Tennis Roundup : Becker’s Serve Overpowering as He Aces Out Edberg in Final

West Germany’s Boris Becker served 19 aces Saturday at Dallas as he defeated Sweden’s Stefan Edberg, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, 6-2, in the championship match of the World Championship of Tennis Finals.

“I can’t remember when I served that many aces,” Becker said.

By winning the $200,000 first prize, Becker became professional tennis’ ninth player to earn more than $3 million.

Edberg made $100,000 to run his career earnings near the $4 million mark at $3,780,182. Becker has made $3,044,927.

After they split the first two sets, Becker was down a service break in the third set with Edberg serving for the set in the 10th game. When Edberg won the first point, Becker slammed his racket onto the court. It took a freakish bounce and sailed 30 feet into the third row of the courtside seats.

Becker climbed into the stands to retrieve his racket and to make sure no one was hurt. He plucked a flower from one of the courtside displays and handed it to a woman who was almost hit.

The incident cost Becker a penalty point and put him down, 30-0, leaving Edberg two points from the set. But Edberg suddenly lost four straight points, including two double faults, and the Swede was on the defensive from then on.

“When he double-faulted twice,” Becker said, “I knew I was going to win the match.”

At Largo, Fla., top-seeded Chris Evert advanced to the final of the $200,000 Eckerd Open with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Halle Cioffi.

The semifinal between Argentina’s Patricia Tarabini and Spain’s Arantxa Sanchez was postponed by rain after Sanchez won the first set, 6-2. The match resumes this morning, with the winner facing Evert in the afternoon.

At Houston, Michael Chang will play sixth-seeded Henri Leconte of France for the $40,000 prize in the $200,000 River Oaks International.

In semifinal matches, Chang, 16, of Placentia, Calif., beat Jonas Svensson of Sweden, 6-1, 6-3, and Leconte defeated Guillermo Perez-Roldan of Argentina, 6-2, 6-2.