Tennis Roundup : Lloyd Comes On Strong and Wins

L.A. Times Archives

Feb. 3, 1986 12 AM PT

<i> From Times Wire Services </i>

Top-seeded Chris Evert Lloyd used her recently developed strength to take the sting out of Steffi Graf’s power strokes and record a 6-3, 6-1 victory in the final of a $250,000 Virginia Slims tournament Sunday at Key Biscayne, Fla.

Lloyd, ranked No. 2 in the world, won 12 of the final 14 points in the first set and 13 of 14 at the end of the 115-minute match on a cement court at the Sheraton Royal Biscayne Resort.

Lloyd earned $40,000, while the second-seeded Graf, ranked No. 6 in the world, picked up $20,000.

Graf, who is 0-5 against Lloyd, said she could see improvement in her opponent’s game since the last time they met in last year’s French Open. “I think she’s playing the best she’s ever played,” the West German said.

Lloyd said part of the improvement came during the six weeks she spent away from the tour before this tournament. It was a working vacation spent in the weight room.

“I’m trying to be more of an all-court player, trying to play more aggressively,” she said. “I don’t want my serve to just start out a point. I want it as a weapon.”

Ivan Lendl won the 25th annual U.S. Indoor Pro tournament at Philadelphia when final-round opponent Tim Mayotte defaulted because of an injury. Mayotte said he pulled a stomach muscle in the second set Saturday night during his semifinal victory over Yannick Noah of France.

Mayotte said he managed to finish the Noah match, which he won, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, because of adrenaline. “I iced it (Saturday night) but when I woke up it was difficult to move around,” he said. “I could feel it when I coughed.”

Top-seeded Gretchen Rush of Trinity and No. 2 seed Caroline Kuhlman of USC advanced to the final of the women’s intercollegiate tennis championships at Riviera. Rush qualified for today’s final by defeating fourth-seeded Helian Steden of USC, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-2) in a semifinal match. Kuhlman defeated Patty Fendick of Stanford, 6-0, 7-5.

In today’s doubles final, Trinity’s team of Rush-Ann Hubert will meet the Kuhlman-Dena Levy team from USC.