Lendl-McEnroe charity match

[Kevin Patrick]

John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl are taking their rivalry to the street this month. Twenty years after Lendl scored a straight set victory over McEnroe in the U.S. Open final, the New Yorker will get his shot at revenge when the pair square off in the streets of New York City on August 25th in a charity match sponsored by Evian.

Lendl will meet McEnroe in a portable court in the middle of Manhattan's Union Square as the featured match in Evian's 20th anniversary celebration as the Official Bottled Water of the U.S. Open.

Evian will make a $20,000 contribution to the New York City Parks Foundation to benefit their flagship CityParks Tennis program, which provides free tennis programs to thousands of kids throughout the five boroughs. McEnroe has been a long-time supporter of CityParks; his band, The Johnny Smyth Band, plays an annual concert at the CityParks benefit during the U.S. Open.

Several of the children who have benefited from CityParks Tennis will be on hand to hit with the two Hall of Famers. McEnroe has tried coaxing (or goading, depending upon your point of view) Lendl into playing on the senior circuit over the years, but the former No. 1 said his bad back prevents him from playing tournament tennis.

Lendl, who holds a 21-15 edge over McEnroe in their rivalry, will meet his nemesis for the first time in 11 years.


http://www.sportsmediainc.com/tennisweek/index.cfm?func=showarticle&newsid=13530&bannerregion=

 

[scotus]

I hope it gets televised. I will tune in for sure.

 

[Kevin Patrick]

I have a feeling this won't be a real match. Maybe they'll just play a tiebreak. Lendl back was very bad near the end of his career, I doubt he's picked up a racquet more than a few times since he retired.

 

[killer]

Unbelieveable!

When i first became converted to the religion of tennis, lendl was my hero, even though i had (or emulated more like!) the game and temperament of Mac...
I jsut can't believe that lendl agreed to do this after so much time! i wonder what the motivation was, and how he was able to find time in his busy golfing schedule!
Certainly hope it gets televised as well; what a great chance to see two men who truly revolutionized the sport square off once more...

 

[gts072]

I wonder if Lendl will be in "shape" for this event. Its been so long since he last played and never heard from again.

 

[Nuke]

Nope, I don't want to see this thing televised. It won't be competition -- just a show to raise money for charity. That's not a bad thing, but I rather not see Mac 'n' Lendl hamming it up for the cameras. I'd rather remember them as fierce competitors.

 

[Brian Purdie]

if the great becker-mcenroe match at the US Open wasn't televised a few years ago in 2002, this certainly won't.

it shouldn't be totally lame either. at least the fans there will get to see Lendl clean Mac's clock in a demeaning fashion...just like the old days!!!

 

[david aames]

So who's going?

Dedans, what about we bring the real heat? You bring the barbecue and I take care of the sausages. We'll have a sign that reads

The Lendl $1 (Frankfurter, no bun)
The JohnnyMac $3 (Frankfurter with everything on it)

 

[goober]

Hmm the last time I saw a recent pic of Lendl, he looked over 200 lbs. Has he even hit a tennis ball in the last decade? Mac otoh has been on the senior tour and playing exhibtions left and right.

 

[max]

Over the years, after he retired, I became a bit more mature and I have come to deeply appreciate Ivan Lendl's contribution to the sport of tennis. He introduced physical fitness into the sport and arguably it was this that has taken the sport to a higher level. I saw McEnroe and Lendl play an exhibition in Chicago sometime in the 1980s and it was apparent that for them it was business, not much personal humor, etc., between the men. McEnroe's legacy seems, in retrospect, less fabulous than we all imagined it would be (and of course, he contributed some hot air into that dream). Lendl's story (tour player prone to choking who by magnificent effort transforms himself into a deadly champion) is more compelling.