Tennis Roundup : Kohde-Kilsch Is First to Gain Quarterfinals

Fourth-seeded Claudia Kohde-Kilsch turned back Wendy Turnbull, 7-6, 6-4, in 1 1/2 hours Tuesday night to become the first player to reach the quarterfinals of the $500,000 Virginia Slims Championships at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

It was the West German’s fifth consecutive victory over the 33-year-old Australian, who is the oldest competitor in the 16-player tournament.

“I was playing very well today,” said the 6-foot-1 Kohde-Kilsch. “This kind of surface is very good for Wendy because you get a low bounce, but I felt I was passing much better late in the second set.

“I think I had to play well to beat her. It’s very hard for me because I’m tall and the returns from Turnbull are low.

“I’m happy that I won since I lost in the first round here last year (to Helena Sukova).”

In later first-round matches, top-seeded Martina Navratilova played Terry Phelps, and U.S. Open champion Hana Mandlikova of Czechoslovakia took on Zina Garrison.

Chris Evert Lloyd, who is seeded second, will play her opening-round match tonight against Barbara Potter.

Third-seeded Joakim Nystrom of Sweden beat countryman Peter Lundgren, 6-1, 6-2, to advance to the second round of the $315,000 Belgian indoor championships at Brussels.

Top-seeded Mats Wilander of Sweden and his main rival, West German Boris Becker, are to play their first matches on the medium-paced Supreme Court surface today.