I will not play in Wimbledon — Borg

Press, 17 April 1982, Page 64

I will not play in Wimbledon — Borg

N'ZPA-Reuter Tokyo The Swedish tennis star, Bjorn Borg, said in Tokyo yesterday that he would not compete in this year’s Wimbledon tennis championships. after the tournament’s management committee said he would have to play in qualifying rounds. "I’m not going to play in Wimbledon because I have to

play in qualifying rounds," Borg told a press conference. “I don’t think the decision Is fair,” Borg added before practising for a four-man $250,000 tournament starting in Tokyo today. In London yesterday the All England Club revealed that it had offered the obstinate Swedish star a compromise with the approval of the Professional Tennis Council. . Borg, who has refused to play in the stipulated minimum of 10 grand prix tournaments in 1982, was told be could spread them over 12 months between April 1, 1982, and March 31, 1983. He has entered seven this year and could work off the rest early next year. A statement from the club, signed by its chairman, Sir Brian Burnett, said: "In spite of much persuasion on the part of Sir Brian that it would be in the best interests of the game as well as Borg himself, Borg felt unable to accept in principle even this reasonable compromise. “Wimbledon still hopes that he will accept the system.” Borg has been taking a long rest from tennis and playing ice hogkey for fun. He has obstinately refused to play in more than seven tournaments this year. Unless he plays in 10 tournaments, the rules say he must qualify for the French Open and the U.S. Open in addition to Wimbledon. He has already said he will not defend his title in the French Open, which he has won six times. Sir Brian went to Monte Carlo two weeks ago to talk to the Professional Tennis Council and to Borg himself. He was clearly disappointed by Borg’s, refusal to compromise. The All England Club, confirming that Borg must qualify for Wimbledon if he entered, said: “In the circumstances, the committee of management of the championships think they can do no more to help Borg in this matter, short of Wimbledon withdrawing from the Grand Prix. “This could well lead to the eventual breakup of the Grand Prix and severely harm the development of tennis throughout the world. It would also undermine the authority of the governing body of the game, which Wimbledon has always, supported.” The 25-year-old Swede said he was not yet sure whether he would play in the U.S. Open and other tournaments he had planned for this year. He started; his comeback by competing in the Monte Carlo Open earlier this month in which he lost to a Frenchman, Yannick Noah, in the quarter-finals. Borg, who won five successive men’s singles titles from 1976 at Wimbledon, had hoped that the Wimbledon management committee would overrule the Professional Tennis Council in view of his outstanding record in the tournament.