AUSTRALIAN OPEN : McEnroe Dream Ends Before Finals

Someone had to end the dream. Boris Becker was the man.

Patrick McEnroe, ranked 114th in the world, made it to the semifinals of the Australian Open. He’ll remember it all his life.

John McEnroe’s younger brother made a name for himself. But he couldn’t go all the way.

Becker, the power-serving second seed from Germany, recovered from a slow start to beat the American, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-1, 6-4, today and earn a place in Sunday’s final against defending champion Ivan Lendl.

In the first set, McEnroe pestered Becker worse than the flies that flitted incessantly around center court. McEnroe buzzed him with volleys and bit him with backhands. He took Becker’s best serves and swatted them in his face.

Flustered, perhaps even frightened by this extraordinary attack, Becker admitted, “I lost my mind a little bit.” He also lost the set, dizzily collapsing 7-2 in the tiebreaker, and the murmur of an upset erupted into a roar by the amazed crowd.

“Calm down, calm down,” Becker said he told himself as he hid under a towel between sets. “I was nervous. I was tight. I just had to calm down and play each point. All of a sudden, I served very, very well. I served great, the best match I have served for a long time.”

Becker unleashed 23 aces and a barrage of deadly volleys.

“I had you guys going for a while out there today,” Little Mac said with a wink at his post-match conference.

Did he really think he had Becker going, too?

“I thought I had him going for a while,” McEnroe said. “But he picked up his game and that’s why he is the great player he is.”

Becker has a shot at the No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career Sunday if he wins the final against two-time defending champion Ivan Lendl, a 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 semifinal victor over current No. 1 Stefan Edberg. (Story, C2.)

McEnroe came into the Open hoping for a good draw and to stay around for the second week.

He made the singles semifinals and will join David Wheaton in the doubles final against Scott Davis and David Pate.

Becker believes there will be more success ahead for the McEnroe that few sports fans had heard of until this tournament.

“Everyone saw today he can play great tennis,” Becker said. “He has a good eye, takes the ball early and has a good feel for the ball. He will soon be ranked a lot higher than he is now.”