Tennis Roundup : Connors Puts Heat on Gomez, Ends Victory Drought, 6-1, 6-4

Jimmy Connors, weathering 102-degree heat Monday, won his first singles title since 1984 by beating Andres Gomez of Ecuador, 6-1, 6-4, in the final of a $232,050 tournament at Washington.

Connors, 35, who lost his previous 11 finals, started the match with an ace and never let up in increasing his record of singles championships to 106.

Shortly after accepting the winner’s check of $50,575, Connors said the media cared more than he did about his quest for another title.

“I go through a career and win 105 tournaments and it’s never enough,” Connors said. “Now I guess I’m stuck on 106 until I win 107, right?”

Connors last won at the Tokyo Indoor in October, 1984.

Mats Wilander beat Henri Leconte of France, 6-1, 6-1, 7-5, at Bastad, Sweden, to clinch a sixth straight berth in the Davis Cup finals for Sweden.

Wilander, the Australian and French Open champion, gave the defending Cup champion an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

Sweden will play West Germany at Goteberg, Sweden, for the Davis Cup on Dec. 16-18.

Brad Gilbert and Eliot Teltscher were ousted in first-round play at the Volvo International tournament at Stratton Mountain, Vt.

Teltscher, seeded eighth, lost to Michael Robertson, 6-3, 6-4.

Gilbert, seeded third, was defeated by Leo Lavalle of Mexico, 7-6, 7-6, in a match delayed an hour because of rain.

When the match resumed, Gilbert won five straight games, surviving two match points, before dropping the tiebreaker, 9-7.