How good is McEnroe still?

[kiki]

Physichal condition comes and leaves...but raw talent always stay.mac is a tribute to the word " natural talent".

[Mick]

Serena vs a guy who pretended to be John McEnroe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKJ6e4y-tSk

[goran_ace]

Originally Posted by Surecatch

I watched him play in the old fellas' tournament on TV last night against Agassi and then Rafter and was pretty impressed at his skill level for being well into his fifties now. I really hadn't seen him play much since his tour days, other than youtube clips but looked like he hit harder than in his youth, which isn't surprising given advances in racquets, etc. He's naturally a little slower but still seems very accurate with his defense, especially considering his opponents also hit harder than back in the day.

What would his USTA level be? Could he compete on the ATP tour still? Would he smoke Serena?

I'm a big McEnroe fan but let's be serious: he didn't look that good against Agassi nor Rafter. I'm taking Serena in a best of 3 match 4 times out of 5.

[vandre]

Originally Posted by hoodjem

Probably the best 50+-year-old player in the world.

this. you can say that the powershares/ insert sponsor name here/ senior tour is a bunch of glorified exhibitions, but some of those guys still very much want to win and jmac just went through them like my kid goes through a box of diapers! i was watching him play in sweden on ttc this a.m. and he kicked the snot out of everyone there (some of them he beat 2 & 2). muster, larsen, ivanesevic and some other dudes were there (not a bunch of college players). serena would be lucky to get a couple games. mac is hitting the ball as hard as ever and is serving and moving well. his touch, the most important part of his game, hasn't gone away.

go ahead, someone set this up. all that's gonna happen is serena's gonna turn it into a ue fest after mac gets into net a few times. she's never faced anyone like mac before and she's gonna start going for broke. on second thought, don't set this up. it would be way too painful to watch!

[hoodjem]

Originally Posted by Mick

Serena vs a guy who pretended to be John McEnroe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKJ6e4y-tSk

"You cannot be serious!"

[hoodjem]

Originally Posted by vandre

mac is hitting the ball as hard as ever and is serving and moving well. his touch, the most important part of his game, hasn't gone away.

Yes, you are right.

Mac claims, that with the new larger, graphite (etc.) racquets, he hits the ball as hard as he ever did, and hits his serve harder.

[helloworld]

Originally Posted by goran_ace

I'm a big McEnroe fan but let's be serious: he didn't look that good against Agassi nor Rafter. I'm taking Serena in a best of 3 match 4 times out of 5.

Andre would beat Serena 6-0 6-0, and McEnroe was even better than Andre that day.

[canny]

Serena would easily beat mac. She'd be relentless.

[Mick3391]

Originally Posted by Surecatch

I watched him play in the old fellas' tournament on TV last night against Agassi and then Rafter and was pretty impressed at his skill level for being well into his fifties now. I really hadn't seen him play much since his tour days, other than youtube clips but looked like he hit harder than in his youth, which isn't surprising given advances in racquets, etc. He's naturally a little slower but still seems very accurate with his defense, especially considering his opponents also hit harder than back in the day.

What would his USTA level be? Could he compete on the ATP tour still? Would he smoke Serena?

Mac has the best hands ever, better than Fed. His timing, coolness, is incredible. I also saw him play modern players and he's AWESOME.

Only problem he'd have today is injuries and lack of stamina as comes with age. Young Mac with modern equipment? I think he's be tops, or one of them.

[slowfox]

Mac's timing really is incredible. Can skills like that even be taught...?

[kiki]

Mac invented shots that didn´t exist , even in his mind, before he did it.

[BrooklynNY]

He is unreal, I've seen him play twice recently at MSG, once against Lendl at the Sampras/Agassi exo, and then again against Agassi and Rafter this past Novemeber - his level was unreal, his hands are just butter - it really is hard to describe you need to see it in person.

[Rjtennis]

Serena would beat Mac purely based on movement and fitness. I'm also not sure that the seniors tour isn't somewhat rigged. Mac doesn't move that well and some of the younger guys should crush him. I'm still amazed at how well he plays but I dont think he is any better than a 5.5 player. There are a lot of D1 players who would easily handle him.

[Mick3391]

Originally Posted by slowfox

Mac's timing really is incredible. Can skills like that even be taught...?

Thank you! I don't like these "who would beat who" deals, but when you see Mac at 50 whatever moving like a ghost, hands like butter, shots here and there, you have to wonder if he had the same equipement when he was twelve against the guys of today. I saw him with Djoke, and I KNOW it was not real, but you can see it.

Mac is awesome, as are all of the top players of their time, they did the best they could do with the courts and equipement given them, so it's really hard to judge.

[NLBwell]

Originally Posted by Rjtennis

Serena would beat Mac purely based on movement and fitness. I'm also not sure that the seniors tour isn't somewhat rigged. Mac doesn't move that well and some of the younger guys should crush him. I'm still amazed at how well he plays but I dont think he is any better than a 5.5 player. There are a lot of D1 players who would easily handle him.

5.5?? - That's pretty silly!!!!
lot of D1 players?? - Depends if you think 10 or 20 is a lot.
Yes, the guys playing Challengers would beat him (as they did Muster almost all the time). Mac would beat the guys playing Futures now.
Mac would have a significant advantage in movement over Serena.

Originally Posted by helloworld

Andre would beat Serena 6-0 6-0, and McEnroe was even better than Andre that day.

Yes, Andre would often beat Serena 6-0, 6-0 if he went full-out. However, it is difficult to tell just how hard Agassi was playing against McEnroe.

[woodrow1029]

Originally Posted by Tennishacker

Several years ago he won a ATP doubles tournament in Sacramento.

Quite impressive for someone in their 50's.

San Jose. 47

[kiki]

Seerena would just be salivating.never played such a class.Well, except when she was young and met Martina Hingis

[NLBwell]

So you think Serena would win about half the time as she did with Hingis? I don't think she would have a shot at keeping it close. You don't understand how much better the men pros and even college players are than the women pros.

[kiki]

I just talked about class.

[NLBwell]

I misunderstood.