Flying High, Lendl Beats Gerulaitis : World’s No. 1 Player Fights Off Jet Lag and Wins, 6-4, 6-1

Like two ships that pass in the night, Ivan Lendl and Vitas Gerulaitis disembarked from their respective planes, played 57 minutes’ worth of tennis Monday night in the Forum, then flew off again.

That’s how the jet set lives. That’s also how the jet set gets jet lag. Lendl, lag and all, beat Gerulaitis, 6-4, 6-1, in the Forum Championship Tennis Challenge Series. Then he beat it to the airport.

Lendl has played a grueling schedule since winning his first U.S. Open in September. Lendl was in London Sunday and won a tiring five-set match against Boris Becker in the final of the Wembley tournament. That night he flew to New York, then on to his home in Greenwich, Conn. Monday, Lendl flew to Los Angeles, arriving less than one hour before the match.

After also playing a meaningless doubles match, Lendl was scheduled to take an 11 p.m. flight to Australia Monday night, where he will begin his preparation for the Australian Open.

Gerulaitis had similar logistical problems. He was at New York’s Kennedy Airport Friday when he found out that he was subbing in the match for Jimmy Connors. Connors was scheduled to play but withdrew with a back injury.

Gerulaitis agreed to play, flew to Italy, played matches Saturday and Sunday, then flew from Milan to Paris to New York, arriving in Los Angeles Monday afternoon.

Gerulaitis said he knew he had something but wasn’t sure it was jet lag. He joked: “Well, they couldn’t get anybody, I wasn’t their first choice, I’m sure. They went down the list. Then they said, ‘Let’s give Gerulaitis a chance.’ This (travel) is what I do every weekend. I just jet around.”

Both players were in jovial moods, which was appropriate for the tone of the matches. The 6,253 fans were freely rooting throughout the match. “I thought they (the crowd) were about half and half,” Lendl said. “Toward the end they were for Vitas. I think they wanted to see more tennis.”

What they saw was the world’s No. 1 player in near top form. Lendl was doing everything well. His overall game has improved so much since 1982, the last time the two played, that Gerulaitis couldn’t exploit Lendl’s former weakness--his backhand.

“He’s definitely improved,” Gerulaitis said. “His backhand has improved. I used to have a lot of success against him. Now, he is so confident.”

Gerulaitis used to beat Lendl regularly. The series between the players stands at 4-3 in Lendl’s favor.

With Lendl minus a noticeable weakness, Gerulaitis was forced to slug it out with the Czech from the base line or take the net. Gerulaitis served well in the first set, which allowed him to get to the net, and from there he was able to hit winners. He was also able to do what few can against Lendl--hold serve.

Gerulaitis held serve until the sixth game of the first set, which he won at love. At love-30, Lendl was at the net but was driven back by a deep lob by Gerulaitis. Lendl scrambled back, and with a flick of his forearm, backhanded a winner.

“I don’t think I played that badly,” Gerulaitis said. “I was a little sluggish. I returned the ball a little slower than I usually do, and you can’t have that against Lendl. I enjoy playing someone that good.”

Lendl the sportsman surfaced in eighth game of the first set. Gerulaitis was down a break and serving at 30-love. He served a ball that appeared to be a foot above the net, but the chair umpire called it a net serve. Gerulaitis argued and Lendl agreed. He moved over to the ad court to continue play, conceding the point.

Lendl stormed through the second set, showing off his powerful forehand, the best in tennis.

“I just thought I played better as the match progressed,” Lendl said. “My timing was a little off, but that’s to be expected. The court was a little slower than I had played on in England. I was playing better and better after the Open, but I played two bad matches in England. But I felt better Sunday (against Becker.)”

Lendl is on a 28-match winning streak and has played so well since winning the U.S. Open in September that it’s difficult to remember the slightly sensitive player who lost in the finals of four Grand Slams. His breakthrough came in the 1984 French Open, where he beat John McEnroe.

Connors has yet to appear in the Forum round-robin series. Last July, McEnroe played Lendl after Connors complained of back problems.