McEnroe accepts tennis suspension

Press, 17 November 1981, Page 40

McEnroe accepts tennis suspension

NZPA Wembley John McEnroe, fined $7OO after court antics in the Benson and Hedges Tennis championships, said yesterday that he would not appeal and will go through with an automatic three-week suspension. “I have lost every appeal I have made," McEnroe said. “I feel frustrated and I will not appeal any more.” Jimmy Connors toppled McEnroe, the reigning champion', 3-6. 2-6, 6-3. 6-4, 6-2, in a stormy final yesterday and won a first prize of $39,000. McEnroe was disciplined for breaking a television microphone with his racket and slamming balls around. The fines sent him above the statutory limit of $5OOO, which under Grand Prix rules automatically puts him under suspension. He has ten days in which to appeal to the Professional Tennis Council, otherwise the ban will apply. McEnroe said he believed a Grand Prix suspension would leave him free to play for the United States against Argentina in the Davis Cup final at Cincinnati. Ohio, from December 1,1 to 13.

"The Davis Cup rules say I must be in good standing with mv national associa-

tion." McEnroe said. “I am in good standing."

But tennis officials at the Wembley arena said that he was wrong and that the ban would apply to the Davis Cup. McEnroe would not admit that the penalties slapped on him yesterday were deserved: “I hit my racket into the microphone and my strings broke," he said. “That’s what I was fined for. It's absurd." Connors defended McEnroe, both in a public interview on court at the presentation ceremony and at a press conference later. He said that players were subject to too many rules and restrictions: “If they gave us a little more rein, these things might not happen." Connors said. “The rules have got the players frustrated."

Connors added that disciplinary measures had little effect on the millionaires of the tennis courts anyway. “You fine us, and the fines don’t matter." Connors said. “You can suspend us. and we ll make more money than if we played in the tournaments. They could put us out of the game, and then the game would suffer."