Holmes Trounces Connors, 6-0, 6-3 : Krickstein, Lloyd Also Lose on Day of Upsets at La Quinta

The Jimmy Connors Open got closed down Friday as its star, and anyone remotely resembling a part of the supporting cast, was waylaid by Upsetters Anonymous, that vigilante group that finally succeeded in claiming the $375,000 Pilot Pen tennis tournament as its very own.

How’s this for a Final Four?

--A 21-year old former collegian who hits forehands with two fists, backhands with two fists and attended the University of Utah because it was the only school that offered him a scholarship.

--An erratic big-server who had not won a match during the first three tournaments of 1985.

--A Czechoslovakian baseliner who isn’t named Ivan Lendl, Tomas Smid . . . or even Pavel Slozil.

--And the world’s No. 193-ranked player, who received a wild card into the tournament because he happens to serve as the resident touring pro at the host La Quinta Hotel Tennis Club.

That’s right. No Connors, no Aaron Krickstein, no John Lloyd. Not a headline name in sight.

Instead, it’s Greg Holmes, David Pate, Libor Pimek and Larry Stefanki--a semifinal field only an aficionado could love.

Yep, it was Holmes stunning Connors in straight sets, 6-0, 6-3.

It was Pate, 0-for-’85 before La Quinta, applying the crusher to Krickstein’s backhand, 6-2, 2-6, 6-1.

It was Pimek, the other Czech, outrallying Lloyd from the backcourt, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.

And it was Stefanki, using his home court to his advantage, edging France’s Tarik Benhabiles, 7-5, 7-6.

And now, for the question of the day: What happened to Connors?

His coronation here seemed mere formality, his eventual triumph delayed only by the number of days remaining until Sunday’s championship final.

What is he doing checking out before the weekend, managing to take just three games against Holmes?

Connors blamed his racket, which he also blamed after losses to Miloslav Mecir in Philadelphia and Stefan Edberg in Memphis. It’s a Wilson Pro-Staff, a mid-size graphite model that was voted racket of the year in 1984 by one national tennis magazine.

In 1985, Connors has yet to make it through an entire week of matches with the racket.

“It’s a very good racket for 99% of the people,” Connors said. “But for the 1% in my category, it doesn’t feel right.”

Maybe the racket is the problem. Or maybe, at 32, Connors is finally beginning to lose the race with the calendar.

Connors lasted just 62 minutes on the court with Holmes, who is less than two years removed from his 1983 NCAA singles championship. Holmes made international news later that summer by upsetting Guillermo Vilas early in the U.S. Open. Connors, meanwhile, won the U.S. Open that year.

Holmes seemed almost stunned by the ease of his victory, coming in his first-ever encounter with Connors. A 6-0 first set? Even Holmes had to admit it--too much.

“I’ll take any score,” he said, grinning from behind a bank of microphones at his postmatch press conference. “Yesterday, I said I’d be happy just to get a game. After I lost the first game of the second set, I started thinking that I was going to lose it, 6-0.”

Connors also won the second set’s second game--and a comeback appeared in the making. Connors knows this territory well.

But Holmes switched maps on him. Staying back and engaging Connors in lengthy rallies, Holmes forced ties at 2-2 and 3-3 before he let his serve take over.

Holmes aced Connors once as he won the seventh game at love. Then, he closed out the match at 6-3 by delivering two more aces and a service winner. The final point was an ace that rocketed past Connors’ forehand side.

Holmes called it the biggest win of his career. At any rate, it was decisive enough to get Connors thinking about switching back to his old Wilson T-2000 steel racket.

“It’s something I have to consider,” Connors said. “I don’t feel like continuing to play tennis the way I’m playing now.”

One problem: The T-2000 is no longer in production. Connors says he has saved four of them.

“That’s enough,” he said. “I’ll just have to watch my temper a little with them.”

Holmes’ victory, which set up a semifinal match today with Stefanki, stole much of the thunder from Pate, who began the day by eliminating the tournament’s third-seeded player, Krickstein.

Pate took a simple strategy into the match: Serve big and hit to Krickstein’s backhand.

Smart move. Krickstein’s forehand is something that should be avoided.

“I knew if I hit him short backhands, it would make him run. He’s not very aggressive,” Pate said. “His game is from behind the baseline.”

But even from there, Krickstein had trouble. “I did not hit my backhand well all day,” he said.

Krickstein called Pate “a streaky player.” Pate agreed--and is quitepleased to be in the midst of this type of streak.

He was asked if he’s playing well enough to win the tournament.

“I don’t know if I can answer that,” Pate said. “Maybe if Connors breaks an ankle or something.”

Little did Pate know that Holmes was about to go out and take care of that matter on his own. Tennis Notes William Wolff, the spectator who collapsed during Thursday’s match between Larry Stefanki and Scott Davis, was listed in stable condition Friday at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio. Wolff, 65, of Whittier, is being treated for head injuries sustained when he fell. . . . USA Network will televise today’s semifinals and Sunday’s best-of-five sets final.