John McEnroe, winning for the first time in 18 months and playing in his first Grand Prix tournament in seven months, crushed top seed Stefan Edberg of Sweden 6-2, 6-2 Sunday in the Japan Open men`s singles final.
The 29-year-old New Yorker, currently ranked No. 25 after reigning as world champion from 1981-84, upset the world`s third-ranked player in devastating fashion as young female fans in the crowd of 10,000 at Ariake Coliseum screamed ”Stefan! Stefan!” in a bid to coax the popular young Swede to victory.
Unlike the tantrums and verbal outbursts that marked his reign as world champion, McEnroe was a study in total concentration.
”It`s like starting over for me,” McEnroe told a packed news conference. ”As a start it`s great.”
The Japan Open marks McEnroe`s first appearance in a Grand Prix tournament since he reached the quarterfinals at last year`s U.S. Open. His last tournament victory came at Scottsdale, Ariz., in October 1986.
The winner of seven Grand Slam titles has been sidelined recently because of a back injury and a suspension for using abusive language on court.
McEnroe said it would take several months of top competitive tennis with the world`s leading players on various court surfaces to determine whether he can gain the consistency needed to reach the pinnacle again.
”It`s like a dream-a new mountain to climb,” he said. ”I think it (his victory worth $122,250) will make it easier for me to take the bumps that will happen in the next few months because I`ve already won something.”
The victory was the 71st in his career, topped only by Jimmy Connors`
men`s record of 105.
Seventh-seeded McEnroe trounced Edberg in 73 minutes in a match that was never in doubt. His superior serve saw the sluggish Swede repeatedly returning the ball into the net, and his crisp passing shots caught his opponent flat-footed.
Edberg, the defending champion, said after the match he was troubled by an abdominal muscle injury suffered in Sweden`s Davis Cup series against Czechoslovakia last week.
”I served very badly today, and I couldn`t get his serve back,” the 22- year-old said. ”It`s pretty bad if you can`t serve-that`s the key of the game.”
Asked if McEnroe had regained enough form to challenge again for the No. 1 spot, Edberg said, ”He played quite well today. We have to wait and see what will happen in the next few tournaments.”
