JERUSALEM -- The Davis Cup tie between Israel and Greece in Tel Aviv got off to a late start as the visitors were on the verge of pulling out of the encounter before relenting at the deadline.

According to a senior Israeli tennis official, the Greeks threatened to forfeit the tie with officials and ballboys in place and several hundred spectators at the stadium in Tel Aviv after their association in Athens had told them not to play because it feared for their safety.

"An hour and a half ago, the Greek team received notification from their association not to play because of safety fears," Israel Tennis Association chairman David Harnik said. "Since hearing of the decision we have held intensive talks with them and with the International Tennis Federation. The ITF was steadfast in its insistence (that the game must go ahead as planned) and in the end the Greeks relented and they will play."

Harnik received personal notification from his Greek counterpart Spiridon Zannias at the end of the 30-minute deadline set by the ITF's British on-site supervisor Tom Kinloch as he was being interviewed live on national TV.

The several hundred fans at the Israel Tennis Center Stadium and TV schedulers breathed a sigh of relief when Harnik repeated the words "to play," which Zannias said to him from the other end of the phone line.

The Greeks, who are clear underdogs in the Euro/African Zone Group I relegation playoff, arrived in Israel a few hours before the Tel Aviv bus bombing on Thursday in which six people were killed.

They fielded a weakened team with Alexander Jakupovic at 736 in the world and Lefteris Alexiou (751), the country's sixth- and seventh-ranked players respectively.

"We are here and we will do our best, now that we are on court we feel safe," said Greek captain Inoannis Rigas after receiving permission to play.

Rigas, 38, who in desperation named himself as his team's fourth player, said that he had been afraid to come to Israel and that the bus bombing had rattled his players.

"At the beginning we were afraid to come here, but on our first day we felt safe," Rigas said. "After what happened yesterday I felt sickened, although now that we have got on the court I have started to feel much better again.

The tie continues until Sunday.