Angry Santana to miss Spain's Davis Cup final

Former Spanish captain Manuel Santana said on Tuesday he will not attend the Davis Cup final with Australia next month in protest against his controversial dismissal a year ago.

"I am not going to Barcelona. I do not agree with the way I was sacked and I think that I would be fooling myself if I went," Santana told reporters.

The final, Spain's first in 33 years, will be held at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on December 8-10.

Santana was dismissed in October 1999 after four years in charge of the Spanish team and was replaced by a four-man technical committee led by Javier Duarte.

The vice-president of the Spanish Tennis Federation Josep Ferrer appealed to the 1966 Wimbledon men's singles winner to reconsider.

"If I were in his place I would think again. Manuel Santana is an important part of the history of Spanish tennis....He should be present at the final," he said.