U.S. Open Roundup : Mandlikova Gets Easy Win on ‘Home’ Court

If Wimbledon belongs to Martina Navratilova, then Flushing Meadow is becoming a second home for Hana Mandlikova.

That’s what the Czechoslovakian star said Monday as she opened defense of her U.S. Open title, defeating Marie-Christine Calleja of France, 6-2, 6-2, while the top-seeded Navratilova was advancing with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Czechoslovakia’s Andrea Holikova.

“You know, I heard Martina interviewed at Wimbledon and she said: ‘This is my place. I feel at home here.’

“And I do feel at home here. I really love to play here,” Mandlikova said. “We were driving up, and I saw the stadium and I had a great feeling.

“You know, I love the place. I have to be prepared to play here with all the noise, all the things, the people. Actually, I think the crowd in New York is the best.”

Mandlikova has been the best in three Grand Slam events--the 1980 Australian Open, the French in 1981, and here last year, when she upset Chris Evert Lloyd in the semifinals and Navratilova in the final.

Since her surprising victory in the Open, she has failed to win a tournament. A sprained right ankle has limited her, but Mandlikova’s play has been erratic, though she did beat Lloyd in the semifinals at Wimbledon before losing to Navratilova. She is seeded fourth here, behind Navratilova, Lloyd and Steffi Graf of West Germany.

“I don’t feel any pressure defending the title because the pressure is on Martina and Chris, as always,” said Mandlikova, who recently married an Australian and plans to spend several months in Sydney later this year. “They’re the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds. If I do well, I’ll be very happy. If I lose, I lose.”

Mandlikova claims the Open is best suited for her style and temperament. Besides her victory last year, she has been runner-up in two Opens.

“It’s more difficult, of course,” she said of playing in a tournament so beset by distractions. “But it’s different. I like exciting things, I like people who get excited. Here, you feel the tension. You feel the public or the crowd really into the match. And if they see a great match, they show you that you played a great shot or great match.

“That’s what I like. So, its more difficult here, but if you get used to it, I think it’s much more exciting.”

Ivan Lendl opened defense of the men’s title by defeating unseeded Glenn Layendecker, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0.

“It doesn’t affect me at all,” the top-seeded Lendl said of John McEnroe’s shocking 1-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 loss to Paul Annacone. “I mean I have to play (Robert) Seguso in the second round.

“Eventually I could have played McEnroe in the quarters, but it’s a long way there for me and for him. For him it proved to be too long. I hope it doesn’t prove to be too long for me.”

Other seeded players eliminated were No. 12 Thierry Tulasne of France and No. 14 Tim Mayotte.

Tulasne lost to David Pate, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, while Mayotte squandered triple-match point in the third-set tiebreaker and was upset by Jonathan Canter, 6-7, 4-6, 7-6, 6-1, 6-3 in a match that lasted 3 hours 47 minutes and ended just before midnight.

Australia’s Pat Cash bowed to Mexican Davis Cupper Leonardo Lavalle, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3; Argentina’s Guillermo Vilas was beaten by Paul McNamee of Australia, 7-5, 5-7, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, and 10th-seeded Kathy Rinaldi lost to Michelle Torres, 6-1, 6-4.

In another mild surprise, Mel Purcell beat Slobodan Zivojinovic of Yugoslavia, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1.

Among first-round winners were fifth-seeded Yannick Noah of France, who defeated Scott Davis, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1; eighth-seeded Henri Leconte of France, who beat Martin Jaite of Argentina, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, and 15th-seeded Brad Gilbert, who defeated Tomm Warneke, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

Also, Amos Mansdorf of Israel ousted Tomas Smid of Czechoslovakia, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3, and Francisco Maciel of Mexico beat Wojtek Fibak of Poland, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-1.