John McEnroe was not giving any media interviews on Thursday. He had just lost unexpectedly to Jimmy Arias in two sets. Not the best of starts for the former world No.1 and three times Wimbledon champion.
That 7-5, 6-2 victory was probably the biggest upset in the four-year history of the Outback Champions Series tennis circuit Thursday at The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman Legends Championships.
Wayne Ferreira and Paul Haarhuis also registered victories on Thursday in the second event on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events around the world featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 35.
Arias, who won only one previous match on the Outback Champions Series, dictated play on the red clay surface with his famed whipping forehand and frustrated the 49-year-old McEnroe to the point where he was given a point penalty due to excessive racquet and ball abuse when trailing 5-2 in the second set.
Nobody was exempt from the McEnroe fury. Even a ball girl got yelled at. Arias quipped of his win over McEnroe: ‘I’ve lost to him 735 times. I don’t know the exact count but it’s many times that I’ve lost.’ Arias diplomatically added that the gusty conditions made it difficult for a player of McEnroe’s class to contend with.
The next day McEnroe found some of his old touch and rhythm to beat Sweden’s Mats Wilander – another former No.1 – 6-4, 6-2. There were some tantrums from the New Yorker but nothing too outrageous. He actually made some quips and even found time to admonish a tipsy woman who kept yelling: ‘New balls!’
He was all sweetness and light in the media tent after. ‘I haven’t played a lot outdoors and these conditions are really tough with the wind,’ McEnroe said.
‘I’ve been travelling all over, in the States and Europe, so it’s a bit of a crap shoot. The conditions are difficult for everyone but I haven’t been playing outdoors because it’s been unusually cool in New York.
‘I thought I was a bit better today but tomorrow I’ll have to be a lot better, because Jim Courier’s the favourite. He’s great on clay and got me age-wise by 12 years. It’s going to be a really tall order to win that.
‘But at least I feel like I know better how to play in the wind. My game is predicated on being able to take the ball early and counting on a consistent bounce and maybe going from a defence to offensive position in one shot. And in these conditions it’s really hard to do. It’s really hard to come in at all because the court’s slippery and hard to get your footing.’
McEnroe was impressed with what he’d initially seen of Cayman. ‘It looks like a great place to visit. I really haven’t seen very much. I just got here two days ago and I can see it would be a nice place for a vacation. Playing events in places like this reminds me of Hawaii.’
McEnroe, mobbed by fans wherever he goes, was just as popular in Cayman as everywhere else, partly because British ex-pats adore him so much. ‘There are a lot of ex-patriots from England and because of my long history from there and Americans coming down, perhaps from the New York area who know me, I pretty much knew what to expect. They’re going to be enjoying themselves and voicing their opinion.’
Wilander was gracious in defeat to McEnroe. ‘He served very well. I know that John said he struggled with the serve yesterday but today he served very well and the ball bounces very high. It’s tough enough to return his serve in normal conditions but I was just not reacting to the ball in the way I’m supposed to.
‘The conditions are tough. Couple of bad bounces, the wind takes the ball and you’re going to mis-hit a few balls. It’s tough to play well and find your confidence.’
A few times McEnroe got upset. Did it put him off? ‘Nah. We’re used to it. Some days you’re able to deal with it better and other days you’re not. I won’t tell you what day this was.
‘People want to see that. He’s a great player and that’s what you get with it if you want to see him play. Whether the opponent enjoys it or not is not important.
Wilander has not had a chance to see Grand Cayman properly. ‘We’ve done a couple of clinics at the tennis club. We’ve driven through the city. Very nice until the cruise ship comes in and then the town changes from a quiet beach town to quite the opposite, but I suppose you need the tourism. Very nice. I wish I had more time to check it out. It’s refreshing to come to this little island, for sure.’
McEnroe’s touch suffered in the wind Photos: Ron Shillingford
McEnroe flared up, as usual
Wilander took defeat graciously
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