Tennis Roundup : Connors Waltzes, Noah Limps to Victory

Top-seeded Jimmy Connors defeated sixth-seeded Kevin Curren with relative ease Friday night to advance to the semifinals of the $315,000 U.S. National Indoor tennis championships at Memphis, Tenn.

Connors, who had struggled through two earlier matches in the tournament, eliminated Curren of South Africa, 7-6, 6-4.

The tournament’s second- and third-seeded players also survived the quarterfinals, although No. 3 Yannick Noah of France suffered a sprained ankle in a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Shahar Perkiss of Israel and may not be able to play today against No. 2 Eliot Teltscher, who downed Greg Holmes, 7-6, 6-3.

Sweden’s Stefan Edberg, seeded ninth, also won Friday, beating 11th-seeded Brad Gilbert, 6-4, 6-2, and will play Connors in the semifinals.

In the tournament’s second and third rounds, Connors was forced to three sets by Sweden’s Jan Gunnarson and Leif Shiras. But, on Friday, he controlled the first-set tiebreaker, and Curren never seriously threatened him after that.

It was Curren who had upset Connors in the fourth round at Wimbledon two years ago.

Noah turned his ankle when he was leading, 2-1, in the first set against Perkiss. As he hit the ball, spectators heard a loud pop and Noah stumbled. Trainer Todd Snyder said the noise was probably caused by the strings breaking in Noah’s racket.

“We certainly hope it is his racket,” he said.

After the ankle was taped, Noah continued playing, but he was taken to a hospital after the match for X-rays.

“It’s not broken,” Noah said. “But, if it stays like this, I don’t think I’ll play tomorrow.”

Noah said his physician had advised him to ice the injured ankle and try to rest.

Perkiss said his concentration was ruined after Noah’s injury.

“I played my worst after he was injured,” he said. “I did not play a normal game.”

Defending champion Bonnie Gadusek fought off three match points to defeat Camille Benjamin, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6, in the quarterfinals of a $140,000 tournament at Marco Island, Fla.

Top-seeded Kathy Jordan also had to struggle, coming from behind to beat fifth-seed Lisa Bonder, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

In today’s semifinals, Jordan will play third-seeded Pam Casale, who ousted Australia’s Anne Minter, 6-2, 6-4, while Gadusek, seeded No. 2, will face unseeded Sabrina Goles of Yugoslavia, who upset 14th-seeded Mareen Louie, 6-3, 6-3.