Tennis legend not invited to Prague Davis Cup final

Prague, Oct 25 (CTK) - Former tennis player Pavel Slozil, member of the Czech team winning the Davis Cup in 1980, has not been invited to the Davis Cup final against Spain that will be played in Prague on November 16-18, due to his dispute with the Czech tennis association, Sport daily writes Thursday.

The Czech sports daily notes that while Slozil has not been invited at all, the other members of the Czech team that won the Davis Cup in 1980 - Ivan Lendl, Tomas Smid and Jan Kodes - have been invited not by the Czech tennis association, but by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

The ITF has not invited Slozil because he does not meet the requirement of representing his country in 20 or more matches, unlike the three other players, Sport writes.

The paper also says the Czech tennis association has not invited legendary champion Martina Navratilova to the Fed Cup final that will be played in Prague.

The dispute between the Czech tennis association's head Ivo Kaderka and the 1980 Davis Cup champions started in 2009 over invitations to the Davis Cup final played in Spain. The former players rejected the VIP cards and tickets for matches in protest against the strict conditions of the invitations.

Slozil then said he expected the Czech tennis association to pay the flight ticket and hotel as well. Slozil, based in Florida, coached Steffi Graf and Anna Kournikova, among others.

In 2009, the Spanish team beat the Czechs 5-0 in the final.

Smid criticised the fact that Slozil would not be invited to the Davis Cup final.

"It is definitely a mistake, but Kaderka will not change," Kodes told Sport.

"The ITF invites its guests and we invite our guests. We will invite our friends and those who helped Czech tennis on the way to the world's top. Not those who tried to harm it," Kaderka said about the forthcoming Davis Cup final on Wednesday when the Czech team for the Fed Cup final was presented.

The Czech female players will meet the Serb team in the Fed Cup final in Prague on November 3-4.

Sport writes that Navratilova, winner of 59 grand slam titles and nine times doubles Wimbledon winner with both Czech and U.S. citizenships, probably will not attend the Fed Cup final. It says Kaderka and Navratilova had a dispute six years ago.

Kaderka then said Navratilova played the Prague Open tennis tournament only to make money. In reaction, she said he was a rude and envious man with whom she would talk never again.

It is a very successful year for Czech tennis, with its teams advancing to the final of both the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup.

Tickets for the Davis Cup final were on offer from Wednesday 01:15 and they were sold out after 11 hours. All the cheapest tickets were booked within 10 minutes. Tickets for the Fed Cup final were sold in a day.