Sunday, October 5 2008 -- October 2, 2008, Madrid, Spain - Subtracted points and a hefty fine are the penalties handed down to Croatia for playing Davis Cup matches against Brazil on a court deemed to be ‘too fast’ by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

Marina Mihelic, head of the Croatian Tennis Federation, was adamant at rejecting the penalty, saying that she was “surprised and annoyed” by the ruling of the ITF.

The tennis court in question was the newly-built Sportski Centar Visnjik stadium located at Zadar, the venue where Croatia reclaimed its victorious spot at the elite World Group by winning a 4-1 playoff event against Brazil in the September 19-21 series. Being in the lead, Croatia had 11,025.63 points in the Davis Cup standings.

It was the “court pace rating rule” that was violated by Croatia, according to the ITF. This provision assesses the surface speed of a court made of materials other than grass and clay. ITF spokesperson Barbara Travers asserted that the Sportski Centar Visnjik court had a surface that was well beyond the prescribed pace limit.

Mihelic, on the other hand, is puzzled by the decision since she disclosed that ITF officials cleared the court to be ready for play three days before the Davis Cup began. Further, Mihelic emphasized that they never intended to manipulate the competition to their advantage.