Thursday 4 May 2017 15:55, UK
Ilie Nastase has accused the All England Club of being "small-minded" after it was announced he will not be invited to the Royal Box at Wimbledon this year.
The block on Nastase being afforded his usual welcome to the exclusive seats follows the Romanian's behaviour at last month's Fed Cup tie against Great Britain.
Romania team captain Nastase, 70, was ejected from the match in Constanta following a foul-mouthed tirade directed at his GB counterpart Anne Keothavong and British No 1 Johanna Konta.
It was one of a series of incidents for which he is now awaiting sanction by the International Tennis Federation.
All England Club chairman Philip Brook Brook condemned Nastase's actions on Wednesday, adding: "He (Nastase) is not going to receive an invitation this year."
Nastase was quick to respond, accusing the All England Club of being "small-minded" and of treating Romanians like "morons".
And, in an interview with the Romanian website ProSport, Nastase also accused Wimbledon officials of having short memories, after he was one of only four seeded men's players to defy a boycott of the Championships by players' body the ATP in 1973.
Nastase said: "Look at it however you want, revenge maybe? I don't care.
"In 1973, when everyone else refused to play at Wimbledon but I did - does that not count for something? Do they not think about that?
"But if they are going to be so small-minded about it, there's nothing I can do. What does Wimbledon have to do with what I said about Serena (Williams and her unborn baby) and at the match in Romania?
"If I did something stupid at Wimbledon then I'd understand if I were then suspended. But, in this case, I don't get it.
"If they consider it normal to deny someone the chance to watch tennis matches, then that's their problem. It must mean we Romanians are morons, otherwise I don't understand it."
