Lendl Beats the Heat and Connors, Will Meet Curren in Player’s Final

Defending champion Ivan Lendl outlasted Jimmy Connors, and hard-serving Kevin Curren downed Australian Mark Woodforde Saturday to reach the final of the Player’s International tennis tournament.

Lendl, top-seeded and a four-time Player’s champion, overcame Connors, 6-4, 6-4, in a 2-hour 10-minute match played in 104-degree heat at the National Tennis Centre at York University.

Curren, a South African-born, naturalized American and a 1985 Wimbledon finalist, ended Woodeforde’s run of upsets, 6-4, 6-2.

Woodforde, 22, beat No. 2-seeded Stefan Edberg of Sweden, No. 15-seeded Peter Lundgren of Sweden and No. 8-seeded John McEnroe to reach the semifinals.

It was Lendl’s 16th consecutive victory over Connors. Lendl leads their head-to-head series, 20-13.

Lendl went ahead to stay in the first set by breaking Connors for a 4-3 lead. He finished the set with two aces and a service winner, then broke Connors again for a 4-3 lead in the second set and served out the match.

Lendl has won four matches without losing a set. Connors, playing in his sixth semifinal in seven years, has never won the tournament.