International Players Championships : Connors Is Penalized and Fined but He Reaches Final

Jimmy Connors was penalized the final point of the second set for a temper tantrum but regained his composure and beat defending champion Miloslav Mecir, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, in Friday’s semifinals of the International Players Championships.

In Sunday’s final, the second-seeded Connors will meet top-seeded Mats Wilander of Sweden, who defeated sixth-seeded Yannick Noah of France, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.

Top-seeded Steffi Graf of West Germany will play second-seeded Chris Evert in the women’s final today.

Connors argued when a Mecir shot was called good, and he became incensed after umpire Richard Kaufman gave him a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct. When the argument continued, Kaufman assessed Connors a penalty point for delay of game.

Because Mecir was leading, 5-3, 40-30, the penalty point gave him the second set. It was the first set Connors had lost in the two-week tournament.

Connors then lost the first three games of the third set to the third-seeded Czechoslovakian.

“My mind was kind of blank at that time,” he said. “The best thing to do was just try to get my composure back and get a few balls in play.”

For the rest of the three-hour match, Connors concentrated on Mecir. He broke serve three straight times to save the set and then rushed to a 5-1 lead in the final set.

Connors’ dispute with Kaufman began in the first set after the umpire overruled a linesman who had called Mecir’s shot out.

When another Mecir shot was called good to give him a set point in the second set, Connors argued that Kaufman should again overrule and call the ball out.

Kaufman issued the warning for unsportsmanlike conduct after Connors said, “You’re using one eye to umpire today. Wake up the other eye.”

In response to the warning, Connors pointed at Kaufman and shouted, “I’m warning you, I’m warning you!”

When the delay penalty was assessed, Connors picked up a cup of water near the umpire and threw it. He then knocked over his chair with his racket.

“I can’t beat both of you,” Connors told Kaufman. “You’re doing a bad job.”

Later, during a changeover, Connors berated Kaufman, using obscene language. Connors also made several obscene gestures during the match, but he wasn’t warned or penalized in the final two sets.

Connors was later fined $1,250 for unsportsmanlike conduct.