Tennis Roundup : Wilander Beats Jaite to Win Italian Open

Sweden’s Mats Wilander, a master on clay, won the $495,000 Italian Open at Rome Sunday with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Argentina’s Martin Jaite.

The championship was worth $64,000 to the second-seeded Wilander. Jaite, who was seeded 11th, earned $32,000.

It was Wilander’s third tournament victory of the year--following wins at Brussels and Monte Carlo--and it made him the overwhelming favorite to win his third French Open title when the Grand Slam tournament begins next Monday in Paris.

“It seems like I’m playing better than ever,” said the 22-year-old Wilander after winning the match in 2 hours 10 minutes.

“I’ve never felt this confident about Paris.”

Wilander’s steady play on the slow red clay courts wore down Jaite on the muggy day at the Foro Italico. Occasional rain sent some of the capacity center-court crowd of 8,000 for cover, but play never was interrupted.

Wilander, ranked No. 4 in the world, controlled the match with seemingly effortless high, looping topspin ground strokes that drove Jaite deep beyond the base line.

As the match went on, Jaite rushed his shots and committed numerous unforced errors.

“Wilander is just more consistent than me,” said the 22-year-old Jaite, who is ranked No. 17 in the world. “You have to hit 10 good shots a game against him, and I couldn’t do that. He is definitely the best player on clay now.

“He’s a much better player than me.”

Only in the last set, when Wilander appeared to lose concentration for a short time, did Jaite play well, running off 12 straight points. But, with the score 5-4, Wilander won the match on his serve.

Wilander said he had relaxed a little toward the end of the match but was never worried.

Emphasizing what he called his new level of superiority, he said, “I don’t play badly any more.”

He attributes his revived game to two recent layoffs and his January marriage.

Wilander said he will practice next week in Paris.

“I think I have a better game against any player now,” he said. “I can control them from the beginning. Now I’m not so scared when I go out and play somebody who hits the ball hard.”

Steffi Graf won her 32nd consecutive match by defeating Claudia Kohde-Kilsch, 6-2, 6-3, at West Berlin in the final of the $150,000 women’s West German Open.

It was the sixth straight tournament victory for the 17-year-old West German, who retained the title she won last year from Martina Navratilova.

Graf, the world’s No. 2 women’s player, earned $29,000. Kohde-Kilsch, also of West Germany, collected $13,000.

Throughout the tournament, Graf dropped just one set--in the semifinals against Sandra Cecchini of Italy. She won that match, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4.

“I played better today than in the semifinals because I took more risks,” Graf said. “In the second set, at 4-0, I made a few errors.”

Graf said she will rest three days before going to Paris for the French Open.