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Korda Takes Honda Title

Petr Korda defeated Michael Stich 6-1 6-4 to take the Honda Challenge title at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday.

The former world number two went one better than his runner-up spot last year with an impressive all-round display.

Former Wimbledon champion Stich lost his first service game and looked off the pace until he raised his game in the second set.

But Korda never looked in danger of spoiling his record of not dropping a set all week.

"This is the one I wanted to win most," Korda told BBC Sport.

"But the most important thing is that I play good tennis and people go home happy.

Stich joked: "Petr didn't understand the idea of senior tennis - playing a bit slower, having mercy on your opponent and not hitting winners from every corner of the court!"

"Petr played tremendous tennis and he is very fit.

"He played great tennis all through the week and he deserved to win."

McEnroe Ousted by Stich

John McEnroe is out of the Honda Challenge after losing his last round robin match to former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich 3-6 6-3 10-8 on Friday.

McEnroe, at 44 nine years Stich's senior, got off to an encouraging start by breaking his opponent at 4-3 before closing out the first set.

But trailing 5-3 in the second, McEnroe received what he viewed as a contentious call on Stich's serve, which gave the set to the German.

In the champions tiebreak, the sound of popping champagne corks did not help McEnroe's cause.

The American screamed at the offenders shortly before hurling his racket over the net to the other end of the court.

Stich produced an ace to win the tie break 10-8.

"John comes up with shots you cannot expect and he plays faster than he did in his active time. He used to push the ball, now he's really hitting it," said Stich.

But McEnroe, who lost to Henri Leconte in his opening round robin match, was less complementary about himself.

"I'm hitting it harder but I'm playing like a moron," countered McEnroe.

"If you hit it harder but you're playing like an absolute idiot then it doesn't work as well.

"I didn't move well, it was pitiful. Maybe I've lost it and if I have I certainly don't want to keep playing."

Having hinted that he may only have another year or two of tennis left in him, McEnroe gave his strongest sign yet that next year's Honda Challenge may be his last.

"At this point it's certainly looking towards something different, maybe see what happens next year," he said.

"But I'll be 45 at the beginning of the following year, that's pretty difficult. Maybe I need a break. I may bounce back and be better - I'm still the best 44-year-old in the world."

In other action on Friday, Czech Petr Korda became the first player into the semi-finals by beating Pat Cash 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.

And Cash lost out on a place in the semi-finals when Jeremy Bates won the set he needed to qualify for the last four.

Bates, who beat Cash on Thursday, lost to Mats Wilander 6-7 (7-5) 7-6 (7-0) 10-7 but nonetheless booked a semi-final meeting with Stich on Saturday night.

Korda faces Leconte in the other semi-final.

Korda into Honda Semis

Czech Petr Korda became the first player into the semi-finals of the Honda Challenge by beating Pat Cash 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 on Friday.

Korda, a finalist at London's Royal Albert Hall last year, took just 75 minutes to tame the serve-and-volleying Australian.

"I'm definitely playing better than I did last year - I'm much stronger," said Korda.

"I'm enjoying my tennis, I've always played tennis from the heart and nothing changed. As long as the crowd is enjoying watching me play then I am happy."

Korda is the only one of the eight players taking part who has not lost a match this week.

"Tennis was born in England and I call this tournament 'Little Wimbledon'," he said.

"I've never won a tournament in England so it would be really special to do so.

"You can't compare this tournament to any other indoor tournament in the world. Look at the atmosphere, it's magnificent."

Meanwhile Cash, the 2000 Honda Challenge winner, will have to wait to see if he has also qualified for the semi finals.

If Swede Mats Wilander beats former British number one Jeremy Bates later on Friday then Cash is guaranteed a place in the semi-finals.

McEnroe Loses Opener - and Temper

John McEnroe was easily beaten by Henri Leconte 6-4 6-4 at the Honda Challenge in London on Wednesday.

McEnroe, who had beaten the Frenchman in both the 1997 and 1999 London finals, may have lacked form but he showed he had lost none of his temper.

He destroyed a section of court banners and escaped warnings from umpire Jeremy Shales for bad language.

McEnroe said: "I've lost to Leconte two out of 31 times, so I wasn't thinking I was going to lose the match."

McEnroe has one last chance to stay in the tournament.

