Tennis Roundup : Jubilant Edberg Ousts Top-Seeded Lendl

Sweden’s Stefan Edberg upset top-seeded Ivan Lendl, 6-4, 7-6, in a rain-delayed match Tuesday to advance to the quarterfinals of the $1.8 million Lipton International Players Championships.

The match was interrupted Monday with the 13th-seeded Edberg leading, 6-4, 5-6. In blustery winds that gusted to 35 m.p.h. at times Tuesday, Edberg held his serve to make it 6-6 and force a tiebreaker. He then broke Lendl’s serve on the first point and went on to win the tiebreaker, 7-4.

“I’m surprised with the way I’m playing so well,” Edberg said. “I’ve never played better in my life. I’m not making the mistakes I used to.”

Edberg, 19, thought the wind might have helped him.

“It hurt him more because it is difficult to hit passing shots in such wind,” he said. “He had more problems.”

Lendl did not offer any excuses.

“Being top seed has nothing to do with it,” he said. “I worked hard and hoped to win the tournament. You can’t blame this on luck. Even five sets may not have made a difference.

“His serve sets up everything and he didn’t miss many first serves.”

With the loss of Lendl, the top-seeded player left in the men’s draw is No. 9 Yannick Noah of France, who advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Sammy Giammalva.

Also advancing to the men’s quarters was Tim Mayotte, who downed Greg Holmes, 6-3, 7-6, in a battle of former NCAA champions. The victory sends Mayotte against another former NCAA winner, Mike Leach, who on Monday upset Sweden’s Mats Wilander, the No. 2 seeded player.

In women’s play, Martina Navratilova solved the blustery, swirling winds to down West Germany’s Bettina Bunge, 6-4, 6-4; Chris Evert Lloyd outlasted No. 12 Barbara Potter, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, and West Germany’s Steffi Graf eliminated 13th-seeded Andrea Temesvari of Hungary, 6-2, 6-1.