International Players Championships : Wilander’s Serve Finally Wears Down Connors

Mats Wilander survived Jimmy Connors’ relentless charges to the net for a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory Sunday in the men’s singles final of the International Players Championships.

Connors fell to 0-5 lifetime against Wilander and lost in the final of a tournament for the 11th time since beating Ivan Lendl at Tokyo on Oct. 21, 1984.

“Where have all the titles gone? They’re in the record book,” Connors said.

Connors, seeded second, won three times as many points at the net as Wilander, but the top-seeded Swede had 10 aces and 18 service winners.

“That was obviously the biggest difference in the match,” Wilander said of his serve. “He served well, but I got more free points on my serve and, at the end, he was getting frustrated because he had to work so hard on his service game and I won a few at love.”

Wilander, 23, was also moving better, and Connors, 35, appeared tired in the final stages of the 3-hour 45-minute match.

“Give me a few of those years, will you?” Connors shouted at his opponent after Wilander chased down two overhead smashes in opposite corners.

Connors argued about two calls by linesmen in the second set, but the protests were mild compared with his semifinals match Friday against Miloslav Mecir.

Connors made his strategy clear when he came to the net on four of the first eight points. But Wilander broke Connors’ serve three times in the first set and served it out at love.

Connors’ aggressiveness was the difference in the second set, when he rallied from a 4-3 deficit. In a four-game span, he won 11 straight points when he reached the net.

Wilander took command in the third set, twice serving three aces in a game.

Wilander started going to the net more in the final set. He broke serve in the third and fifth games for the decisive margin.

Connors’ serve-and-volley attack surprised Wilander, who said it took him a while to adjust.

“No, I didn’t expect him to play so well,” Wilander said. “I must admit that I had my strategy made up before the match and I kept it. I didn’t know what else to do. I guess for a while, I felt a little bit helpless.”

Wilander won $112,500 of the $2.1-million purse and moved closer to the No. 1-ranked Lendl on the Assn. of Tennis Professionals computer than any player since John McEnroe on Nov. 25, 1985.

Wilander is at 138.52. Lendl, who has been No. 1 since September 1985, is at 160.80. Lendl missed the International Players Championships because of a foot injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for another two to four weeks.