Mecir Thinking of Retirement, to Skip Prague

PRAGUE, Czechoslovakia — Olympic gold medalist Miloslav Mecir has refused to play in the Czechoslovak Grand Prix tennis tournament because of back problems and is thinking of retiring from tennis altogether, Czechoslovak dailies reported today.

“Milos told me he eventually decided not to play in Prague,” tournament director Jan Kodes was quoted as telling the Communist Party daily Rude Pravo today.

“He (Mecir) is stuck deeply in his internal problems and right now almost thinking about whether it would not be better to give up tennis altogether,” Czechoslovak Davis Cup coach Frantisek Pala was quoted as saying by Svobodne Slovo daily Saturday.