Olympics: The threat of a women's boycott of the Olympic tennis tournament was looming larger last night after German Olympic chiefs said they would not go back on their decision to exclude Anca Barna and Marlene Weingartner from their team.

Women players are angered that Barna and Weingartner were excluded from the team by the German Olympic Committee despite the fact that they have met the International Tennis Federation's qualifying standard.

Weingartner confirmed she had discussed the matter with other WTA players and said a boycott was a possibility. But the Germans remain defiant in their stance, and unless the pair back down, there is a real possibility of the boycott taking place.

"We announced our squad of 453 sportsmen and women on the 21st of July and there won't be any additions," said German Olympic committee president Klaus Steinbach.

"We expect the ITF and WTA to recognise this," he said.

Barna and Weingartner were 46th and 52nd, respectively, on the July 15th list of 56 accepted entrants but tough German Olympic qualification rules require a player to have played in the final of a top-tier tournament or reached the semi-final of a grand slam.

WTA chief Larry Scott held emergency talks yesterday with players in Montreal, where the Rogers Cup is taking place this week, and advised against a boycott, saying it would damage the women's game.

"We're working with the ITF and with the IOC (International Olympic Committee), and (IOC president) Jacques Rogge has been involved. But the final veto is with the German Olympic committee because they name the players and they are not willing to budge.

"There is a real chance we won't be able to resolve the matter before the (entry) deadline at the end of the week."