Tennis Roundup : Jarryd Jolts Becker at Dallas to Earn $150,000

Sweden’s Anders Jarryd won the biggest paycheck of his career Sunday when he defeated West Germany’s Boris Becker, 6-7, 6-1, 6-1, 6-4, in the final of the $500,000 Buick WCT Finals at Dallas.

Jarryd, who wouldn’t have been in the tournament if Ivan Lendl’s knee injury hadn’t kept him from playing, picked up $150,000. As runner-up, Becker received $80,000.

Becker had to have his right thigh wrapped in the third set because of an injury, but refused to use that as an excuse for his first loss to the 25-year-old Swede in four meetings.

“My injury isn’t why I lost,” he said. “Jarryd played a very good match. I gave it my best.”

Jarryd led 5-1 in the one-hour first set before his first service deserted him. Becker scrambled back to win the set on a 7-3 tiebreaker.

Until that time, Jarryd hadn’t lost a set in the tournament.

“When I lost the first set after leading 5-1 it was a terrible feeling,” he said. “After that, I just started playing point for point.”

The match quickly turned. Jarryd broke Becker’s service six straight times, taking the second and third sets almost without opposition.

After the fifth game of the third set, Becker’s right thigh muscle was wrapped when a strained quadricep injury flared up.

Becker battled hard in the fourth set and fought off three match points before netting a backhand to give Jarryd the match.

“Becker was tired,” Jarryd said. “I think I had somewhat of an advantage with a day’s rest.”

It was Becker’s third match in 48 hours, and the fatigue showed. Becker played his semifinal match on Saturday, whereas Jarryd played his on Friday.

On successive days, Steffi Graf defeated the world’s No. 2 and No. 3-ranked women’s players to win the $200,000 Family Circle Magazine Cup tournament at Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Winning seven of the final eight games Sunday, she upset No. 2 Chris Evert Lloyd, 6-4, 7-5, to win her first professional tournament after beating No. 3 Hana Mandlikova in the semifinals.

“It was really my day today,” said the 16-year-old West German after picking up $38,000. It was the first time in seven career matches that she had defeated Lloyd. In fact, she had never even won a set from Lloyd.

“Now I know I can win against those players and now I know I always have a chance against Chris,” Graf said. But she added that Lloyd “wasn’t playing her best today. Everybody can see that.”

Graf came from four games down in the second set to win the tournament. After the victory, she said: “I felt so nervous I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to say. It’s the first time I ever felt like that.”

Graf said that going into the match she was thinking about having a chance, rather than winning. But, she added: “After the first set, I had the feeling I could win. She was missing some easy errors in the first set. I was playing well and everything was working for me.”

Graf said her concentration broke when she went down 4-0 in the second and, “I was really thinking if there was going to be a third set and if there is a third set then I’ll be ready to play it.” But she said felt she might not need a third set after she started coming back.

“I felt I let her in a little bit because I was starting to play well in the second set and I let up,” Lloyd said. “Everything worked for her. It’s just one of those matches.”