U.S. Open Tennis : Chris Evert, Steffi Graf Breeze to Easy Victories

Chris Evert and Steffi Graf cruised into the fourth round of the U.S. Open Sunday.

Graf, the No. 1-seeded woman, required 38 minutes to polish off one of her best friends, Patricia Tarabini of Argentina, 6-2, 6-0. Evert disposed of 16-year-old Soviet Natalia Zvereva 6-0, 6-2, and No. 5 Pam Shriver crushed Italy’s Laura Golarsa 6-1, 6-2 in 42 minutes.

“She was in a rush to get off the court,” said Shriver, referring to Golarsa’s impatience on the court. “My folks drove all the way up (from Lutherville, Md.), so I had to be out there at least 40 minutes.”

Evert has yielded merely four games in three matches, defending champion Martina Navratilova has given up nine, Graf has lost 10 and Shriver 14. Since losing to Navratilova last November, Graf has compiled a match record of 58-1, and Shriver has won 18 matches in a row.

The pattern carried over to the men, where No. 2-seeded Stefan Edberg defeated Kelly Evernden of New Zealand 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in an hour and 40 minutes, and No. 3 Mats Wilander needed only 84 minutes to dispense with Libor Pimek of Czechoslovakia 6-2, 6-0, 6-1.

Australian Mark Woodforde, who upset Tim Mayotte, and the only qualifier remaining, routed another Czechoslovakian, Milan Srejber, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 in 66 minutes, Ramesh Krishnan beat Johan Kriek 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 54 minutes, and Andrei Chesnokov needed only 86 minutes to defeat Diego Perez 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.

Zina Garrison, the No. 7 seed, No. 10 Manuela Maleeva, No. 11 Lori McNeil and No. 13 Sylvia Hanika also advanced to the fourth round, although with a little more difficulty than the top seeds.