Tennis Roundup : Becker Gives Wilander a Lesson and a Beating

West German Boris Becker said he came close to teaching Mats Wilander a tennis lesson Sunday when he defeated the Swede, 6-4, 6-2, in the finals of the Assn. of Tennis Professionals championship at Mason, Ohio.

Becker said Saturday that in their last meeting, Wilander taught him a lesson by beating him, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1, in the second round of the French Open last May 29.

“This time, maybe I didn’t give him a tennis lesson, but it was close. Today, maybe I was just too good. At the French Open he was too good,” Becker said Sunday.

The 17-year-old Becker this year became the youngest player ever to win the Wimbledon singles title. As a result of the victory, he was ranked ninth in the world.

Becker was seeded fourth and the 21-year-old Wilander, currently No. 3 in the world, was seeded first in the ATP event.

“At the moment, I rank myself No. 3, behind (John) McEnroe and (Ivan) Lendl,” Becker said after he defeated Wilander.

Wilander said his opponent should rank third or fourth.

Becker won $48,000 and Wilander $24,000 of the tournament’s $375,000 purse. Wilander won the ATP singles title in 1983 and 1984.

Becker served 10 aces to Wilander’s two.

In the first set, Wilander served an ace to go ahead, 2-1. But, after a five-minute rain delay, the pair had a long battle from the baseline.

Then Becker made a short shot, and Wilander, in his usual style, did not come up to the net. Leading 40-0, Becker served at ace to tie the score at 2-2.

Wilander then went ahead, 3-2, in the next game. Wilander came up to the net a few times and did not allow the West German any points.

But in the seventh game, Becker broke Wilander’s service for the first time, making the score 4-3.

In the second set, Becker broke Wilander’s serve two more times, once breaking a 1-1 tie, the second time going ahead four games to one.

Wilander said: “I played bad when I lost two service breaks against Boris in the second set. Against Boris, because he serves so well, you can’t afford to do that.”

In the doubles final, Swedes Anders Jarryd and Stefan Edberg defeated fellow countrymen Joakim Nystrom and Wilander, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

The singles final of the $150,000 Executone Hamlet Challenge Cup at Jericho, N.Y., between Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors was rained out and has been rescheduled for the week of Sept. 9, following the U.S. Open.

The singles final of a Virginia Slims tournament at Monticello, N.Y., between Helen Kelesi and Barbara Potter was also postponed by rain. The match will be played today. In case of rain, it will be played at an indoor site.