Russia captain finally gets his US visa

MOSCOW, July 12 (Reuters) Russia's Fed Cup captain will be able to attend this weekend's semi-final against the United States in Vermont after getting a US visa today.

Shamil Tarpishchev said he was finally issued a visa by US authorities today morning and he was boarding a flight for New York at 14:20 (10:20 GMT).

''I'm just about to get on the plane,'' Tarpishchev told Reuters from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.

''This has been one hell of a week. I was sitting on the edge of my pants for seven days waiting for my US visa.

''I'm glad I was finally allowed to join my team but this whole affair has cost me a lot in terms of aggravation, time and effort.

''I will only arrive in Vermont on Friday morning and will have less than 24 hours to prepare my team for the matches,'' he said in reference to the July 14-15 tie in Stowe, Vermont.

''The rules of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) stipulate that a host country must give visas to all official members of the visiting team at least five days prior to the tie. I my case they (US authorities) have broken all norms of international fair play,'' he added.

Tarpishchev said his visa problems had been going on for the past decade and he thought he might be on a black list by US authorities because he had in the past been accused of having links to the Russian mafia, a charge he denies.

''Only after the intervention of our foreign ministry, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the US Olympic Committee, the ITF and the US Tennis Federation they finally issued my visa,'' said Tarpishchev, who is an IOC member and serves as president of the Russian Tennis Federation.

The Russians have also been weakened by the withdrawals of their top two players, world number two Maria Sharapova and world number four Svetlana Kuznetsova, due to injury.

Reuters BJR GC1647