Obsequies for Henman blunt McEnroe's service

TV View: It was distressing, shocking almost, to witness his reputation shredded on a balmy Wimbledon afternoon. Tim Henman's exodus from the All England club's gentlemen's championship singles constituted an affront to middle England, whose Union Jack pageantry was rendered curiously limp by a Russian interloper. This year the bunting barely got an airing.

It was not Henman's demise though that caused the aforementioned concern, nor the expletives chosen by the Englishman - hugely out of character - to vent his frustration at various points of the contest, but rather the stance taken by tennis legend John McEnroe. His lament for Tim during the match and at the post-game inquest was surprising and sad to witness.

Among the primary pleasures of listening to McEnroe in the commentary box have been his acerbic comments, which echo the nonconformity of his playing days. He called it like he saw it and didn't feel the need to sugar coat his comments. It was a refreshing antidote to what could be an otherwise sterile, monotonous and reverential coverage of the tournament provided by the BBC.

McEnroe, though, has obviously sold a little of his soul to Auntie, manifest in the tepid and conciliatory analysis of Henman's shortcomings. He joined in the general dirge that followed Tim's exit.

Henman has borne British tennis on his slender shoulders with no little talent, patience and humour over the past decade, but in the last six months his form has been brittle. He did not play well in the first round but managed to extricate himself. But he could not rescue himself against the modest ability of Dmitry Tursunov.

BBC decided to extol the virtues of the Russian, who was only reacquainting himself with the sport after two years on the other side of the tramlines with a broken back. Henman's tennis was average at best and that simply didn't suffice against a player who rarely had to be more than competent.

You expect Sue Barker, John Lloyd et al to simper and sigh when Henman is eclipsed, but McEnroe usually manages to introduce a certain cold-eyed clarity to cut through the patriotic fervour. This time the American didn't bring his A game to the box.

Happily, this column has been drawn to the observations of two other former Wimbledon champions who have swapped racquet for microphone. Boris Becker and Jimmy Connors bring different virtues but share an expertise in the ability to analyse play from a technical standpoint. They educate the viewer in a gentle, thoughtful manner.

BBC's capture of Connors this year was prescient and a noteworthy coup. Now that Henman and 18-year-old Scot Andy Murray are out of the championship the viewer will be treated to comprehensive, occasionally innovative and usually watchable coverage. The only blip on the armchair horizon would be the calamitous convergence of rain and Cliff Richard.

RTÉ's coverage of the Confederations Cup has been an oasis in what is traditionally a summer desert for soccer fans. Guaranteeing that the experience is even more enjoyable is the presence of Republic of Ireland soccer manager Brian Kerr as co-commentator alongside George Hamilton. Kerr exudes footballing nous and his obvious love for and knowledge of the sport shine through.

Whatever the match or the players involved he can always unearth nuggets of information. It's no surprise Ireland players are handed DVDs of future opponents before internationals; such attention to detail is evident in Kerr's analysis.

This, allied to Hamilton's professionalism, guarantees thoughtful, informed broadcasting. The added presence of the former England international Trevor Steven in the studio makes it an impressive package. It's a pity Kerr has the old day job, because on the evidence of the last 10 days he would otherwise be much in demand.

There is one other ingredient that lends itself to the overall success of the soccer package: Darragh Maloney's laid-back excellence in the anchor role. Maloney has developed into one of RTÉ Sport's most polished performers, both as commentator and in studio.

His sense of humour and self-effacing, quiet prompting are rare. Whether it is soccer of Gaelic games, Maloney is equally comfortable and one suspects that would extend to other codes if he were given the opportunity.

The fact the soccer tournament in Germany has produced some excellent games has also been important. After all, a little bit of substance goes a long way.