Great Tennis Photos: Gimelstob apologizes

Shamed former player Justin Gimelstob, newly elected to the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) board, was forced into an embarrassing retreat after threatening to leave ex-star Anna Kournikova "in tears" during a World Team Tennis match.

He and Kournikova are to play World Team Tennis this month. Gimelstob will play for the new Washington (D.C.) Kastles team and Kournikova for the St. Louis Aces. The teams meet July 23.

The American who has carved out a controversial career as a minor television commentator, made his offensive remarks in a Washington radio interview, saying how much he despised the former Russian top 10 player.

"Hate is a very strong word - I just despise her to the maximum level just below hate. I'm going to serve it right at the body, about 128 (mph), right into her midriff. If she's not crying by the time she comes off court then I did not do my job."

Serena Williams, who is on the Washington Kastles team with Gimelstob, said the comments were "totally uncalled for."

"Being pro women's rights, I just think we've come farther than to be referred to ... you know, I don't cuss," she said Friday, during her post-match press conference. "Anna is a great girl. For anyone to say that about her is kind of ... what can I say? It's not professional."

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The comments were widely published in Britain on Friday ( he called Anna Kournikova "a bitch" and two other female players "sexpots"), after Gimelstob was suspended one match without pay by WTT for a violation of the player conduct code.

The ATP Friday apologized for the behavior of their newest corporate embarrassment, which comes amid a lawsuit by the Hamburg tournament against the sanctioning body as well as calls for the ouster of ATP supremo Etienne de Villiers.

"The ATP cannot condone any form of intolerance and Justin Gimelstob's comments last week were unacceptable," read a statement.

"However, Justin has done the right thing in taking full responsibility for his comments by apologizing publicly to Anna for what he has rightly described as his disappointing and disrespectful comments," it added.

Gimelstob was also forced to apologize to WTA boss Larry Scott and Billie Jean King, co-founder of World Team Tennis, presumably to save his television job at Wimbledon.

In his apology, Gimelstob said there was "no excuse" for his comments.

"I am extremely disappointed in myself," said Gimelstob about the hour-long interview. "I take full responsibility for all the words that came out of my mouth ... Anna Kournikova, World Team Tennis and many others deserve my deepest apologies."

"I recognize that my access to communicate to the public should be used in a positive way, and this was clearly not the case last week."

“While I can’t take any of those words back, I hope my heartfelt remorse can begin to heal the wounds felt by many."

“Among the targets of my venom was Anna Kournikova, not to mention a general disregard and disrespect toward women. They all deserve and have my deepest apologies. While I see how it could be implied by my remarks, I assure you that I have the utmost respect for women.”

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Kournikova had little to say about Gimelstob's remarks.

"I really don't want to get into any of the off-court stuff," she said Thursday during a conference call previewing the WTT season. "I'm just going to take the high road and not get into this discussion.

"WTT is not about those sorts of things, it's about keeping it fun and positive. ... I don't want to give it any more significance than it has already received."

* Gimelstob quotes, according to The Times.

On Kournikova...

"She is a bitch. Hate's a very strong word. I despise her to the maximum level just below hate... I wouldn't mind having my younger brother, who's a kind of a stud, nail her and then reap the benefits."

"She has a great body but her face is a five."

On women players...

"Female tennis players lack the social skills, they don't go to high school, they don't go to parties."

On Tatiana Golovin...

"She is a sexpot."

On Nicole Vaidisova...

"She's a well developed young lady."

On Alize Cornet...

"She's a little sexpot."

On the women's tour...

"There are fewer lesbians now because they're all Russian chicks. And there's some other cute ones out there."

I say "NO COMMENT".

(source Associated Press)