KOHALA COAST — John McEnroe’s confidence on the tennis court hasn’t diminished over time.
Not even slightly.
“I’ve got him right where I want him,” McEnroe told the crowd, facing match point against a spry Tommy Haas. “I think he’s starting to get tired.”
But Haas — a freshly retired 40-year-old — had just a little more left in the tank, downing McEnroe 7-5 in a one-set match for the Champions Cup title in front of a standing room only crowd of around 700 at The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel &Bungalows on Sunday afternoon.
“It was one of the most special days of my life to be honest, to play this icon, this tennis legend,” said Haas, who carries a hefty resume himself, once climbing to No. 2 in the world. “I would love to have played him on tour, but he retired a little bit too early.”
The Champions Cup is an event in the Invesco Series, which is reserved for some of the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. The day consisted of one-set semifinal matches, followed by the title tilt.
Earlier in the day, Haas beat Mardy Fish 6-3, and McEnroe bested fellow legend Jim Courier 6-3 to get to the championship match.
It was the second Invesco Series victory in a row for Haas, who announced his retirement from the ATP Tour earlier this year. He started his career on the circuit with a win in Charleston, South Carolina, defeating Andy Roddick.
The success hasn’t affected the humble Haas, however. After the arena emptied, he jumped on his beach cruiser with his bag on his back and pedaled to the hotel, ringing his bell for fans on the way out.
“It was tough out there, but luckily we only play one set. Once you hit 40, it’s a different ball game,” Haas said. “Johnny came back and had a chance. What he does at 59 is incredible.”
After mounting a comeback from a 3-0 hole to tie the championship match at 5-5, McEnroe petitioned for an early tiebreak, but to no avail.
“Call the doctor. I think I hurt my leg,” McEnroe said just before the 12th game, drawing laughter from the crowd. “I’m serious. What are you guys laughing at.”
Haas pushed the pace in the final two games, but holding true to his reputation, McEnroe wasn’t going down without a fight.
“Didn’t I see this guy playing Federer last year? Yeah, I think he beat Federer!” McEnroe barked before Haas’ serve, referring to his victory over the future Hall of Famer in Germany — the last win of Haas’ ATP career.
“I’m always trying to [get in my opponents head]. Tommy wasn’t missing anything and was making me work for everything,” McEnroe said. “I’m out there playing a much younger guy and I felt the let down after the first match.”
McEnroe had his share of fun, shadow boxing with the sideline Geico Gecko, and tossing his shirt into the crowd after his semifinal win over Courier — a match where a combined 11 Grand Slam singles titles were represented.
And at one point he couldn’t help but drop his iconic line after challenging a call, telling the head referee, “You cannot be serious!”
But on a more serious note, McEnroe — who played the role of a villain for the majority of his career — has embraced being a fan favorite at stops on the Invesco circuit, a side gig to his successful commentating career.
“There was a lot of time in the past where things were more adversarial,” McEnroe said. “After all these years, it’s nice that people respond like that. It’s not easy playing in these type of conditions and the crowd helped carry me, especially in that first match.
“I still love to compete and this format suits me,” McEnroe added. “With it being just one-set, I have at least a puncher’s chance. Sooner or later, I’ll get lucky.”
The Champions Cup was the second high-profile tennis event the island has hosted in recent years. The Fed Cup came to Kona with a match between Poland and the US in 2016, with Venus Williams headlining the American squad that also included Sloane Stephens, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Coco Vandeweghe. The US triumphed with a 4-0 victory over Poland at Holua.
Prior to that, the 1992 Davis Cup — also hosted at Mauna Lani and featuring McEnroe, as well as Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras — was the most star-studded tennis event the Big Island had seen.
“It was great to see the legends of the game, especially Johnny Mac. I love Tommy Haas, Mardy Fish and Jim Courier, but Johnny Mac is what drew us here,” said Errol Llantos, a fan from Kona. “It’s the first time I have seen him play live, in person. I’ve been waiting for this chance and it finally happened. I am hoping they bring him back next year.”
Seeing McEnroe nearly make a comeback in the championship was just icing on the cake.
“For old folks like us, I am rooting for someone like him,” Llantos said. “In the past a lot of people did not like him because of his attitude on the court. It was abrasive and the game of tennis at that time was supposed to be for gentlemen. He was not compatible for the game. Today, it is almost hilarious. He does it with some humor and now it is something that endears him to the the audience. Now he has one of the most loved personalities.”