Lloyd, Connors Follow Same Path to Victory

Third-seeded Jimmy Connors and top-seeded Chris Evert Lloyd started slowly Saturday, but both reached the fourth round of the $1.8-million Lipton International Players Championship tennis tournament.

Connors rallied to beat Mark Dickson of Tampa, Fla., 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Lloyd eliminated Catherine Suire of France, 7-5, 6-1, after trailing, 5-3, in the first set.

“It’s the same old story lately, starting slow,” said Lloyd, the second-ranked woman in the world. “My timing has been off this week. I think when she was ahead, 5-3, a combination of things turned it around for me--my better concentration and she getting a little nervous.”

Lloyd erased the threat by winning seven straight games, taking a 3-0 lead in the second set.

Connors, the fourth-ranked man in the world, had no trouble with Dickson, No. 58 in the rankings, after the first set.

“I said I came into this tournament to get in some tennis,” Connors said. “It looks like I’m doing it with these three-setters.”

The 33-year-old Connors, seeking his first tournament victory since October 1984, when he won a Tokyo indoor event for a record 105th victory, had to win a third-set tiebreaker the other night to survive a second-round match against Claudio Panatta of Italy.

Dickson broke Connors’ service in the seventh game of the first set. He erased a Connors break point in the 10th game and held for the set.

“Dickson served well. I had to return well and get my passing shots working,” Connors said about his two-fisted attack that took him to a 4-1 lead in the second set.

Connors won the last three games with the loss of only three points.

In other matches, Thierry Tulasne of France upset Brad Gilbert, one of the hottest players on the circuit, 7-5, 6-2; Mats Wilander of Sweden trounced Mike Leach, 6-1, 6-2; Jimmy Arias beat Glenn Layendecker, 6-3, 6-4; Andres Gomez of Ecuador defeated Danie Visser of South Africa, 6-3, 6-3; Michael Robertson of South Africa turned back Christo Steyn of South Africa, 6-3, 7-6, and Guy Forget of France defeated Eddie Edwards of South Africa, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6.

In other women’s matches, Dianne Balestrat of Australia upset 15-year-old Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina, 7-5, 6-4; Carling Bassett of Canada defeated Camille Benjamin, 6-2, 6-4; Barbara Potter downed Kathy Horvath, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, and Terry Phelps beat Jo Durie of England, 6-4, 6-2.