Tennis Roundup : Evert Prescribes a Measure of Revenge

Top-seeded Chris Evert sort of paid Lori McNeil back Sunday, winning the $150,000 Virginia Slims tournament at New Orleans with a 6-3, 7-5 victory.

McNeil, 23, seeded third, had defeated Evert in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open last month. But she was unable to do much with Evert Sunday. Evert broke the Houston player twice in the first set.

“I knew if I played my game, if I played solid, I’d win,” Evert said. “I felt confident, although I lost to her last time. I wasn’t playing well.”

Evert, 32, had little trouble with McNeil in the first set, but admitted that McNeil “pressed me,” during the second set.

“After I let that 5-3 lead go, it’s even-steven, but I felt that I could break her when I had to,” Evert said.

McNeil battled back from a 5-3 deficit in the second set, but Evert held service in the 11th game, then broke McNeil in the 12th for the victory.

“I thought I played pretty well,” McNeil said. “At times, when I had advantage, I missed return of serve.”

The victory was worth $30,500 to Evert, while McNeil picked up $13,800.

At Barcelona, Spain, Sweden needs just one more victory in either of the reverse singles to gain its fifth straight Davis Cup final.

On Sunday, Emilio Sanchez of Spain led Stefan Edberg of Sweden, 1-0, when heavy showers postponed play. Edberg complained about even starting the match in light rain.

After a wait of three hours, with the rain getting heavier, referee Jacques Dorfmann of France, after consultation with the two captains, decided to postpone the matches until today.

The winner of these matches will meet India in the final in December.

Top-seeded Martin Jaite of Argentina scored his second tournament victory in eight days by defeating seventh-seeded Karel Novacek of Czechoslovakia 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, in a $117,000 Grand Prix final at Palermo, Sicily.

Jaite, ranked 15th in the world, disposed of Novacek, ranked 59th, in 2 hours 47 minutes to win the $20,000 first prize.

On Sept. 26, Jaite upset Sweden’s Mats Wilander to win a tournament at Barcelona, Spain.