Tennis Roundup : McEnroe and Curren to Play for $60,000 Top Prize Today

Top-seeded John McEnroe allowed Peter Fleming only eight points in the second set Saturday en route to a 6-4, 6-0 victory in the $375,000 World Championship Tennis Shootout at Houston.

The win over his longtime doubles partner put McEnroe into the final round against second-seeded Kevin Curren of South Africa, who celebrated his 27th birthday by beating Shahar Perkiss of Israel, 6-2, 6-2.

A prize of $60,000 goes to today’s winner.

McEnroe, who scored seven aces to Fleming’s five, broke Fleming’s serve for the first time in the final game of the first set. Fleming then never held his serve again. The match was over in 57 minutes.

“I think I controlled the match all the way,” McEnroe said. “I think he was having trouble picking up my serve. He seemed to be having trouble with his back. I hardly lost any points on my serve.”

Curren, who streaked to a 5-0 lead in the second set and allowed Perkiss only six points during that stretch, had trouble closing out his semifinal match.

Perkiss fought off two match points to win the sixth game. Then he held at love in the seventh before Curren finally came back to serve out the match, winning it on the third match point.

“I just played some silly points,” Curren said of his second-set slump. “I donated that.”

Robin White upset top-seeded Mareeen Louie 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-5, to reach the first professional final of her career in a $75,000 Virginia Slims tournament at Hershey, Pa.

White will face Anne Minter of Australia in today’s final. Minter beat Camille Benjamin, 6-4, 6-1, in Saturday’s other singles match.