Something to Shout About : Tennis: McEnroe concentrates on tennis, not tantrums, and defeats Becker in Australia.

It wasn’t vintage John McEnroe. It was better.

No arguments, no tantrums, not a single angry glare at a linesman. Simply 2 1/2 hours of the smoothest tennis McEnroe has played in eight years.

McEnroe, envious of Jimmy Connors’ spectacular run at the U.S. Open last year, tasted that same glory Friday at the Australian Open with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 victory over defending champion Boris Becker.

In a stadium that shook from the roars of 15,000 fans, on a court where he sank to his lowest moment two years ago, McEnroe recalled for at least one night the magic that made him No. 1 from 1981 to 1984.

From his first ace in the opening game, to his fifth and sixth aces in the final game, McEnroe showed flashes of the power that once was the foundation of his game. He spun hard, deep serves into Becker’s body or away from him. He beat Becker to the net for putaway volleys. He blunted Becker’s strength with slices, then shocked him with crisp returns into the corners.

“When I was No. 1, I could do that all the time,” he said, recalling his three Wimbledon and four U.S. Open titles, the last eight years ago. It was a mistake, he said, to play against the more powerful opponents with an emphasis on touch shots rather than his own strength.

“The bottom line is I should never have changed my game,” he said.

Said Becker: “He played the whole match on a high level, and he didn’t give me a chance to breathe. I didn’t play great, but it was his fault, too. He played his old way.”

McEnroe, thrown out of this tournament for a temper tantrum in 1990, said his father always told him he would be a better player if he could keep himself under control and not argue so much about calls. For once, McEnroe listened.

“It’s important for me to feel in control,” he said. “I played great. I did what I wanted to do. (Becker) didn’t believe I could keep doing it. You could see he was getting frustrated.”

At the U.S. Open last summer, McEnroe, 32, lost during the third round, then watched with admiration and some jealousy as Connors, 39, went on to the semifinals. McEnroe said he felt he still had the ability to play at that level but had begun to wonder whether he was fooling himself.

“Doubt creeps in,” he said, as the years go by without victories over the top-ranked players. “It’s been so long since I had such a big win I can’t even remember. This is a big monkey off my back. It’s a big relief. I feel so much lighter. It’s been so long since I’ve beaten a player of Boris’ caliber.”

It was a chilly night, with fans bundled in coats and blankets. Becker wore a heavy, armless sweater, McEnroe only a T-shirt. Both players had slight injuries, Becker a hamstring pull that affected his speed and led him to don Lycra shorts during the match, McEnroe a knee strain that required a protective brace.

While McEnroe played in virtual silence, Becker stomped around the court, angrily berating himself almost as much as he did when he lost the Wimbledon final to Michael Stich last year.

“Nothing goes!” Becker screamed in German at one point.

“Trash, Trash!” he yelled on another occasion.

After his victory, McEnroe raised his arms to the crowd and flashed the most satisfied smile he has shown in a long time. After shaking Becker’s hand at the net, he whacked a ball high into the stands.

McEnroe, who next plays Emilio Sanchez in the fourth round, missed the Australian Open last year with a shoulder injury, lost in the first round at the French, the fourth round at Wimbledon and the third round at the U.S. Open as he finished the year ranked 28th, the worst since turning pro in 1978.

“If I won a Grand Slam, I’d certainly consider (retirement),” McEnroe said. “To go out on that note would be the ultimate.”