South Africa Banned by Tennis Federation

The International Tennis Federation banned South Africa from three worldwide championships and voted Friday to seek an end to the annual Grand Prix tournament there because of the country’s apartheid policy.

A South African tennis official called the ban “nonsense” and said the ITF is powerless to force a halt to the tournament.

The management committee of the federation, one of the few worldwide sports organizations with ties to South Africa, also voted to end recognition of that country’s national championships.

The 11-member committee vowed “to move at the next meeting of the Men’s Tennis Council that the Super Series tournament in Johannesburg be excluded from the Grand Prix calendar.”

The tournament in Johannesburg, to be held this year beginning Nov. 14, is the only Grand Prix event held in South Africa.

In other action, the ITF voted to adopt the tiebreaker in Davis Cup competition beginning in 1989, using a formula from Grand Slam tennis tournaments. The change will greatly reduce the number of long matches that are common in Davis Cup play.

The tiebreaker is used to bring a quick end to sets that are tied after 12 games. The first player to score seven points wins the set, 7-6, so long as he wins the tiebreaker by a margin of two points.