Edberg

COMMACK, N.Y. -- Ivan Lendl ended a six-month victory drought just in time for the U.S. Open, defeating top seed Stefan Edberg, 6-3, 6-2, in the Norstar Bank Hamlet Challenge Cup yesterday.Lendl, who had been slow in recovering from surgery to his right hand in May, needed 1 hour, 21 minutes to dispose of Edberg, ranked second in the world.It was the fifth Hamlet title for Lendl, who was cautious about what the victory might mean for his chances in the U.S. Open, which will begin today."Winning breeds winning," said Lendl, ranked fifth in the world, his lowest position in 10 years.

WASHINGTON -- Wimbledon rebel Jeff Tarango took the court yesterday against 14th seed Byron Black, and Tarango did not disappoint fans who packed the grandstand at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic despite the afternoon heat.Tarango lost to Black, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3, in a hard-fought match that was not without some controversy.Throughout the match, Tarango questioned calls. Things got heated in the third set when Tarango was down 2-3 and apparently hit a crosscourt backhand winner on the baseline.

MIAMI -- Mary Joe Fernandez knew she had to grab the initiative and not let Monica Seles take the first crack at the ball. She knew if she hit anything short, she would be "a goner."She was gone last night in one hour and 10 minutes. It was Seles who took early command and spoiled Fernandez's bid to reach her first Lipton final, 6-1, 6-3, at the International Tennis Center before 8,832."She puts you on the defensive right away," Fernandez said. "I had my chances and didn't convert."Yesterday afternoon, Steffi Graf had chances to end her three-match losing streak against Gabriela Sabatini.

Cuba safer?Diver Mary Ellen Clark was asked whether the U.S. Olympic Committee has advised American athletes at the Pan Am Games to refrain from wearing their USA clothing while walking the streets in Cuba or otherwise identifying themselves as Americans.Clark, who was at the Olympic Festival in Los Angeles two weeks ago, laughed and said: "Nope, in Cuba there are no restrictions. But in L.A. they told us not to wear our USA sweats or wear red or blue, because they are gang colors. There's no problem like that in Cuba."

Becker subdues Edberg in StockholmBoris Becker ended a nine-month victory drought yesterday, outlasting Stefan Edberg in a serve-and-volley duel between the world's two top-ranked players to win the Stockholm Open.No. 2 Becker, capitalizing on Edberg's sloppy serve in the final set, won, 3-6, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2, for his second straight title.Becker, who trounced Edberg in last year's final, ended the Swede's 21-match winning streak with his first tournament victory since the Australian Open in January.

NEW YORK -- Stefan Edberg is old, quite a feat considering that his 29th birthday is five months away. It is a cautionary tale for anyone aspiring to earn a living playing tennis.Three years ago, Edberg was No. 1 in the world. Two years ago, he won his second straight U.S. Open. Today, at 28, he is old. Still plenty good, one of the world's top players, but very much an old pro. Fighting creaks and doubts. Sounding a lot like someone on the way down, however gradually.What happened to his professional middle age?

Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf could meet in the semifinals, Monica Seles is looking at a quarterfinal rematch with Zina Garrison and former Baltimore County neighbors Pam Shriver and Andrea Leand will meet much earlier at Wimbledon -- in the first round.On the men's side, John McEnroe could challenge defending champion Stefan Edberg in the Round of 16, Jimmy Connors may play Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi opens with Grant Connell, a Canadian who beat Ivan Lendl on grass last week.Those are some of the coming attractions at Wimbledon, which begins Monday at the All-England Club.

WIMBLEDON, England -- This was a win for the tennis bush-leaguers, the guys who are out on the satellite tours, playing on cracked courts, living on lousy food and earning crummy pay.Yesterday, a 6-foot-8, 24-year-old, red-haired tennis nobody from Waregem, Belgium, became a Wimbledon somebody.Dick Norman beat Stefan Edberg in Wimbledon's second round, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. He made Edberg, a two-time Wimbledon champion and the No. 13 seed, look like just another old man with a 5 o'clock shadow and a few extra pounds.

Becker's injury puts Edberg in No. 1 spotStefan Edberg regained the No. 1 world ranking yesterday despite losing his semifinal match in the Donnay Indoor Championship, after defending champion Boris Becker was forced to withdraw from the other semifinal because of injury.Guy Forget overcame Edberg, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, joining wild card entrant Andrei Cherkasov of the Soviet Union in today's final at Brussels, Belgium. Cherkasov and Becker were tied at one set each and 2-2 when Becker retired with a thigh strain.

Becker, Lendl will meet for Australian crownPatrick McEnroe's magical run at the Australian Ope crashed against the stark reality of Boris Becker's 23 aces and leaping volleys.Becker, stunned by a first-set loss to the No. 114-ranked McEnroe, revved up his game and roared back to win 6-7,6-4,6-1,6-4 today and join two-time defending champion Ivan Lendl in the men's final.Lendl gladly took the gift of 11 double-faults by top-ranked Stefan Edberg, including one at match point, to win 6-4,5-7,3-6,7-6(7-3)