Assistant State Attorney Christopher Calkin said he felt no personal interest in Hingis before sentencing on April 12, and ``no moral, ethical or legal obligation'' to keep his distance afterward.

Frank Abrams, attorney for convicted stalker Dubravko Rajcevic, called Calkin as a witness on a request for a new sentence or trial based on the relationship between Hingis and the prosecutor, which was disclosed in a newspaper column in June.

Rajcevic, who sat through the nearly six-hour hearing in handcuffs, repeatedly interrupted and was ejected by Circuit Judge Kevin Emas because of outbursts shortly before the end.

The judge, who called Abrams' arguments ``fallacious, specious and maybe an ethical violation,'' said he planned to rule within two weeks.

Abrams claims Rajcevic's highly publicized trial was tainted by at least an appearance of conflict -- if not an actual one -- when Calkin tried Rajcevic and asked for the maximum four-year sentence.

Calkin repeated his belief that Rajcevic, a 46-year-old Croatian-born naval architect and Australian citizen, is mentally unstable and lashed out at Abrams from the stand, accusing him of pursuing the case solely to gain fame.

``This is all about you, and that's all it's about,'' said the prosecutor, who was promoted after winning the misdemeanor conviction. ``It's all based on your own personal, disgusting agenda.''

Calkin, 31, denied making any misrepresentations in court, breaking office policies or being disciplined over his involvement in the case.

Hingis, 20, the world's top-ranked women's player, invited him to her Tampa area house the day after sentencing. He flew up that night, and their relationship became physical the next day, Calkin testified.

Abrams obtained Calkin's home and office phone records to document a series of one-hour phone calls to Hingis starting a week before sentencing. Calkin said the calls before the hearing were to discuss the legal ramifications.

Hingis spurned Rajcevic's flowers, love letters and personal appearances at her Zurich home. He was arrested after being thrown out of the Ericsson Open near Miami last year.

Hingis, the star prosecution witness, appeared in person only because Abrams and Rajcevic refused to allow her to testify by videotape.