McEnroe Pulls Out of L.A. Tournament

The beleaguered Los Angeles/Volvo tournament was dealt yet another blow--for the third straight year--when defending champion John McEnroe pulled out of the event Friday.

McEnroe’s withdrawal this year doesn’t come as a total surprise, however. His wife, actress Tatum O’Neal, is expecting their second child and already is a week past the original due date. Both McEnroe and O’Neal are in New York, awaiting the delivery.

During the U.S. Open, which concluded Monday, McEnroe said he would leave the tournament to be with O’Neal if she were to go into labor. So, now with the uncertainty of the situation, he didn’t want to leave her in New York to travel to California for the start of the tournament this Monday.

“There aren’t any other reasons other than this,” said McEnroe’s agent, Peter Lawler, from his office in Washington. “I know there are a lot of rumors going around. But this has nothing to do with the (U.S.) Open. He’s pulling out because Tatum hasn’t had the baby yet, and he doesn’t want to leave her.”

What eventually forced McEnroe to make a decision Friday was a combination of factors. As of Friday afternoon, O’Neal hadn’t gone into labor, and she wasn’t in any shape to travel. Also, McEnroe would have been penalized by the Assn. of Tennis Professionals (ATP) computer if he had withdrawn any time after 12 p.m. Central time Friday.

“Every tournament wants to have as strong a field as possible,” said Los Angeles tournament director Bob Kramer. “In any part, no one can exactly be a replacement for the defending champion. This has become John’s hometown and he plays well here. It’s hard to replace a John McEnroe.”

With McEnroe’s withdrawal, the tournament is left a paltry field, just three players in the world’s top 20--Stefan Edberg, Brad Gilbert and David Pate. Of the three, only the No. 2 Edberg is ranked among the top 10. McEnroe was No. 7, according to the most recent rankings.

The other top players entered in Los Angeles include Scott Davis, Guy Forget, Kevin Curren, Ramesh Krishnan and Johan Kriek.

Now, Kramer is forced to scramble to make an attempt to salvage the tournament by bringing in another top 10 player. Two likely candidates are Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors, and neither is designated to play anywhere next week. However, Connors, still suffering from a foot injury, is a very unlikely prospect. Kramer is more hopeful about Lendl, but the three-time U.S. Open champion had the flu and a cold earlier this week.

And, there is one last possibility, crazy as it may seem. By an outside chance, McEnroe could still play on the courts at UCLA’s L.A. Tennis Center next week. Kramer intends to hold a wild-card spot open until the draw Sunday. If O’Neal were to deliver today or even Sunday morning, there still is a small chance McEnroe could play singles or doubles.

“It would be interesting to see if he would take that avenue,” Kramer said. “Maybe he might change his mind or he might play doubles. Once, I think it was 1983, when he couldn’t play singles because he couldn’t get back from a tournament in the Far East, he came back late Tuesday night and he played doubles.”

But the latest developments regarding McEnroe are in line with the last three years as the Los Angeles event--formerly known as Pacific Southwest--has been beset with problems, or bad luck, if you will.

Last year, it was No. 1-ranked Lendl, who pulled out at virtually the last minute because of injuries. McEnroe went on to win the singles title, defeating Edberg in the final. In 1985, McEnroe withdrew with stomach flu on the afternoon before his night semifinal match against Paul Annacone. And Annacone won the tournament as he beat Edberg for the championship.

Although the Los Angeles event was the beginning of a 15-match winning streak last year, McEnroe has had mixed results in 1987. His comeback has stalled due to back injuries and various fits of pique on the tennis court.

According to Bill Babcock, an administrator for the Men’s International Professional Tennis Council (MIPTC), McEnroe has withdrawn from six tournaments this year, including the Los Angeles event.

At the U.S. Open, McEnroe’s blowup during a third-round match against Slobodan Zivojinovic drew a game penalty and, later, a $17,500 fine and a two-month suspension. McEnroe swore at chair umpire Richard Ings and a CBS technician during the match. The fine and suspension, however, are subject to appeal. Although McEnroe has wavered about whether he will make an effort to appeal, Lawler said Friday an appeal will be made.

And, now Lawler has one more appeal to worry about.

McEnroe, because he was designated to play Los Angeles and is ranked in the top 10, could face a $10,000 fine in addition to a basic $5,000 withdrawal fine. However, the fines can be remitted if good cause for pulling out of a tournament is shown, according to Babcock.

“I’m waiting to hear the whole story,” Babcock said. “It could be good cause, we don’t have it all (the facts), and it’s a little unclear if it’s just the baby or if it’s something else. They have some time to give us the reason.”

Said Lawler, wearily: “I’m going to appeal it. I’ll probably lose it like I lose all of these.”