PERTH — On October 3, 1982, John McEnroe closed out a commanding 5-0 victory for the United States over Australia in the Davis Cup semi-finals in Perth, defeating John Alexander 6-4, 6-3 in the final rubber at the Perth Entertainment Centre. The win booked the Americans a place in the final after a week defined as much by a frightening trans-Pacific journey as by dominant tennis.
McEnroe had already set the tone on Friday, beating Peter McNamara 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the opening singles, before Gene Mayer made it 2-0 with victory over Alexander. On Saturday, McEnroe and Peter Fleming avenged their Wimbledon final loss to Peter McNamara and Paul McNamee, winning the doubles 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 8-6 to clinch the tie before Sunday's dead rubbers.
The results came despite a harrowing trip. Fresh from winning the San Francisco Open over Jimmy Connors 6-1, 6-3, McEnroe and Fleming boarded a flight to Perth that refuelled in Honolulu. The aircraft aborted its first take-off, then after two hours in the air was forced to return when a tyre that had blown on take-off was discovered. The crew warned passengers to prepare for a crash landing. The plane landed safely, but the pair waited 10 hours for the next flight, sleeping on the airport floor before landing in Perth at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, just two days before the tie.
McEnroe went straight to practice and delivered under fatigue, while Fleming — then a three-time singles title winner who had reached a career-high No. 8 and owned 43 doubles trophies, including four Grand Slam titles with McEnroe at Wimbledon and the US Open in 1979 and 1981 — provided steady support. The Perth Entertainment Centre, an 8,000-capacity indoor arena in the city centre, hosted the semi-final.
The Americans carried the momentum to the final in Grenoble six weeks later, where McEnroe again led the way. He defeated Yannick Noah 12-10, 1-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the opener and teamed with Fleming to beat Noah and Henri Leconte 6-3, 6-4, 9-7, securing the Davis Cup title after a demanding autumn swing through Sydney, Tokyo and London.