Edberg

NEW YORK -- Court 16 is 396 paces away from Stadium Court, not far, perhaps, in distance, but make no mistake: When you're playing on Court 16, you're playing the U.S. Open's version of the outback, back among the pine trees, on the edge of the National Tennis Center property -- beyond the clothing, ice cream and champagne stands."

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- No. 1 seed Andre Agassi ended up taking bows on Stadium Court and advancing to the third round of the US Open last night, but he faced a major scare and needed five sets to do it.Agassi the defending champion seemed to have little to fear from 28th-ranked Alex Corretja, a clay- court specialist, going into this match.But Corretja, 21, played as if he intended to pull off the biggest upset of the Open before finally leaving the scene, 5-7, 6-3, 5-7, 6-0, 6-2."If you're not on your rhythm, nothing separates you from guys like Corretja," said Agassi.

WASHINGTON -- The Legg Mason Tennis Classic final pitted two completely different personalities with different games and different things to prove.Stefan Edberg, the gentlemanly, serve-and-volleying Swede and the defending champion, has been written off by many for being in the twilight of his career and having lost all desire to be the best.Andre Agassi, the brash, overpowering showman, an American at the peak of his game, is trying to prove that he can maintain the consistency of being the top player in the world.

WASHINGTON -- Why, it seems reasonable to ask, would a sellout crowd of 7,500 people drag out in the midday sun and watch two men slap away at a tennis ball for more than two hours?(Agassi vs. Edberg).Chances are patrons at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic yesterday and all week purchased tickets well in advance, say in January when things weren't quite as tepid in these precincts.(Agassi vs. Edberg).Still, it's a good bet that most of them have lingering memories of tournaments past, which have contributed toward the D.C. stop becoming known among players as the precursor event for a huge tourney that's being planned for Hell.

WASHINGTON -- He didn't drop a set last year en route to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic title. Now, after a relatively easy road into the quarterfinals, Stefan Edberg has had to battle all kinds of elements to get back into the final.Playing with a sore shoulder and fatigued from his three-set, rain-delayed comeback win late Friday night, Edberg yesterday held off Australian Patrick Rafter, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, to advance to his second consecutive Classic final.The second seed will face top-ranked Andre Agassi today at 2 p.m. Agassi knocked off fourth seed Todd Martin, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)

WASHINGTON -- Things seemed to be all too easy for Stefan Edberg going into the quarterfinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.The tournament's second seed and defending champ had not been challenged in his two previous matches in any sense. He had surrendered a total of seven games and had faced just four break points (he saved all).To reach the semifinals, all he had to do was get past a third unseeded player -- Italy's Cristiano Caratti -- and survive a rain delay.And Edberg did just, persevering through a nearly four-hour delay and early subpar play to down Caratti, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-1)

WASHINGTON -- Things seemed to be all too easy for Stefan Edberg going into the quarterfinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.The tournament's second seed and defending champ had not been challenged in his two previous matches in any sense. He had surrendered a total of seven games and had faced just four break points (he saved all).To reach the semifinals, all he had to do was get past a third unseeded player -- Italy's Cristiano Caratti -- and survive a rain delay.And Edberg did just, persevering through a nearly four-hour delay and early sub-par play to down Caratti, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-1)

WASHINGTON -- The great first volley doesn't have the sting it once had. The high-kicking serve that set up put-away volleys hasn't been as reliable.For Stefan Edberg, 29, these are the problems he has faced as his world ranking has dropped to No. 16.But Edberg, who has earned more than $18 million in prize money, is not ready to put away the rackets for good."

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.

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.