Tennis Roundup : McEnroe Shows Flashes of Old Self

His first-match jitters over, the real John McEnroe returned Thursday, showing flashes of tennis brilliance and fits of temper.

Playing in his first tournament of 1986, McEnroe defeated doubles partner Peter Fleming, 6-1, 6-4, as rain repeatedly interrupted play in the $315,000 Volvo International at Stratton Mountain, Vt.

The second-round match, halted by rain after five points Wednesday, had been scheduled for 10 a.m. EDT Thursday. However, because of scattered showers, play didn’t start until 12:25 p.m.

After Fleming won the first game, holding serve after four deuces, McEnroe ripped through the next six games.

Two points into the second set, the rain returned. Then, McEnroe and Fleming played two more games before another downpour interrupted play.

When the match resumed this time, it was a different McEnroe who took the court.

In the eighth game, he complained over a baseline call and later spat in the direction of the line judge.

“Come on, McEnroe, you’ve got one baby at home already,” someone in the crowd at the Green Mountain resort yelled.

“Welcome back,” another fan shouted as McEnroe stood glowering toward the line judge.

It was a brooding McEnroe who finally held service in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead. And, it was the “old” McEnroe who came out early during the changeover to say something to the line judge who had made the call he felt was wrong.

After the opening point of the 10th game, a little levity entered McEnroe’s game as a telephone began ringing in a television booth high at one end of the stadium court.

“It’s the National Enquirer,” McEnroe said, referring to the national tabloid with which he has had a running feud.

Three points later, McEnroe had broken Fleming’s service at love and completed the victory.

The rains, accompanied by lightning and thunder, played havoc with Thursday’s schedule as only five matches were completed.

In third-round play, Ivan Lendl defeated Milan Srejber, 6-3, 6-2; Boris Becker staved off two match points to beat Kevin Curren, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, in their first meeting since the 1985 Wimbledon final; Robert Seguso upset Mikael Pernfors, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, and Brad Gilbert beat Greg Holmes, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

At Kitzbuhel, Austria, top-seeded Joakim Nystrom of Sweden defeated Jorge Arrese of Spain, 7-6, 6-4, advancing to the quarterfinals of the $174,000 Austrian Open.

In the only singles match started before a rainout of the $280,000 Players Challenge tournament at Montreal, Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina won the first set, 6-3, against Rosalyn Fairbank of South Africa. She led the second set, 1-0.