Tennis Roundup : Edberg Has to Struggle, Wins Again

Top-seeded Stefan Edberg struggled for the second straight match but got past Marcel Freeman, 7-6, 7-5, in the second round of tennis’ Tournament of Champions Wednesday in New York.

Edberg, who needed three sets to beat qualifier John Ross in the opening round, said he is tired after playing on five continents in the last seven weeks.

“I’m not confident,” he said. “I’m feeling sluggish and slow.”

Freeman, from UCLA, took a 4-3 lead in the tiebreaker before Edberg won the last four points and the set.

After Freeman jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second set, Edberg rallied to win the next five games. Freeman rallied to 5-4, but Edberg broke back to win the match.

In a pair of upsets, Jimmy Brown knocked off No. 10-seeded Eliot Teltscher, 6-2, 6-3, and Alberto Tous of Spain surprised No. 14 Kelly Evernden of New Zealand, 7-6, 6-1.

In other matches, No. 2 Andres Gomez downed Horacio de la Pena of Argentina, 6-2, 6-1; No. 6 Mikael Pernfors overcame Bill Scanlon, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3; Gilad Bloom of Israel defeated Richey Reneberg, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Michael Chang rallied to beat Simon Youl of Australia, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6, and Thomas Muster of Austria routed Lawson Duncan, 6-0, 6-0.

Top-seeded Chris Evert started slowly but turned back Nicole Provis of Australia, 7-6, 6-0, in the second round of the $200,000 Italian Open at Rome.

In other matches, sixth-seeded Sandra Cecchini of Italy beat Denise Krajcovicova of Czechoslovakia, 6-4, 6-1; seventh-seeded Sylvia Hanika of West Germany turned back Barbara Romano of Italy, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Bettina Fulco of Argentina upset fourth-seeded Katerina Maleeva of Bulgaria, 7-5, 6-2; Julie Halard of France routed Silvia La Fratta of Italy, 6-1, 6-2; eighth-seeded Arantxa Sanchez of Spain defeated Linda Ferrando of Italy, 6-2, 6-1; Sabrina Goles of Yugoslavia overcame Iwana Kuczynska of Poland, 6-2, 6-2, and Judith Wiesner of Austria beat Adriana Villagran of Argentina, 6-4, 6-2.