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June 28, 2000 SportsLine.com wire reports |
WIMBLEDON, England -- By Jeff Tarango's standards at Wimbledon, this was
mild.
All he did Wednesday was refuse to shake the hand of fellow American Paul
Goldstein and accuse him of "faking" an injury after he dropped a five-set,
second-round marathon.
Just Tarango being Tarango.
There was no slapping the chair umpire -- his wife did that in 1995 after
Tarango stormed off the court in a third-round match and charged the chair
umpire with favoritism.
That got Tarango kicked out of Wimbledon that year and banned from the '96
tournament. This time all he did was question the integrity of a fellow
Stanford graduate, darken Goldstein's hour after a 3-6, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, 12-10
victory, and get himself booed off Court 14 by several hundred fans.
Late in the fifth set, Goldstein twice called for the trainer to treat what
he said was a cramp in his left thigh. Tarango agreed it was perfectly within
the rules but sensed gamesmanship.
Though it's allowed, Tarango was angered that Goldstein called for a massage
just as the volatile 31-year-old was about to serve.
"I got a lot tighter and my muscles were a lot more stiff and I just
thought it was a little bush league," Tarango said. "I figured he should be
calling the trainer before his own serve if he was so seriously hurt.
"And then he runs like a deer, so he couldn't have been that hurt.
"Did you see him miss any steps? Of course he was faking the injury, he was
fine."
"That's the way they have the rule now but I guarantee it's changed by the
end of this year," Tarango said. "It's my option whether I want to shake the
guy's hand or not and nobody makes that decision but me. And that's the way it
goes."
All of which left the 23-year-old Goldstein, who reached the third round of
Wimbledon a year ago, with a quivering voice as he told his side.
"In no way, shape or form did I do anything to try to gain an unfair
advantage," said Goldstein, who added he was "a little startled, to be
honest" when Tarango turned his back when he tried to offer his hand.
"To have that kind of anger bums me out a little bit. ... It did mar it a
little bit," he said. "I was pleased with the way I competed, I was pleased
how I served, especially in that fifth set, and to end like that is very
unfortunate."
Jeff Tarango hammers a ball back at Paul Goldstein in their singles match.(AP)
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2000, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
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Wimbledon results Notebook: British chances especially slim this year Ankle injury jeopardizes Sampras' run at Wimbledon; several seeds ousted Sampras taken to hospital for scan on left foot Belgian qualifier knocks out Norman Audio: Jeff Tarango gives his take on Paul Goldstein's injury Audio: Goldstein talks about his reasoning behind having his injury looked at Forum: Is Tarango a a jerk, or just being honest? |
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