McEnroe, Rios Win After Stony Meeting
Posted on August 9, 2006As evidenced during their handshake-meeting at the senior tour stop in Algarve, aged No. 1 legend John McEnroe and senior tour newcomer and former No. 1 Marcelo Rios regard each other more like sneering boxers at a weigh-in rather than old foes out for a hit and giggle.
Maybe because they never were old foes, with McEnroe's banner days well before that of Rios, and the two never meeting on the ATP Tour.
Or perhaps because as a commentator, McEnroe was a vocal critic of Rios. Or maybe because, upon winning his first two debut events on the senior tour this year, Rios more or less said he was looking forward to eventually kicking McEnroe's ass, embarrassing the gray-haired smack-talker who last year said he looked forward to beating some of the "younger" senior players who had not yet debuted on the senior tour.
Placed in separate round robin groups this week at the Vale Do Lobo Grand Champions Millennium BCP in the Algarve, the fifth stop on the 2006 Merrill Lynch Tour of Champions, McEnroe and Rios will have to win their respective groups for fans to receive a likely-volatile first-time meeting between the racquet-busting American and the surly Chilean.
"I want to play him here," Rios said. "It's hot and tough conditions, and they will favor me. Maybe we won't get to the final and then we wouldn't play, but I'm going to do my best to get there and hopefully he can win through to it as well."
McEnroe, who won the event last year, says the heat doesn't bother him and he is ready to step up to the challenge.
"We play late in the day so the conditions are not super-hot," McEnroe said. "Playing on the hardcourts helps my game and I've been working real hard for this, so now it's time to step up. If I play to my capabilities I'll get through to the final. I know I would have my hands full if I faced Marcelo, and I've heard he's playing well, but that's what motivates me to get out there and train even harder."
Both players started out 1-0 Tuesday in round-robin play, with McEnroe beating Joao Cunha Silva 6-4, 6-4, and Rios shellacking Thomas Muster 6-1, 6-4.
In other matches Nuno Marques beat Paul Haarhuis 6-3, 4-6, 13-11 (tiebreak), and Carl-Uwe Steeb beat Pat Cash 6-4, 3-6, 10-4 (tiebreak).
Scheduled for Wednesday are Steeb vs. Cunha Silva, Muster vs. Haarhuis, Rios vs. Marques, and a repeat of last year's final in McEnroe vs. Cash.
Maybe because they never were old foes, with McEnroe's banner days well before that of Rios, and the two never meeting on the ATP Tour.
Or perhaps because as a commentator, McEnroe was a vocal critic of Rios. Or maybe because, upon winning his first two debut events on the senior tour this year, Rios more or less said he was looking forward to eventually kicking McEnroe's ass, embarrassing the gray-haired smack-talker who last year said he looked forward to beating some of the "younger" senior players who had not yet debuted on the senior tour.
Placed in separate round robin groups this week at the Vale Do Lobo Grand Champions Millennium BCP in the Algarve, the fifth stop on the 2006 Merrill Lynch Tour of Champions, McEnroe and Rios will have to win their respective groups for fans to receive a likely-volatile first-time meeting between the racquet-busting American and the surly Chilean.
"I want to play him here," Rios said. "It's hot and tough conditions, and they will favor me. Maybe we won't get to the final and then we wouldn't play, but I'm going to do my best to get there and hopefully he can win through to it as well."
McEnroe, who won the event last year, says the heat doesn't bother him and he is ready to step up to the challenge.
"We play late in the day so the conditions are not super-hot," McEnroe said. "Playing on the hardcourts helps my game and I've been working real hard for this, so now it's time to step up. If I play to my capabilities I'll get through to the final. I know I would have my hands full if I faced Marcelo, and I've heard he's playing well, but that's what motivates me to get out there and train even harder."
Both players started out 1-0 Tuesday in round-robin play, with McEnroe beating Joao Cunha Silva 6-4, 6-4, and Rios shellacking Thomas Muster 6-1, 6-4.
In other matches Nuno Marques beat Paul Haarhuis 6-3, 4-6, 13-11 (tiebreak), and Carl-Uwe Steeb beat Pat Cash 6-4, 3-6, 10-4 (tiebreak).
Scheduled for Wednesday are Steeb vs. Cunha Silva, Muster vs. Haarhuis, Rios vs. Marques, and a repeat of last year's final in McEnroe vs. Cash.