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The matchup between Mikael Pernfors and Magnus Larsson was about as close as a tennis match could be Thursday during the second day of The Oliver Group Champions Cup. Both sets needed tie-breakers, and even one of those needed extra points.

When the residue from the green clay at The Players Club and Spa at Lely Resort settled, however, Pernfors was left standing with a 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (7-5) victory over his fellow Swede.

Even though the match went back and forth and Pernfors let a couple leads slip away, the 44-year-old never lost his composure in his first match of the Outback Champions Series season-opening tournament.

"It felt like in the first set in the first set, I pretty much had to hit career shots to win every point," Pernfors said. "I can't play any better at this point in my career."

Americans John McEnroe and Jimmy Arias played in Thursday's second match. McEnroe won 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 10-6.

Pernfors took a 5-3 lead in the first set before Larsson, seven years younger, won three straight games to go ahead 6-5. In the first-set tie-break, Larsson led 8-7 before Pernfors came back to win 10-8.

No one broke serve in the second set, forcing another tie-break. Pernfors' ace gave him a 6-2 lead to put the 6-foot-4 Larsson on his heels before winning 7-5.

"I felt like he was in control the whole match," Larsson said. "I was never up except for the (first) tie-breaker. There I missed my chances, and I can't do that."

Though Pernfors might have been in command, he never led by more than two games on the scoreboard. The match was so close that even the games needed extra points.

Seven of the first eight games went to deuce, including a 18-point fifth game in which the advantage switched hands four times.

Pernfors said the strength of his game came on his service. His first serves kept Larsson, who Pernfors said looked sluggish, off balance and allowed him to control the point.

"I served better than I think I've ever done," Pernfors said. "Not in the sense that I hit a lot of aces or anything, but I managed to get the lines throughout the whole match. On big points I would get the serve in."

Larsson won't argue.

"It was great tennis. He had some great shots," Larsson said of his opponent. In the second set tie-break, he made some great passes where he won the game.

"He was a little bit better than me. It was 51-49, but he won more points, he hit more lines than I did. He deserved to win."

With the win, Pernfors is 1-0 in Pool B, while Larsson falls to 0-1. The Champions Cup features four days of pool play before the winners of groups A and B meet in Sunday's championship.

Looking back on his loss, Larsson points out squandered opportunities in the first tie-break as his downfall. Larsson, two weeks shy of his 38th birthday, held three separate leads in the extra game before losing.

"It cost me the match," he said. "If I won the first set I could maybe play a little more relaxed in the second set (instead of) trying to fight to get back in it."

Thursday's match was the first time Pernfors and Larsson had faced each other, even though the two are countrymen and good friends.

Larsson plays Arias at 2 p.m. in Friday's first match. Pernfors then goes against McEnroe in the third day of pool play.

The Swedish player, who was ranked in the top 10 in the world in 1986, expects a good fight from McEnroe. Pernfors has two straight victories over the seven-time Grand Slam winner. He beat McEnroe two weeks ago in Belfast, Ireland, and late last year in Paris.

"He's not happy with me," Pernfors said. "I'm not sure John is happy with anybody who beats him, but he doesn't want to lose to me. I think we'll see a fired-up John."