KEY POINTS:
LOS ANGELES - Greg Norman has protected new love, tennis great Chris Evert, from a potentially embarrassing and invasive legal showdown with his ex-wife's lawyers.
The legal team working for Norman's ex-wife, Laura Andrassy, sought to question Evert about trips she took in his private jet in what was the latest twist in the Australian golf champion's nasty, half-billion dollar divorce proceedings.
If forced to testify, intimate details of Evert's romantic relationship with Norman, which led to marriage break-ups for both sports stars, may have been unearthed.
Florida's Palm Beach Post newspaper reported today Martin County Circuit Court judge, Lawrence Mirman, rejected Andrassy's lawyers' application to question Evert.
A pleased Norman was in the Florida court yesterday to hear the judge's ruling and said he was "very happy" for Evert.
Evert and Andrassy were not at the court.
"The judge made a fair decision," Norman told reporters outside the courthouse.
"I think he understood what was going on in there."
Norman's lawyers strongly criticised Andrassy's legal attempt to interview Evert, describing it as "purely for harassment" purposes and to "annoy" Evert and Norman.
In September it was believed Norman and Andrassy had agreed to an amicable end to their 25 year marriage, with Judge Mirman signing off on the divorce decree, but a number of minor issues were left unresolved, including a potential tax liability on Norman's private jet.
That led Andrassy's lawyers to ask the court to interview Evert about trips she took on the jet with Norman.
Judge Mirman's decision ends what would have been another ugly chapter in the divorce proceedings, which has made headlines around the world because of its bitterness.
At one point, Norman's lawyers told the court Andrassy never taught him "to swing a golf club" or "win" on the golf course.
Andrassy had claimed Norman cut off her credit cards and changed the locks on their US$20 million-plus Florida mansion.
The divorce battle should be finalised next year with a trial.
The trial will decide the jet tax issue and another unresolved matter involving whether Norman should compensate Andrassy for delays in finalising the divorce settlement.
- AAP
