Tennis Roundup : Wilander Defeats Edberg to Reach Semifinals

Top-seeded Mats Wilander of Sweden overcame the challenge of fellow Swede Stefan Edberg to advance to the semifinals of the Assn. of Tennis Professionals Championship with a 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 victory Friday at Mason, Ohio.

Wilander, trying for his third straight championship in the $375,000 tournament, lost the tie-breaker in the second set, 7-2, but rallied to beat Edberg in the final set.

In other quarterfinals, No. 4 Boris Becker of West Germany came back to defeat Hank Pfister, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4; No. 6 Joakim Nystrom of Sweden upset No. 2 Anders Jarryd of Sweden, 6-2, 6-1, and Tim Wilkison advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Jimmy Brown.

In the semifinals, Wilander will meet Wilkison and Nystrom will play Becker.

At Monticello, N.Y., No. 3 Sylvia Hanika of West Germany needed seven match points and overcame a controversial line call to beat Jo Durie of Britain, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6, and advance to the semifinals of a Virginia Slims tournament.

Leading, 6-5, in the third set, Hanika reached match point five times, only to lose them all, including one on a disputed cross-court forehand.

Hanika had a sixth match point in the tiebreaker, and Durie also had one before the West German finally prevailed, 9-7, when Durie returned a serve into the net to end the 2-hour 40-minute match.

Hanika will meet Barbara Potter, and Helena Sukova of Czechoslovakia, who beat Debbie Spence, 6-4, 6-2, will face 15-year old Helen Kelesi of Canada.

At Jericho, N.Y., No. 5 Miloslav Mecir of Czechoslovakia upset No. 3 Kevin Curren of South Africa, 6-4, 6-1, to join top-seeded Ivan Lendl in the semifinals of the Executone Hamlet Challenge Cup tournament.

Lendl, also from Czechoslovakia, eliminated unseeded Balazs Taroczy of Hungary, 6-4, 6-2.

In other quarterfinals, No. 2 Jimmy Connors downed No. 7 Scott Davis, 7-5, 6-7, 6-3, and Paul Annacone defeated Heinz Gunthardt of Switzerland, 6-1, 6-2.

Connors had to overcome 12 service aces by Davis and the loss of the second-set tiebreaker but got help from his opponent, who committed seven double-faults, five at crucial times.

Connors will face Mecir; Annacone will meet Lendl.