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It was John McEnroe's Late Show deep into the night on Thursday at the Oliver Group Champions Cup.

There was banter. There was laughter. There was profanity. Oh, and there was outstanding tennis between the 48-year-old and Jimmy Arias.

And there was the usual McEnroe drama, almost culminated by a match default.

But McEnroe didn't default and ended up winning 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 at The Players Club and Spa at Lely Resort. He didn't stick around for his post-match, on-court interview or for an interview session with reporters.

"We had a tough match and a lot of tight points and tight games and I just think that I have a smart-alecky personality at times and it doesn't wear well with John,'' Arias said. "I don't mean anything by it.

"A lot of times I feel like part of my entertainment value is to joke around with the crowd. I think he feels like sometimes it's at his expense. I don't mean anything by it, so I hate that sort of feeling on the court. This is a tour where we're trying to play really well, but we're supposed to try to get along too. I just wanted to try to keep it friendly.''

McEnroe made "friends'' with linespeople, fans, the chair umpire, and even Arias for making remarks involving him during the match. At one point in the first set, McEnroe drew out a complaint regarding a line call, eventually having the chair umpire come down and look at the mark, only for him to call it good in favor of Arias. Later, McEnroe had another complaint on a ball on the line on Arias' side of the net. After McEnroe won the argument, Arias credited McEnroe's complaining for resulting in the call.

The match went on and the play was good on both sides, despite McEnroe's age (48) and Arias' rustiness (he had only joined the tour on an emergency basis late last year and is battling plantar fasciitis in his left foot).

The highlight of the match occurred just prior to the tiebreaker, with Arias ahead 15-0 on McEnroe's serve.

"We did have one of the most fun points I've had in years,'' Arias said. "Drop shot, then return drop shot, thought that was going to be a winner. He got to it, lobbed it over my head. I think he thought that was going to be good enough, (then Arias went) between the legs on the line. That was fun.''

The first set was in a tiebreaker and tied at 5-5 when a fan started yelling at McEnroe -- "It's not World War III, it's a tennis match,'' the man said. The two went at it back and forth for about a minute, and then McEnroe shouted an expletive. The chair umpire, who had issued McEnroe a warning earlier in the match, announced he was penalizing McEnroe a point.

When McEnroe learned he had been penalized a point he indicated he was quitting, took two balls out of his pocket and rolled them toward the net.

Arias met McEnroe in front of the chair umpire to try to talk him out of defaulting. McEnroe berated him again for making remarks directed at him during the match. After a few minutes, McEnroe cooled off, the point was restored, and McEnroe won the next two points and the set.

"It was 5-all and he had gotten a point penalty, and I didn't want him to default or whatever,'' Arias said. "I just thought 'Hey, I don't need the point penalty, let's just keep playing on,' and that's when he let me know that I was making him angry.''

The second set was much tamer, Arias was much quieter and McEnroe seemed to be in control, winning four of the first five games. But Arias held his serve, broke McEnroe and held again to tie it up at 4-4. Just prior to that three-game stretch, Arias had a trainer cut some tape on his foot that had been digging into his Achilles tendon.

"I could move again for a few games, and then at 4-4 I cramped, actually at 3-4,'' Arias said. "I started hitting winners, that game actually. I just said 'OK, I can't move more than two shots, I'm going to hit as hard as I can.''

However, McEnroe saved two break points on his serve and held, then broke Arias to win the match.

Wayne Ferreira won the first set from Pat Cash in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-2) and 6-4, in the first match.

Cash and Ferreira were both replacements for sick or injured players. Todd Martin (torn ankle ligament) and Emilio Sanchez (flu) both withdrew earlier in the week.

Cash and Ferreira were tied 5-5 and each won on their own serve to force the tiebreaker. Ferreira won five of the first six points, including two on Cash's serve, to take control.

Ferreira won the first two games of the second set and led 4-2. Cash won on his serve and then -- after a rousing rendition of "YMCA'' that included both players taking part -- and Ferreira held serve, Cash was pushed to the brink. Typical to his reputation, he barely held serve, then battled Ferreira in a long 10th game that featured three break point opportunities. But he could not capitalize on any and Ferreira hit an off-balance forehand cross court, right on the line, for the win.

There are two sessions on Friday with the first session at 2 p.m. Arias plays Mats Wilander and Cash plays Petr Korda. In the night session starting at 7 p.m., Jim Courier plays Ferreira and McEnroe faces Aaron Krickstein.

For tickets, call 877-332-8499, go to championsseriestennis.com or buy them on site. To get to parking, go east on U.S. 41 to Collier Boulevard (951). Go north to Lely Cultural Parkway and make a left. Park at the Edison College Collier Campus. Shuttle buses will bring fans to the tournament site. Parking is $5 per car.

"It was a tough match,'' the South African said. "It was very hard. We've played a bunch of times and they've all been tough. Today he played really well.''

"I had to play Wayne a couple of times last year,'' Cash said. "He beat on me pretty badly. I'm

getting closer, but not really that much closer. It was good tennis. I played well and Wayne hit some

big shots. I just couldn't get the break. I had break chances and just missed a couple.''

"I think his tennis was better than his dancing though,'' Ferreira said.

"We want to be here and we love it here,'' Cash said. "We can be here as long as you guys turn to watch us. We'd like to get the kids to come out as well and watch us play. I know we're kind of old and they don't know us, but think of it as a history project for them. They can see some old school tennis, and some old school dancing.''

--- --- ---

Saturday is Kraft Kids Day with the kids under 18 admitted for a free clinic featuring players from the tournament. It runs from 11 a.m. to noon at The Players Club & Spa. The first 100 kids also receive a free ticket to the Saturday afternoon session. ... Jim Courier said Todd Martin will be out for a while after tearing a ligament in his ankle while playing basketball. Martin withdrew from the event earlier this week. Courier also has spoken with Michael Chang, who ruptured an Achilles tendon here last year and hasn't played since. He said Chang was about 95 percent and could return this summer, but it was more likely to be the fall. ... Courier said he has talked to Andre Agassi about the tour, but realizes he needs some time off, much like Pete Sampras did. "He's very much taking advantage of his time,'' Courier said. Sampras will join the tour for its next event in Boston.