TENNIS AUSTRALIAN OPEN : McEnroe, True to Form, Is Disqualified

John McEnroe, reverting back to his old behavior by cursing the umpire and throwing rackets, was disqualified Sunday from the Australian Open for conduct code violations.

The action by umpire Gerry Armstrong, with McEnroe leading Mikael Pernfors of Sweden, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, 2-4, in a fourth-round match, triggered booing among the crowd of 15,000 at center court.

McEnroe, given a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct in the second set for intimidating a lineswoman, was hit with another violation for racket abuse after hitting a ball wide at deuce in the sixth game of the fourth set.

McEnroe, on good behavior all week while playing well, then complained to Armstrong and requested tournament supervisor Ken Farrar. Farrar came onto the court and talked with McEnroe, but the American continued complaining and swearing.

Armstrong then called “code violation, further abuse, default, Mr. McEnroe. Game, set match.”

McEnroe stood with his hands on his hips while the crowd whistled and booed. He packed his rackets and left the court.

“I really don’t have anyone to blame but myself,” McEnroe said. “This is like a long story. It culminates in me getting defaulted from a big tournament. It was bound to happen. It’s too bad.”

McEnroe said he was under the impression they were playing under previous rules and that there would be four steps to disqualification. Rules implemented on the new ATP Tour this year dropped the number of steps to three.

“I thought the rules were different,” McEnroe said. “I have no one to blame but myself for not knowing.”

Meanwhile, U.S. amateur sensation Angelica Gavaldon, an effervescent 16-year-old from Coronado who entered the tournament as a qualifier ranked 192nd in the world, upset 15th-seeded Gigi Fernandez to reach the quarterfinals.

Gavaldon, who takes high school correspondence courses, defeated Fernandez, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. She is playing her first professional tournament outside the United States and is the youngest player left in the tournament.

Gavaldon, who beat former two-time champion Hana Mandlikova in the third round, will meet West Germany’s Claudia Porwik, who beat South African Dinky van Rensburg, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4.

Defending champions Ivan Lendl and Steffi Graf kept rolling to reach the quarterfinals.

Lendl made 46 errors, yet never was threatened in beating Simon Youl of Australia, 6-1, 6-3, 6-1.

Graf started with an ace and ended with another one to record her 45th consecutive victory, 6-2, 6-3, over 13th-seeded Raffaella Reggi of Italy.

Helena Sukova, who lost the 1989 final to Graf, ended the surprising surge of Japan’s Kimiko Date, 6-4, 6-3.

Soviet Andrei Cherkasov upset No. 9 Andres Gomez of Ecuador, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5).

Graf was in control of her match throughout, but was annoyed by an unusually high 28 unforced errors.

Graf’s winning streak is one shy of her 46-match streak in 1988, when she won the Grand Slam.