Pernfors grins and bears glorious failures

There is a rumour, possibly apocryphal, that the Royal Albert Hall has become the annual venue for the seniors tour event because its vast domed roof makes it the only building in the land able to accommodate the egos of the grand old champions who turn up in London to strut their stuff.

Humility is not a quality which sits easily in such company and such surroundings, so it has been refreshing over the past few days to witness the participation in the Honda Challenge of Mikael Pernfors, an American-based Swede who acknowledges with a fetching grin that he has gained a place in the record books purely on the strength of what other people have done.

There are three specific examples. In the 1986 Davis Cup final Pernfors led Pat Cash two sets to love, only to lose in five. It was a result which clinched victory for Australia over Sweden, the defending champions. A year later, in Wimbledon's fourth round, Pernfors so dominated Jimmy Connors that he led 6-1 6-1 4-1. That was good enough for The Times, which went to press with the story of sensational defeat for the man who had twice been Wimbledon champion. Alas for Pernfors and The Thunderer, Connors arose from his knees to achieve the sort of five-set comeback win he so relished.

The third occasion was the 1990 Australian Open, where Pernfors' fourth- round contest with John McEnroe was excitingly balanced in the fourth set when the American lost control of his fragile temper and became the first player defaulted in a Grand Slam singles for 27 years.

"I think I was as shocked as John when they disqualified him," said Pernfors. "It's hard to say if I would have gone on to win, though I was 4-2 up in the fourth and I was feeling good. But if that's what you need to get into the record books, I guess I'll take it."

Pernfors was able to find a positive side to the Connors defeat, too. "That night I went to a concert and met Phil Collins. That wouldn't have happened if I had won. I still get bugged quite a bit with people mentioning that match and everybody thinks I'm going to get upset when they bring it up. I'm not going to say I was as happy as Jimmy afterwards, but it didn't bother me all that much because I had played some of my best tennis ever. It would have been great to get to the quarter-finals, but it has been a long time now and I have no problem with it."

Likewise the 1986 Davis Cup loss. "I had a great time that night and people couldn't believe I was so happy, but I told them I had played as well as I could have ever done, and that was what mattered. Back when I was 13 or 14 I had a problem with losing, but I came to realise it's not life or death to lose a tennis match. I was very disappointed for five minutes after a defeat but tennis is only a game. If you lose you lose, but don't let it bother you for the next match."

A cheerful character like Pernfors is only slightly saddened that not many want to talk about his first French Open in 1986, when he stormed unseeded into the final, leaving Henri Leconte, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg defeated in his wake before losing to Ivan Lendl. "Very little was written or known about me in Sweden before that French Open," he said, "which is very interesting because I went into the tournament ranked 27 in the world. Yet it was as if nobody had ever heard of me. My highest world ranking was 10, even though it was only for one week, and at the same time I was ranked five in Sweden. If I had been from any other country I could have banked on being their number one. But I wouldn't change because a lot of my success on tour came from being Swedish."

Possibly so, but Pernfors' gratitude properly belongs to the United States, where he went on a tennis scholarship in 1986, aged 18. At home in Sweden, amid participation in football, squash, badminton and handball, he had found time for only an hour's tennis a week. At Seminole College in Florida he upped that to three hours a day and in 1983 won the national singles and doubles titles. Moving to the University of Georgia, Perfors became national collegiate champion of 1984 and 1985, the first back-to-back winner since Dennis Ralston 21 years previously.

Because of injury, Pernfors managed only five full years on the pro circuit. A knee operation in 1988 was followed by tournament victories in Scottsdale and Los Angeles, but in 1990 he was crippled by Achilles tendon problems and a complicated operation sidelined him for 18 months. Back he bounced, fighting up the rankings and winning the 1993 Canadian Open. Joy at what he called "my biggest week on the tour" was short-circuited by two heel operations in 1994 which effectively ended his career. "Although I was forced out of tennis when I felt I had another couple of years in me, I have no regrets. I got so much more out of the game than I ever thought I would," he said.

As well as becoming a three-handicap golfer, Pernfors built a successful business career. Partnered by his old Davis Cup colleague, Mats Wilander, and the golfer, Jesper Parnevik, he set up a company manufacturing sports caps and clothing. There is also another Swedish company, Ad Out, which organises corporate functions. Being able to gain a place on the seniors circuit particularly pleases him. "I had to finish when I didn't want to, so being able to play again is very satisfying."

Especially pleasing were his first-ever win over Connors, followed by a victory over McEnroe in a tournament in New York. "It's not like it's going to make a difference to the history of tennis but things like that are personally satisfying," he said. So too was the chance to appear at the Albert Hall. "After having played here I can retire if I want to, because I have now played tennis in all of the great locations."

Pernfors came to London as a late replacement for the injured John Lloyd, leaving behind in his Atlanta home a group of workmen renovating the floors and stairs. "I just hope they haven't been sitting and drinking beers all week," he smiled. Even if the workmen manage to burn the home down, you get the impression Mikael Pernfors would find something to be cheerful about within a few minutes.