Evert's abortion ended Love Double

THEY were the golden couple of tennis: champions on court and youthful sweethearts off it.

But shortly before Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert were scheduled to tie the knot in the mid-1970s, the wedding was called off.

Neither discussed publicly what went wrong - but Connors has now made a stunning revelation about the demise of the fabled love affair between the world's number one-ranked players in his new memoir.

Using barely coded language, he has indicated that his fiancée decided to have an abortion after she fell pregnant by him. He was 22 at the time, with a volatile bad-boy reputation, and she 19, the all-American girl from a Catholic family.

"An issue had arisen as a result of youthful passion, and a decision had to be made as a couple," he writes in The Outsider, according to sections quoted in US media.

"Chrissie called to say she was coming out to LA to take care of the 'issue'. I was perfectly happy to let nature take its course and accept responsibility for what was to come.

"Chrissie, however, had already made up her mind that the timing was bad and too much was riding on her future," he writes. "She asked me to handle the details."

He adds that he said: "Well, thanks for letting me know. Since I don't have any say in the matter, I guess I am just here to help."

Their very public romance had captured the world's imagination and their achievement in both winning the Wimbledon singles championships in 1974 was dubbed the "Love Double" by an enthusiastic media.

Connors claims that Evert's decision helped to end their relationship. "It was a horrible feeling, but I knew it was over," he writes. "Getting married wasn't going to be good for either of us."

He writes that he told her they were still young and should "take a step back". In his account, she responded coldly: "OK, if that's what you think. I've got a match tomorrow. Not a problem."

But he also says that he does not believe that a marriage between the two top-ranked players in the world could have worked out. "It kept going back to the same old question: Can two number ones exist in the same family?"

Connors, now 60, also discusses his battles with dyslexia, a gambling addiction and the infidelities that "came that close to ruining his marriage" to Patti McGuire, his former Playboy Playmate model wife of 34 years, with whom he has two children.

The book chronicles his rise to tennis stardom and his adventures, love affairs and rivalries on and off the court with fellow tennis stars, including Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Arthur Ashe and Björn Borg.

Evert, 58, who a representative said had no comment, later married British tennis player John Lloyd, Olympic downhill skier Andy Mill, with whom she has three sons, and golfer Greg Norman. All three marriages ended in divorce.

Evert and Connors went on to enjoy stellar careers. She won 18 grand slam singles championships and three doubles titles. He won eight grand slam singles trophies and two grand slam doubles crowns.