Hewitt to lead Davis Cup tie before ban over ‘push’

Lleyton Hewitt has been allowed to captain Australia in this weekend’s Davis Cup match in Sydney despite being hit with a fine and a ban for “offensive conduct” at a previous tie when he pushed a volunteer doping control official against a wall.

The 44-year-old grand slam great was on Wednesday handed a two-week suspension and a $30,000 fine after being found guilty by an independent tribunal of pushing the 60-year-old anti-doping chaperone in an incident following Australia’s semi-final defeat by Italy in Malaga last year.

The tribunal recommended one-third of the fine ($10,000) received by the ITIA should be paid on to the chaperone “in compensation for the stress, discomfort and embarrassment of the incident”.

The official has since said he will never volunteer at a tie again, with the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) saying that would “represent a tangible loss to the anti-doping program”.

The agency had pushed for a heavier sanction, asking for a four-week suspension and a $US25,000 ($37,500) fine, with the tribunal agreeing “there was no apology or check on the wellbeing of the chaperone” and “a lack of remorse from Mr Hewitt”.

The agency also asked for Hewitt’s “poor disciplinary record, including five prior incidents of offensive conduct toward tennis officials and non-compliance with tennis rules” to be taken into account, as well as his conduct during the hearing which it said had been “obstructive and inappropriate”.

Hewitt denied the charge and cited self-defence, but the tribunal upheld it, saying his behaviour was “not reasonable and proportionate”.

But the tribunal rejected the ITIA’s primary case that “the push was unprovoked and born out of anger or irritation from the loss against Italy”.

But with Hewitt’s side hosting Belgium this Saturday and Sunday in the second round of qualifiers, the tribunal’s chair, Michael Heron, said they did not want to be “unduly punitive” on Hewitt by affecting his Davis Cup schedule.

The tribunal also wanted to give Hewitt time to appeal against the verdict if he wanted. The ITIA reported that so far he and his team had not done so.

His suspension will start in two weeks’ time, lasting from September 24 until October 7. Hewitt won’t be allowed to take part “in all tennis-related activities, including coaching, mentoring, playing, captaincy and other associated roles” during that fortnight.

“Anti-doping personnel play a fundamental role behind the scenes in upholding the integrity of tennis, and they should be able to go about their roles without fear of physical contact,” ITIA chief executive Karen Moorhouse said in a statement.

“In this case, that line was clearly crossed, and we had no other option but to take action.”

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The incident happened when both Hewitt and the anti-doping chaperone were in the same crowded corridor and had made contact.

The tribunal accepted Hewitt had been recovering from a medical condition, which he said had prompted him to push away the official, who he didn’t know was a chaperone, when there was contact between them.

But the tribunal found the push was “too strong or forceful and was excessive or disproportionate” and “there were other options available”.

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