Top ranked tennis player Sam Maybury could find himself in hot water over alleged abusive behaviour during the recent Argus Open tennis tournament.

Maybury has been accused by fellow player Coleridge Place of allowing a disagreement over a line call during a mixed doubles semi-final to manifest into actions unbecoming the game, with Maybury said to have launched a profanity-laced verbal tirade, targeting opponents, spectators, tournament desk attendants and even his own partner.

Further, the number one ranked singles player on the Island was said to have continually hit balls back to the serving end with unwarranted force, endangering his opponents, even after Place and his partner Wendy Gelhay had elected to forfeit the match rather than tolerate such antics.Maybury also allegedly refused the customary handshake, instead continuing to rant and rave as he departed the court.

"As long as I have been playing tennis, for the past 30 years, I have never seen or experienced this type of unsportsmanlike conduct displayed by Sam Maybury, over a line call that was clearly 'out'," wrote Place in a letter that was forwarded to the governing Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association and the tournament hosts as well as The Royal Gazette (see Page 18).

"People came up to us after we came off the court and expressed how they could not believe the conduct of Sam Maybury."

Place highlighted Maybury's status as a coach within the BLTA's youth programme, noting how such behaviour ranked neither on par with the said position nor the game's code of conduct as per rule 15, which relates to players not engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct.

And Place found allies in Maybury's partner, Shonette Wilson, as well as his own team-mate on the evening, Wendy Gelhay, both of whom concurred that Maybury was very much out of order.

"I can say that everything Colie said was true," said Wilson, when contacted yesterday. "There was a lot of bad language against Colie and Wendy, and some of the spectators also.

"It started with a bad call, that Sam thought was good and Colie said was out, and it escalated from there on.

"It was tight game, coming down to the wire, and I guess he became quite flustered, perhaps believing that he might lose it and he really wanted to win it, so it just got worse and worse, to the point where Colie decided he didn't have to take any more of it and didn't want to.

"Either way it was out of line. I don't think that kind of language or behaviour belongs on a tennis court, or around young people or whoever . . ."

Wilson went on to note how several spectators in attendance had remarked on Maybury's behaviour and vowed never to have their children learn from him.

Asked if the events of the match in question would preclude her partnering Maybury in the future, her response was sharp and short. "That would be yes. I have no desire for that again," said Wilson.

Meanwhile, Gelhay, while admonishing Maybury for the language and abusive behaviour, said she was more disappointed over the fact that he seemed to disregard the friendship previously enjoyed by all concerned.

"I was disappointed, to say the least, because I do like Sam as a person, and we're all friends, me, Colie and Sam," said Gelhay, ranked number one among female mixed doubles players. "It was a shame really, because it could have been a pleasant match, and this sort of thing was not warranted, we definitely didn't deserve that.

"We were playing decently, were good sports, and this was uncalled for.

"The ball was definitely out, there were people in the stands right on the line who all agreed, but it was a very crucial point . . .

"We compete on the same Commercial League team and play mixed doubles together and have an absolute riot, where we're laughing and joking and whatever, which is what makes it hurt, the fact that he would treat us like that.

"He and Colie go way back, before I knew him, which is really disappointing. Even if he apologised the next day, to say 'I'm sorry, I lost my temper', but there's been nothing, it's been like nothing happened. I mean, we should have been in the final not him, because if there would have been an umpire it wouldn't have got that far, he'd have been disqualified after the third warning, and we'd have been in the final."

Gelhay also expressed concern that Maybury was allowed to carry on as he did despite the presence of tournament referees, who stood idly by.

With Place having submitted the letter to the relevant officials, Maybury might now be called to answer to the charges levelled against him, with disciplinary action very much a possibility.

However, BLTA president David Lambert cautioned against any rush to judgement, noting how proper procedure would be followed.

"Due process has to be carried out," said Lambert. "There are procedures and we have to follow them."

Repeated attempts at contacting Maybury yesterday for his version of events were unsuccessful.

Ironically, Maybury and Wilson went on to lose the final against Lavern Stowe and Ricky Mallory.