Australians apologise after national anthem gaffe

Australian tennis officials have apologised to Spanish dignitaries after the wrong national anthem was played at the 2003 Davis Cup final.

Spanish Secretary of State for Sport Juan Antonio Gomez-Angulo reacted furiously in the stands as Australian jazz trumpeter James Morrison played the Republican anthem Himno de Riego.

Named after a 19th Century revolutionary, it was Spain's national anthem for just eight years up until 1939, and its rendition at the opening ceremony was greeted with boos from the Spanish contingent in the crowd.

It prompted farcical scenes on court at the Rod Laver Arena as Senor Gomez-Angulo instructed the Spanish team not to start the match before the correct anthem, "Marcha Real", was played.

Initially, the public address announcer declared the correct anthem would not be played until Saturday and then Australia Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald was forced to issue a public apology. Eventually, a copy was found and relayed through the public address system - but the Spanish authorities were left fuming, vowing to take the matter all the way to the Australian government.

"I appear in front of you to formally express our absolute indignation at the offence that we, the Spanish delegation, have been made subject to at the opening ceremony of the final of the Davis Cup," said Senor Gomez-Angulo, who stormed out of the stands and called an impromptu press conference.

"It was an offence to the Spanish delegation and to the Spanish nation because the national anthem that was played was not the Spanish national anthem. The Spanish ambassador, who is with me, and myself had to leave the stands right away and we asked our players to refrain from starting the match unless an immediate reparation was done."

But by then, the official ceremony was over, the Spanish flag had been taken from the court and the players were ready to start, so Senor Gomez-Angulo called for the proper ceremony to take place ahead of tomorrow's doubles rubber.

Geoff Pollard, president of Tennis Australia, drafted an immediate letter of apology to his opposite number at the Real Federacion Espanola de Tenis, Augustin Pujol Niubo. He wrote: "We believe the error arose because a CD of world national anthems provided to the performer by Tennis Australia contained what we have subsequently been advised is not the current national anthem.

"Understandably the Spanish team, officials and supporters were clearly dismayed at the error, which I repeat was unintentional and for which we unreservedly apologise." Senor Gomez-Angulo accepted the initial apologies from all concerned, but insisted it was a diplomatic matter to be taken up by politicians.