When tennis star John McEnroe, and his temper, came to Hong Kong to play Ivan Lendl
- Pre-match drama began a month before the match, when McEnroe injured his back
- But the ‘five-set thriller’ between the world’s top two players went ahead as scheduled, in April 1984
“Hongkong to host tennis blockbusters,” ran a South China Morning Post headline on October 6, 1983. “Hongkong is primed for a deluge of top-class tennis over the next few months – with Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe topping the bill.”
However, when the organisers released an update about the event on February 11, 1984, the line-up had changed. “The world’s number one ranked tennis player John McEnroe and the world’s number two ranked player, Ivan Lendl, will take part in the Diners Club tennis classic to be held on April 3 at the Hongkong Coliseum,” reported the Post.
“We said we were going to bring to Hongkong the world’s best tennis players,” said the organisers. “In keeping with our commitment who indeed could surpass the talents of John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl?” Despite having faced off 17 times before, with McEnroe winning nine of those games, the Hong Kong event would be their first challenge match. “Both players will be out to win, and this should produce first class tennis.”
On March 21, the Post reported McEnroe had suffered a back injury but would be back in action in time for the competition. “I do not envisage any problem with the Hongkong date,” said John McEnroe Snr, who was then his son’s manager.
McEnroe fans needn’t have worried, he was fighting fit for the April 3 match, a “five-set thriller” with a “stormy climax”.