Tennis : Mayotte Is Shocked by Agassi

Little-known Andre Agassi, a 16-year-old right-hander with a two-tone punk hairdo, shocked fifth-seeded Tim Mayotte Wednesday to join the top three seeded players in the third round of the $315,000 Volvo International tennis tournament at Stratton Mountain, Vt.

John McEnroe, meanwhile, was forced to wait until today to complete his second-round match against his doubles partner, Peter Fleming.

A heavy downpour halted the McEnroe-Fleming match in the opening game just as McEnroe complained about a line call on an ace that gave Fleming a 40-30 lead. Although the storm was brief, by the time the court had dried, it was too dark to continue.

Agassi, a qualifier who celebrated his 16th birthday two months ago and is playing in only his fourth tournament as a pro, downed Mayotte, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. But Mayotte, who won the Queens Club tournament in June, wasn’t the only seeded player to be beaten.

Martin Laurendeau of Canada ousted No. 8 Paul Annacone, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6; Greg Holmes eliminated No. 9 Johan Kriek 6-1, 6-3; Pablo Arraya of Peru downed No. 13 Tim Wilkison, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, and Milan Srejbr of Czechoslovakia defeated No. 16 Ramesh Krishnan of India, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

The top three seeded players--Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker and Jimmy Connors--all made it safely into the third round, although Becker was taken to three sets.

Lendl had no problems disposing of South Africa’s Barry Moir, 6-1, 6-2; Becker escaped an upset bid by Ken Flach, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4, and Connors stopped Brad Pearce 6-4, 6-3.