Kohde-Kilsch Falls to Sukova; Rain Stops Open Play

In a 53-minute match that lasted 5 hours and 22 minutes amid raindrops, Helena Sukova beat Claudia Kohde-Kilsch, 6-1, 6-3, Tuesday to become the first semifinalist at the U.S. Open.

The match was the only one completed because of almost steady rain throughout the day. Despite the conditions, officials waited nine hours, until 8:02 p.m. EDT, before calling off play.

In the only other matches started, both men’s fourth-rounders, second-seeded Stefan Edberg was leading fellow Swede Jonas B. Svensson, 6-2, 5-5, and No. 3 Mats Wilander was ahead of unseeded American Ken Flach, 6-3, 6-3.

Among the matches postponed was a quarterfinal between defending women’s champion Martina Navratilova and No. 8 Gabriela Sabatini.

Two rain delays, totaling 4:29, occurred during the Sukova-Kohde-Kilsch match on a dark, dreary afternoon, which followed one of the more hectic days ever witnessed at the Open.

Kohde-Kilsch, the beneficiary of Hana Mandlikova’s temper tantrum Monday, expressed displeasure at the conditions Tuesday.

“It was the toughest conditions I ever played,” the ninth-seeded West German said. “We were on and off the court. We waited four hours. It was really tough. I don’t know if they would have done that with other players, the No. 1 or No. 2 players.”

Sukova, the losing finalist last year to Navratilova, was more tolerant of the conditions, saying, “It was bad for both of us. You just kind of wait and don’t know what’s going to happen next. I had the advantage because I had won the first set (before the first delay of 4:11). It was better for me than for her.”

Sukova, sixth-seeded player, had five aces and only one double fault. The tall Czechoslovakian broke service in the second and fourth games to win the first set handily from her doubles partner. After an early exchange of breaks in the second set, Sukova broke again in the seventh and ninth games.

For many, it was a welcome day of rest and helped place focus on the much anticipated quarterfinal matchup between defending champion Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe scheduled tonight.

The lull caused by the rain came one day after a session in which Boris Becker squandered a two-set deficit and was eliminated by Brad Gilbert. Jimmy Connors, a five-time Open champion, also gained the quarterfinals along with Lendl and McEnroe, while the women played all eight of their fourth-round matches.

This will be the fifth meeting between McEnroe and Lendl in the Open, with each man winning twice. McEnroe won in the 1980 quarterfinals and 1984 final, and Lendl in the 1982 semifinals and 1985 final. McEnroe leads the series between the two, 14-12.

“I would prefer to play him later on, but I guess I don’t have a choice,” McEnroe said.

McEnroe, a three-time Open champion, advanced to the quarterfinals Monday with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 victory over Andres Gomez, and immediately set his sights on Lendl, his old antagonist.

“I’m looking forward to it,” McEnroe said following the Gomez victory. “I feel I need to pick up a couple of areas in my game, and I need to serve quite a bit better. My first serve let me down today.

“I need to serve a bit better. I can’t give him quite as many chances. I’m not going to be able to break his serve as much as I did with Andres’.”

Lendl said it could be difficult for him and McEnroe to get up mentally for one of their wars so early in the competition.

“It doesn’t matter when or where you play him; it is always difficult to play McEnroe, but playing him in the quarters will be something unusual,” said Lendl, who has won his last 18 matches at the Open. “We’re used to playing each other in the semis or finals, so I’m sure it’s going to be a new experience.”

In the other quarterfinal pairing of the upper half of the draw, Connors will play Gilbert. Connors leads that series 4-1.