sports diary: Kuerten boycott leaves Brazil with novice Davis Cup team

RIO DE JANEIRO: Minus former world number one Gustavo Kuerten and the top national players Brazilian Davis Cup captain Ricardo Pereira named a young and inexperienced side Tuesday for their American zone tie against Venezuela in Caracas from July 16-18. Three-time French Open winner Kuerten along with the country’s top players Flavio Saretta, Ricardo Mello and Andre Sa have been boycotting the team since April after demanding the departure of Brazilian Tennis Federation president Nelson Nastas. Pereira’s list includes 1094th-ranked Diego Cubas, Bruno Rosa (1118), Caio Zampieri (1152) and junior player Thomas Beluuci, ranked 31st in the International Tennis Federation’s under-18 age group. The Venezuela team named by their captain Alfonso Mora-Gonzalez includes 336th-ranked Jose Antonio de Armas, Kepler Orellana (339), Jimy Szymanski (418) and Jonathan Medina (660). afp

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