McEnroe fears for future of senior circuit

John McEnroe faces big-serving Guy Forget for a place in the final of the Honda Challenge this weekend, but the outspoken American's biggest fears are for the future of the seniors' circuit.

Boris Becker, a major draw-card at the Royal Albert Hall event, withdrew after just one match with a back injury earlier this week, while other big names choose not to play on the tour at all.

McEnroe, who lost an academic round-robin match to Czech Petr Korda on Friday, fears that without more commitment from some of the sport's elder statesmen the whole circuit could die.

"I kind of felt this was the final rung of my career to wait for Korda, Becker and (Stefan) Edberg to be around," he said. "To play them on the senior tour - to pass it on to the next players, this is the sort of scene that I was waiting for.

"But Becker is clearly someone who is incapable of consistency and Edberg is hiding in Sweden... I don't know what he's up to.

"The last four or five years I have pretty much dominated the senior circuit and I would rather go out feeling I am no longer able to do that on a regular basis."

A staunch supporter of the senior circuit, McEnroe wants to coax some of his contemporaries into extending their playing careers.

"From conversations I have had with Edberg, my understanding is that he is still practising, still hitting the ball.

"Now my point is if you are still doing that then why not get paid for doing it out here at the Albert Hall?

"If (Ivan) Lendl wants to play celebrity golf tournaments instead of tennis that is up to him.

"I think that when you have the opportunity to play on the ATP tour and then play on this tour then you feel better if you leave it (running) for the next group of players to come along and take over.

"I have had the opportunity to do this for five years. I give myself two years more at the outside - maybe just one - and I would be sorry if it just ended there."