Player’s Father Was Arrested

The father of a teenage Russian tennis pro was arrested on suspicion of battery after an alleged altercation with his daughter during a tournament earlier this month in Carlsbad, authorities said this week.

Evgenia Linetskaya, 18, was treated by paramedics and taken to a hospital Aug. 5 after suffering a cut on the back of her head, which needed stitches, and mouth bruises, according to an individual familiar with the case, speaking on condition of anonymity because of medical privacy concerns.

Her father, who also serves as her manager, was identified in the Carlsbad police report as Semen Linetskiy, 49, said Carlsbad police Lt. Bill Rowland. He is identified in the Women’s Tennis Assn. Tour media guide as Simon Linetsky.

Linetskiy was taken to the Vista jail in North San Diego County and released on bond. Rowland and officials from the San Diego County district attorney’s office said no charges had been filed. Linetskaya did not want to press charges, Rowland said.

“It is her desire not to follow up,” Rowland said in a telephone interview Monday. “At this point, she doesn’t want to move forward.”

Linetskaya, through an intermediary, declined to comment. Her father’s whereabouts could not be determined Tuesday.

The police apparently spoke with her by phone during last week’s tour stop in Toronto. Linetskaya, ranked No. 44 in the world, had been scheduled to play this week at New Haven, Conn., but withdrew before the draw was made, citing gastrointestinal illness.

Tour officials stepped up security at the tournament that followed Carlsbad, the JPMorgan Chase Open, held Aug. 8-14 in Carson.

The father was not to be issued a credential or sold a ticket, and his picture was put up in the box office, said an employee at the Home Depot Center, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Linetskaya was accompanied by an extra security person when she went out on the court.

The alleged incident at Carlsbad’s Acura Classic came with the Russian teenager in the midst of a prolonged slump. She has won one match on the tour since the Italian Open in May, losing her opening match in the last five tournaments.

Those include a three-set defeat to Klara Koukalova at Carlsbad, a 6-0, 6-3 loss to qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko at Carson and a retirement because of a gastrointestinal illness after losing the first three games against Mariana Diaz-Oliva last week in Toronto.

The police report was taken early in the morning on Aug. 5, after officers were summoned to the tournament site, the La Costa Resort and Spa. Rowland said the report detailed an argument between father and daughter, which at first appeared to be about tournament prize money.

Linetskiy told police that the confrontation later turned into an issue over his daughter wanting to drive his car. His concern was that she did not have a license, according to the report. Authorities would not release the police report but did provide some details of the alleged incident.

Days later, she was able to play her opening-round match at Carson, losing to Bondarenko.

WTA Tour officials would not comment on the measures taken at Carson or whether Linetskaya’s father would be barred from future events.

“As a matter of policy, the tour doesn’t comment on personal matters relating to our players,” said Andrew Walker, the WTA’s vice president of communications. “The No. 1 priority for the tour is to ensure the health and safety of our players.”

A USTA spokesman, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Tuesday night that no credential would be issued for Linetskiy at next week’s U.S. Open, and that security was aware of the situation.

Players’ parents have been banned from tennis tournaments in the past.

The best-known case involved Jim Pierce, the father of Mary Pierce, the French Open champion in 2000. Pierce was banned from tour events for abusive behavior from 1993 to 1998. The father and daughter have reconciled in recent years, Mary Pierce has said.

Damir Dokic, the coach and father of former Wimbledon semifinalist Jelena Dokic, was banned from WTA Tour events for six months after a blowup at the 2000 U.S. Open over the size of his portion of salmon in the players’ eating area. In an outburst at Wimbledon that year, he wrapped himself in a flag and smashed a reporter’s cellphone.

Linetskaya, who will turn 19 in November, had been improving rapidly before her recent slide. She finished last year ranked 96th, and climbed to a career-high No. 35 on July 4 this year. She is one of 13 Russian women ranked in the top 50.

This year she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, the semifinals at Pattaya City, Thailand, the fourth round at Indian Wells, defeating Amelie Mauresmo along the way, and the quarterfinals in Rome.

Times staff writer Steve Pratt contributed to this report.