McEnroe Ejected After Temper Tantrum

So much for Mr. Nice Guy.

John McEnroe, still crazy after all these years, threw his racket and a tantrum Sunday at the Australian Open and became the first player tossed out of a Grand Slam event for misconduct.

He let himself get rattled by missed shots, close calls and a baby’s cries, and after his default, with a 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, 2-4 lead against Mikael Pernfors, McEnroe admitted, “I don’t really have anyone to blame but myself.”

It was a sad and bizarre chapter in the career of one of the finest players in tennis, a 30-year-old former champion who came here determined to win his first major tournament since the 1984 U.S. Open.

Only two days before, after winning his third match and playing his best tennis in years, McEnroe talked about how important it is for him to keep his temper under control.

Yet all it took for McEnroe to revert to his old ways was a tough match against Pernfors, the Swedish-born two-time NCAA champion at Georgia.

McEnroe simply packed his rackets and left the court. The crowd roared its disapproval for another 15 minutes but left peacefully.