led a boycott of their leading players.
The Brazilian Tennis Confederation (CBT) named 39-year-old coach Carlos Chabalgoity as team captain on Wednesday after the passing of a deadline it had set for Kuerten and the other rebels to reply to a peace offer.
The CBT said it had selected Marcos Daniel, Alexandre Simoni and Julio Silva for the American zone match at home to Paraguay from April 9 to 11. Two more players will be named by Monday.
Daniel, 194th in the ATP entry rankings, is the highest ranked of the trio. Kuerten, Flavio Saretta, Ricardo Mello and Andre Sa organised the boycott in protest at the administration of CBT president Nelson Nastas, who has run the confederation for 10 years.
They say Nastas has done nothing to help the growth of the sport in Latin America`s largest nation and have also criticised the running of the Davis Cup team.
Nastas last week offered to bring the CBT`s next election forward from December to May and promised not to stand for another term.
But Kuerten said in Miami on Tuesday that he wanted Nastas to leave immediately.
``In response to a consensus from a group of tennis players, ex-tennis players, businessmen and people interested in the future of our tennis, the Brazilian Tennis Confederation has accepted the appointment of Carlos Chabalgoity as captain,`` Nastas said in a statement.
``I`ve got two challenges, to put Brazilian tennis back in the World Group and to get over this situation which has been created around the Davis Cup,`` said Chabalgoity.
``This is the time to think of Brazil and, principally, revert all this pressure in a positive way.``
Chabalgoity was appointed after Jaime Oncins, who was initially chosen after the sacking of Ricardo Acioly in February, resigned in solidarity with his former team mate and Davis Cup doubles partner Kuerten.
Bureau Report
The Brazilian Tennis Confederation (CBT) named 39-year-old coach Carlos Chabalgoity as team captain on Wednesday after the passing of a deadline it had set for Kuerten and the other rebels to reply to a peace offer.
The CBT said it had selected Marcos Daniel, Alexandre Simoni and Julio Silva for the American zone match at home to Paraguay from April 9 to 11. Two more players will be named by Monday.
Daniel, 194th in the ATP entry rankings, is the highest ranked of the trio. Kuerten, Flavio Saretta, Ricardo Mello and Andre Sa organised the boycott in protest at the administration of CBT president Nelson Nastas, who has run the confederation for 10 years.
They say Nastas has done nothing to help the growth of the sport in Latin America`s largest nation and have also criticised the running of the Davis Cup team.
Nastas last week offered to bring the CBT`s next election forward from December to May and promised not to stand for another term.
But Kuerten said in Miami on Tuesday that he wanted Nastas to leave immediately.
``In response to a consensus from a group of tennis players, ex-tennis players, businessmen and people interested in the future of our tennis, the Brazilian Tennis Confederation has accepted the appointment of Carlos Chabalgoity as captain,`` Nastas said in a statement.
``I`ve got two challenges, to put Brazilian tennis back in the World Group and to get over this situation which has been created around the Davis Cup,`` said Chabalgoity.
``This is the time to think of Brazil and, principally, revert all this pressure in a positive way.``
Chabalgoity was appointed after Jaime Oncins, who was initially chosen after the sacking of Ricardo Acioly in February, resigned in solidarity with his former team mate and Davis Cup doubles partner Kuerten.
Bureau Report