The Menace Scratched

His temperamental tennis-court out-hursts have earned moody, meteoric Dennis Ralston. 19. the U.S.'s third-ranked amateur player, the nickname "Dennis the Menace." A racket kicker and net pounder whose uninhibited language has occasionally curled the hair of spectators and court officials. Ralston was sentenced to one year's probation last winter by the august U.S. Lawn Tennis Association for his displays of temperament in the U.S. and Australia. Despite his adolescent antics. Ralston's graceful style and big serve made him one of the top favorites to beat out Australia's Rod Laver for the U.S. singles championship at Forest Hills this week. But just 24 hours after he and Partner Chuck McKinley (who was suspended and put on a year's probation for his conduct in the Davis Cup interzone finals in Australia last year) won the U.S. doubles championship at the Longwood Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill. Mass.. Dennis the Menace was suspended from the singles tournament.

Reason for the U.S.L.T.A.'s action: Ralston blew up while losing a doubles match to Mexico in the American Zone Davis Cup finals in Cleveland last month. Weakened by a throat infection. Ralston tossed and kicked his racket, slammed the ball into the net in disgust at his own errors, swore loudly as he fell after being faked out of position. The stern arbiters of the U.S.L.T.A. seemed unimpressed by Ralston's impeccable behavior at Longwood against the same Mexican team that beat him and McKinley at Cleveland. Nor were the prim chaperons of U.S. tennis moved by other reports that the Cleveland incident had been exaggerated. "Ralston's conduct on the court certainly is not angelic." said Olen Parks, who umpired the Cleveland match. "I do not approve of his attitude at all. But far too much is being made of this incident."

Despite a swirl of criticism that its punishment was unduly harsh, the U.S. L.T.A. kept a self-righteous silence; there was also no indication whether the suspension would be lifted in time for Ralston to play in the U.S. Davis Cup team's interzone round against India this month. Some tennis fans suspected that the U.S.L.T.A. was desperately trying to make amends for its past laxity in condoning court behavior far worse than Ralston's. But though the U.S. national championships may now be long on manners, with Dennis the Menace gone, the tournament will be shorter than ever on exciting tennis.

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