MELBOURNE, Australia — The International Tennis Federation says that the first-round Davis Cup match between Australia and the United States should have been played on hardcourts, and not grass.
It said the confusion came from a three-way "oversight" by the ITF, the United States Tennis Association and Tennis Australia.
In 1999, the last time Australia and the U.S. met in the Davis Cup, Australia should have hosted the matches. But a decision was made by the ITF to stage a 100th-anniversary celebration of the Davis Cup at Longwood Cricket Club near Boston.
The ITF placated Australia by allowing the matches to be played on hardcourt instead of clay, which the Americans preferred.