ALJAZ Bedene's hopes of appearing for Great Britain in the Davis Cup have suffered a further setback. It was revealed yesterday that a meeting of the ITF board in Moldova on Sunday threw out the Slovenian-born player's appeal for eligibility to represent his adopted nation. Both the player himself and Michael Downey, the LTA chief executive, said they would consider their next steps in the row but an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport would seem to be one likely course of action.
"We are very disappointed for Aljaz and with the outcome of the appeal hearing on Sunday," said Downey, who had hoped to make the player available for Davis Cup captain Leon Smith in time for the quarter final tie with Serbia in July. "The LTA has fully supported him in his endeavour to represent the country he rightfully and proudly calls home. In terms of next steps, we will consider the options and continue to consult with Aljaz.”
“Of course I am very sad with today’s result and that it has not gone the way I had hoped," said Bedene. "I would like to thank all the fans, my team and the LTA for continuing to support me all the way. I will have to assess my situation now before I decide on what steps to take next.”
The 26-year-old played three Davis Cup ties for Slovenia before becoming a British citizen in March 2015 - after the International Tennis Federation introduced a rule preventing players from representing more than one country. He appealed on the grounds that his passport application was lodged before the rule was altered at the start of 2015, appearing to the committee via video link, but the hearing - which was originally scheduled in Prague in November - did not find in his favour.
Andy Murray has previously described the delay as "disrespectful" and spoken of his hopes that Bedene should be allowed to play for Great Britain in the Davis Cup and the Olympics.
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