London  - Malmo has been banned from hosting a Davis Cup tie until 2014 after the Davis Cup Committee came down hard on the Swedish city following last month's closed-door tie lost to Israel.

City officials had ordered the tie be played without spectators due to mass protests against the Israeli bombing campaign against Gaza in January in which more than
1,200 died, mainly civilians.

The plan backfired as Israel took the victory over Sweden, 3-2.

"The committee strongly condemned the decision by the city government of Malmo to refuse to allow spectators to attend the matches and the resultant fact that the Swedish Tennis Association played the tie behind closed doors," read an ITF statement.

But the city's moral stand also cost more, with the national federation also hit, and with Sweden to suffer an automatic loss of choice of ground for the next tie if a similar situation occurs in the future.

The governing body also ruled that all host city contracts entered into by the Swedish federation must include a provision guaranteeing that the tie will be open to the public. The written guarantee is due eight weeks before play begins.

Stockholm will also have to pay 15,000 dollars against (non-existent) gate receipts plus a 25,000 dollar fine.(dpa)