McEnroe ducks fight in the car park

The former Wimbledon champion turned Australian Open commentator John McEnroe was yesterday said to have declined the challenge of a fist-fight from a coach who took exception to having his younger brother belittled by the American.

Brent Larkham, the coach and older brother of Todd Larkham, threatened McEnroe, 43, who had told millions of Australian viewers that Todd's second-round defeat, 6-1, 6-0, 6-1, by his fellow Australian Lleyton Hewitt was "pitiful" and a hopeless mismatch not worthy of the centre court.

"Todd didn't know anything about it but I went looking for McEnroe, found him and told him I thought it was uncalled for," said Larkham, 30. "I asked him if he wanted to back up his big mouth with a bit of action out in the car park but he didn't want to and the last time I saw him he was leaving the changing rooms with a very short skirt on.

"He wouldn't justify what he said, other than to say he gets paid to do a job and that he calls it the way he sees it."

Todd, a qualifier ranked 235th in the world, said McEnroe had ruined what should have been one of the highlights of his career.