In Thursday's second match of the round-robin stage he faces Swede Mikael Pernfors, who was brought in at the last minute to replace the injured Boris Becker.

"It's a wake up call, and I know I'm out of it if I lose the next match," added McEnroe.

"I still have a chance. But there's no doubt I will be if I play like that - my days are numbered."

Earlier, Australian Pat Cash won a close encounter with Sweden's Mats Wilander.

Cash served and volleyed his way to a 7-6 (7/4) 7-6 (7/4) victory as he was reminded of previous meetings on the main tour.

"I think Lleyton Hewitt is a new version of Mats Wilander - they play very, very similar tennis. I think Mats has probably got a better serve," said Cash.

"Especially when he starts passing me like the way he did today it seriously brought it back.

"He's quite incredible how he can still do that. I don't know how many matches he's played - but I hit some unbelievable volleys and approach shots."

In the other singles match of the afternoon session Petr Korda, last year's beaten finalist from the Czech Republic, beat former British number one Jeremy Bates 6-4 6-2.

Bates Defeats Cash

Britain's Jeremy Bates beat Pat Cash in straight sets at the Honda Challenge event in the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday.

And John McEnroe kept himself in the event by defeating Swede Mikael Pernfors 6-1 6-0.

McEnroe, who suffered a rare defeat to Henri Leconte on day one, must also beat German Michael Stich on Friday's to have a chance of making the semi-finals.

Former British number one Bates recorded his first-ever win over 1987 Wimbledon champion Cash, running out as a 6-3 6-2 winner.

"I always struggled when I played Pat on the Tour seriously. But the old boys are still very competitive," Bates told BBC Sport Online.

"I was struggling when I lost to Petr Korda (on Wednesday) so I was pleased to come back and hit a few balls straight and in the court.

"The Seniors event is competitive but it's also about enjoyment and entertaining the crowd.

"And I'm pleased I won."

In Thursday's other game, former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich kept his hopes of staying in the tournament alive by defeating France's Henri Leconte.

Stich won 5-7 6-2 and 10-2 in the champions tie-break.

McEnroe Still Relishing Challenge

Three times since its inception six years ago John McEnroe has won the Honda Challenge at the Royal Albert Hall.

Crucially, though, not one of those wins has come in the last three years.

Now 43, even a proud man like three-times Wimbledon champion McEnroe admits that time is catching up with him - not that that stops him believing that this is the year he will recapture the title.

"It gets more difficult but this year I can reveal that I've been putting in some secret training," McEnroe told BBC Sport.

"I didn't come here to lose but the competition has gotten younger and more difficult so it's not going to be easy.

"I feel like I'm playing well and I've been really close the times that I haven't won here so I think I have an excellent chance."

But this year's event boasts the strongest line-up yet, despite the late injury-enforced withdrawals of Boris Becker and Guy Forget.

Former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich plays at the Royal Albert Hall for the first time alongside fellow debutant Mikael Pernfors, the 39-year-old former French Open finalist.

And 34-year-old Petr Korda, the 1998 Australian Open champion, will be hoping to go one better than last year when he lost in the final to Forget.

With Christmas just around the corner, many will wonder what brings so many legendary figures flocking to London.

McEnroe believes it is the attraction of playing at the Albert Hall.

"It's the most beautiful place that we play by far," said McEnroe.

"Not only is the atmosphere great, but the sound's great, and I look forward to playing there more than any other event."

There is no doubt the ever-competitive McEnroe will have his weekend soured should be not lift the trophy on Sunday.

"I'm here to win - I'm totally focused on this event," said McEnroe said just moments after he had stepped off his plane from New York.

"This is pretty much our Wimbledon now.

"There's no substitute for playing and at the moment there's no place for us that's better than the Albert Hall - it's out biggest event."

Becker Out of Honda Challenge

Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker has withdrawn from this week's Honda Challenge event at the Royal Albert Hall because of a calf muscle injury.

The German will be replaced by Swede Mikael Pernfors.

Pernfors, a former French Open finalist, is best remembered for an epic match with Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon in 1987.

He completes the line up of John McEnroe, Michael Stich, Pat Cash, Petr Korda, Henri Leconte, Jeremy Bates and Mats Wilander.

The annual Honda Challenge event is the jewel in the crown of the men's seniors tour.

It features eight singles players split into two groups of four.

The best two players from each group go through to Saturday's semi-finals.

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