Tennis: Big Mac tops Noah

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - Sitting alone on a stage in front of dozens of fans

in a so-called press conference, Yannick Noah didn’t want to discuss his

so-called collapse in the “so-called championship tie-breaker,” which is

the way the chair umpire announced it Friday night.

While Success Magazine Champions Tour promoters might have cringed at

the umpire’s “so-called” reference, they probably breathed a sigh of

relief when headliner John McEnroe came back from a 3-6 deficit in the

championship tie-breaker to beat Noah, 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, 10-8, in a

round-robin singles match at Newport Beach Tennis Club before an

estimated 1,750 fans.

“I was out of (the championship final Sunday) if I lost it,” said

McEnroe, referring to the tournament format that features the two

unbeaten players in the title match, which will be shown later on tape by

Fox Sports Net.

Noah, whose powerful serve was even quicker on the hardcourts at

Newport Beach, enjoyed triple match point, but missed a backhand passing

shot on the next point.

McEnroe followed with a winning volley on the run, then Noah missed

wide on a lob to deadlock the tie-breaker, 6-6.

Before McEnroe served at 7-7, he glared at boisterous fans in the

upper-deck bar area, then unleashed an ace.

Noah tied it back up, then McEnroe’s backhand cross-court winner gave

him another advantage.

“That passing shot at 8-8 was sweet,” McEnroe said.

Noah’s hitting error on a return of serve provided the clincher for

McEnroe.

“Why do you have to remind me?” Noah said, when asked by the lone

newspaper reporter about blowing triple match point. “I’m trying to

forget it with this beer here (in his hand).”

Noah reach triple match point with his 15th ace, but had no answer for

McEnroe’s rally.

Even though the crowd was less raucous Friday night than Thursday

night’s McEnroe-Scott Davis match, McEnroe had more angry stares at the

bar crowd in this one.

Another time, late in the second set, McEnroe tore into the chair

umpire with an expletive-laced tirade for making him wait on a serve

because a ball boy was moving in the back.

McEnroe, who plays Mats Wilander today in the final round-robin match

(following the 1 p.m. Pat Cash-Henri Leconte match), said he doesn’t mind

getting booed by fans. “It’s better than (fans) not doing anything at

all,” said McEnroe, interrupted by fans more than once Friday night, for

no apparent reason.

Once, a woman started laughing as McEnroe went into his serve. When he

stopped and looked up, a man in the audience blurted, “That’s my wife.”

McEnroe, who also said the hardcourts at Newport Beach are a little

faster than most surfaces, had plenty of fun with Noah, as well.

Noah, serving at 4-4 in the first set, lined up to serve left-handed,

then McEnroe rolled up his white shorts to the top of his thighs.

In the first set tie-breaker, Noah walked over to a linesman and tried

to brib him with cash as McEnroe prepared to serve.

“Every match is different with different types of conditions,” McEnroe

said, when asked why he seemed more animated Friday than Thursday.

McEnroe blew a 6-2 lead in the first set tie-breaker, or quadruple

match point.

Noah recorded his 10th ace to tie it, 6-6, then scored on a volley at

the net and cross-court forehand winner to climax the tie-breaker with

six unanswered points.

In a late match Friday, Pat Cash defeated John Lloyd, 2-6, 6-0, 12-10.