The steady maturing of a talented ‘Superbrat’

Press, 24 June 1981, Page 25

The steady maturing of a talented ‘Superbrat’

The bright red headband is still carried into battle like a pennant but the mind which it encircles has mellowed. John McEnroe, Manhattan's version of Don Quixote, no longer chooses to tilt at skyscrapers and squabble with the world at large. Instead, the driving point of his talent is aimed at the heart of the opposition. ,i At the age of 22 John McEnroe has mellowed or, as some would have it. matured. Mellow is the word he chooses, though umpires and linesmen are still occasionally shrivelled by the pout-stare-verbal volley routine. At Queen's Club recently he silenced a chattering spectator by bellowing: "Is there no way you can close your mouth between points?” Mellower McEnroe maybe, but forthright he remains.

Examples: “Two years ago at Wimbledon I was having physical problems and troubles with the press and the public. I learnt a lesson there. I don't ever want to play in a tournament like that again. "I didn't enjoy’ being at Wimbledon. I didn't even enjoy being in this country, and I realised it had to be partly if not mostly my fault. It's a lot more trouble trying to play tennis that way. I'm a lot better off now than I was. I can forget about things easily.”

So well has McEnroe overcome those self-imposed handicaps that he is the only

man given a chance by the bookmakers to disrupt Bjorn Borg's domination of Wimbledon. Borg is 8-11, McEnroe 7-4. 10-1 bar the field — Jimmy Connors and Roscoe Tanner included. A recent issue of the American magazine “World Tennis" carried a cover picture of Borg and McEnroe back to back, duelling pistols raised. A shoot-out at 20 paces between these two on the Centre Court is what the world awaits, though when he was asked in Paris whom he feared in the 128-man Wimbledon field. Borg answered: “McEnroe, Connors and 125 others." McEnroe confirms that Wimbledon is his top priority. "If I could pick one tournament to win this year it would be Wimbledon. That's not to say I wouldn't, like to win the United States Open for a third time but one W’imbledon and two Opens would be better than three and zero.” -

Though he has no ritual preparation. McEnroe is like every other professional sportsman in his attitude towards good luck symbols. Recently the headband which is as much his trade mark as Borg's was discarded but it was back, anchoring his rogue curls, at Queen's. “If I win here I'll play W'ith it at Wimbledon but if I don't you're not going to see it. "I won't be trying that

beard type of jazz that Borg ■ does every year, though it works pretty well for him. But last' year I didn’t shave my upper lip the whole tournament and I guess that if I'd won that final match it would have stayed. But it wasn't coming through any- j way. No one knew what it was.”

McEnroe says he has never been entirely free from injury during his four years in top tennis. His back and ankles have proved particular problems but he insists: "I don’t have anything serious at the moment.” There is just one question mark at present, against his stamina.

Since shedding more than a stone after the Masters tournament in January, McEnroe Jias not been required to play a five-set match anywhere. He will be lucky to get through Wimbledon without such a test.