"I used to love McEnroe" were the first words heard at the GOAL Tennis Challenge in the Fitzwilliam Club yesterday evening.
After all the cut-throat competition and stiff upper lips of Wimbledon, it was time for some fun and games. John McEnroe, Pat Cash and Mats Wilander were providing the entertainment along with Irish number one Owen Casey - with all the money going to famine victims in Southern Sudan.
Mick O'Dwyer was there to check out some fitness tips for his Kildare side. Eamon Coghlan, as always, looked as is he was ready for another world record in the mile. And then Ken Doherty showed up trying to contemplate the award of the Irish Masters title six months after he lost the final to the nowdisgraced Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Pat Cash and Owen Casey warmed up the crowd with a game over the "pro-set". As if tennis scores weren't confusing enough, this meant the first player to reach eight games won.
Owen was recently crowned Dublin champion (yet again) but Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon champ and still looking remarkably fit, gave Owen a few lessons in winning 8-5.
There are not many sports stars around who can command such respect decades after they retire. McEnroe rules this class. It's only when you see him play up close that you think: "Yes, this guy was the greatest."
McEnroe seemed happy to be at he event. "If I can play some tennis and maybe scare some people into not wanting to see me, but to give money to GOAL instead then that's great."
He then set about providing some of the match commentary for himself: "And the bigger and stronger McEnroe continues to dominate his opponent." Of course he's had some practice. Two weeks at Wimbledon for US television in fact.
He still must have found the time to practice some tennis. The hair is a little greyer around the sides and the legs not as quick but this was the irresistible, vintage McEnroe all over. A two-set match turned into a one-man game. McEnroe merciless in his shots that gave him a 6-0 lead over Wilander.
The sixth game was a classic. We hadn't seen rallies like this since, well, McEnroe. The man himself looked amazed at times with his own skill and produced some head-shaking shots with a simple flick of the wrist.
Wilander finally won a game and fell to his knees in imitation of McEnroe's Wimbledon victory. It turned into something of a battle then, but in fairness nobody was keeping score. The umpire even forgot a few times.
The magic continued and the game eventually went McEnroe's way. John O'Shea didn't care who won. It was all money on the way to Sudan. "You're talking about another £7,000 to £8000 towards the famine," he said. "The support we get from these guys is incredible and that will only inspire others to do the same."
In one fund-raising event of the evening McEnroe's racket went up for auction. "Oh great," everyone thought, "I must buy a ticket." . . . "And the runner-up prize is his sneakers." Never content with just a game of tennis, McEnroe and the boys were leading the entertainment in the Red Box afterwards. Apparently both McEnroe and Cash are just as skilful on their electric guitars. Most people seemed content to remember their tennis skills.
