McEnroe, Lendl Win; Cash Injured

Top-seeded Ivan Lendl and defending champion John McEnroe advanced to the third round while Australian Pat Cash withdrew from the tournament with an injured Achilles’ tendon today in the $752,500 Japan Open Championships.

Lendl, the world’s top-ranked player, needed a first set tie-breaker and one hour, 45 minutes for a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 victory over American Paul Chamberlin, ranked 96th in the world.

Easy Win for McEnroe

McEnroe, the third seed, breezed past Australian Brad Drewett 6-2, 6-2 on the hard courts of the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo.

Cash, a former Wimbledon champion, suffered the injury during a second-round match when he stepped on his right foot after serving in the first set against American Bill Scanlon. Cash was ahead 4-2 when he pulled out.

The Australian was not in too much pain, according to officials, and following a doctor’s examination Cash flew home to Melbourne. There was no report on whether surgery would be performed.

Cash had been sidelined since February with an elbow injury and beat Grant Connell of Canada 4-6, 7-6 (12-10), 7-5 in the first round Tuesday.

Lendl broke service in the fifth game but started the 10th game with a double fault as Chamberlain broke back to get to 5-5.

Lendl wrapped up the tie-breaker with a lob and a missed volley by Chamberlain and took the second set with a service break in the fourth game.

“I tried to get accustomed to the court. I had plenty of chances to win,” Lendl said. “I should win by 6-3. I knew he (Chamberlain) was a good player.”

In women’s play, top-seeded Australian Anne Minter rolled over American Marianne Werdel 6-3, 6-4, and No. 2 seed Belinda Cordwell of New Zealand beat Japan’s Nana Miyagi 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. American Ann Henricksson, the third seed, was ousted by Japan’s Kimiko Date, 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-3.

In a tournament at Nice, France, Jerome Potier of France upset second-seeded Ronald Agenor of Haiti 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) in the second round of the $200,000 Swatch Open today. Potier was a surprise finalist at Nice last year, losing to countyman Henri Leconte.