Tennis Roundup : Lendl Advances With Easy Win Over Amritraj

U.S. Open champion Ivan Lendl cruised into the third round of the $117,000 Mercedes Cup tennis tournament with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Vijay Amritraj of India Thursday at Stuttgart, West Germany.

Lendl, playing in his first tournament since he defeated John McEnroe to win his first U.S. Open title five days ago, had no problems in beating Amritraj.

Tomas Smid, Lendl’s doubles partner on Czechoslovakia’s Davis Cup team, also advanced, defeating Horacio de la Pena of Argentina, 6-4, 6-4.

The only Argentine to gain the third round was Jose-Luis Clerc, who scored a 6-3, 6-3 victory over young Swede Jan Gunnarson.

Hansjoerg Schwaier, a member of the West German Davis Cup team that meets Czechoslovakia in World Group semifinals next month, was defeated by countryman Udo Riglewski, 6-2, 6-2.

In another upset, Ronald Agenor of Haiti beat Jose Higueras of Spain, 6-3, 6-3.

At Salt Lake City, unseeded Janine Thompson of Australia celebrated her 18th birthday by advancing to the quarterfinals of the $75,000 Virginia Slims of Utah tournament with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Australian veteran Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat.

Thompson will meet sixth-seeded Stephanie Rehe of Highland, Calif., tonight. Thompson eliminated another veteran, Rosie Casals of Sausalito, Calif., in the first round.

In another match, Emilse Raponi-Longo of Argentina defeated Cecilia Fernandez of Torrance, 6-4, 6-3.