Advertisement

Tennis Roundup : Connors Defaults With Back Injury at Chicago; McEnroe Wins $50,000 First Prize

Share
<i> From Times Wire Services </i>

Jimmy Connors, who was scheduled to meet John McEnroe Sunday in the final of the $325,000 Volvo Grand Prix tournament at Chicago, was forced to default because of a torn muscle in his lower back.

It was the first time in more than a decade of professional tennis that the 32-year-old left-hander had failed to take the court.

“It’s never happened that I never played. Maybe that’s it,” Connors said. “I played too many times hurt in the past and it’s finally caught up with me.”

Advertisement

Connors warmed up for about 15 minutes before he decided to withdraw. It was the first time McEnroe had ever won a tournament by default.

“I guess I got a little bit of an Easter prize,” McEnroe said after being handed the winner’s check of $50,000. Connors earned $25,000.

Connors came into Sunday’s final with a 16-4 record and no tournament victory this year. He lost to Ivan Lendl in the final of the Paine Webber tournament.

Despite taking a month off from competition, Connors came to Chicago as the No. 2-ranked player in the world.

“Taking a month off actually did me a lot of good. I played good last week, and I was getting better and better here,” he said.

Connors’ trainer, Bill Norris, called the injury a torn muscle, and said the problem began in a quarterfinal match against Brad Gilbert.

Advertisement

He said Connors aggravated the injury during his semifinal win last Saturday against Andres Gomez.

Connors is expected to go on to Dallas for the World Championship Tennis final.

“You have to show up--unless you’re dead,” he joked.

Norris, however, said Connors will be sidelined for a week to 10 days. “I don’t think he should play there,” Norris said.

After Connors withdrew from the match, he reportedly shoved a Chicago Sun-Times photographer.

Tom Cruze, the photographer, said he was waiting in a hallway to take pictures of Connors and that Connors became angry after Cruze took several shots.

Chris Evert Lloyd took only 70 minutes to defeat Hana Mandlikova of Czechoslovakia, 6-3, 6-3, in the final of the $275,000 Ford Challenge Cup at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

It was Lloyd’s 134th tournament career victory and it improved her record on Florida clay courts to 86-1.

Advertisement

Lloyd received $100,000, Mandlikova $50,000.

In a $175,000 women’s doubles tournament at Tokyo, Kathy Jordan and Elizabeth Sayers Smylie of Australia defeated Betsy Nagelsen and Anne White, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia defeated Mats Wilander of Sweden, 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, to win the $325,000 Monte Carlo Open at Monaco.

Advertisement