The Romanian has a long history of behaving badly and the game’s authorities have done it a disservice by not challenging him with sufficient forceTo one eyewitness, Ilie Nastase behaved in a “vile, disgusting and deplorable manner to every member of the British team”. Another talked of “very base and vulgar language” with “gross finger gestures” to the crowd. Some even wondered whether the match between Romania and Great Britain should be called off. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Two days ago familiar, perhaps? Only these comments weren’t about this weekend’s Federation Cup tie – but came from the British team following a Davis Cup match against Nastase’s Romania in 1978.So we shouldn’t be surprised that Nastase called Johanna Konta“a fucking...
The Romanian gave great entertainment in his day, but he has crossed a line with his abuse of Johanna Konta, Anne Keothavong and Serena WilliamsIt is 45 years since Centre Court at Wimbledon rose to applaud the charismatic entertainer that was Ilie Nastase, loser of a memorable five-set final against the American Stan Smith. After the Romanian’s appalling behaviour in Constanta this weekend during Great Britain’s Fed Cup tie against the home team he coaches, it is unlikely a British audience will ever again give him such rapturous acclaim.When the 70-year-old Nastase reduced Johanna Konta to tears in the second set of her match against Sorana Cirstea on Saturday by calling her, “a fucking bitch” he transformed a mere sporting...
From Nasser Hussain’s farewell century to Rocky Marciano’s perfect legacy and Eric Cantona’s lack of doubt, we salute six triumphant farewellsThe decision had already been made when Nasser Hussain went out for his final Test innings. An international career that spanned 14 years had seen him become perhaps the pivotal figure in the last few decades of English cricket. It was Hussain’s brilliant captaincy that had pulled England up from the nadir of being ranked last in the world and laid the groundwork for Michael Vaughan, the 2005 Ashes and all that. Vaughan got the glory, but he had Steve Harmison, Andrew Flintoff, Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss at their peaks: Hussain’s first Test as captain featured Aftab Habib and...
Avalanche of meticulously planned publicity has prepared the ground for tennis star’s return in Stuttgart but an unfortunate set of facts has been glossed overOne can only assume she doesn’t realise it, but nothing widens the credibility gap with Maria Sharapova quite so much as the manner of her return. As always with the women’s tour’s most bankable star, who returns to tennis next week after a 15-month doping ban, not a single thing has been left to chance, and no moment of opportunity has been left unexploited.Sharapova will appear on court at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart next week – a wildcard entry on the day her ban expires – and to coincide with this her management have...
The Swiss master’s astonishing return has proved that longevity is still possible at the top of the game if you manage your schedule and know your body’s limitsRoger Federer’s decision to abandon the Tour for two months while playing tennis that stands favourable comparison with his golden years is a stark challenge to the game’s administrators to end the grind of a schedule that is pushing players to breaking point. As he said after winning his third title of the year, his second Miami Open and the 91st title of his career: “The body needs a break, the mind needs a break.”It was his 20th match of the season after returning from an enforced six-month rest to heal knee surgery...