Organizers of the Madrid Open have been "slammed" by the Women's Tennis Association for inviting Ilie Nastase to the award ceremony for the women's final, according to the AAP. Following Simona Halep's victory over Kristina Mladenovic, her fellow Romanian and Fed Cup captain, Nastase, "appeared on court and was photographed" with the world No. 8. Nastase is currently serving a provisional suspension by the Int'l Tennis Federation as a result of his behavior during April's Fed Cup tie against Great Britain. French Open organizers last week "followed their Wimbledon counterparts in barring Nastase from a grand slam" in '17 and the WTA "revoked his credential privileges while the ITF investigated his actions." WTA CEO Steve Simon criticized tournament organizers in a statement on Saturday. Simon: "The only shadow cast on the day was Mr. Nastase's invitation to participate in today's award ceremony. He had no place on court today. ... It was both irresponsible and unacceptable of the Madrid Open to bestow him an official role" (AAP, 5/14).
