Tennis Roundup : West Germany Beats U.S. in Team Cup

West Germany defeated the United States, 2-1, Saturday at the World Team Cup tournament at Dusseldorf, West Germany, to advance to a showdown against Argentina in the finals.

West Germany’s Boris Becker defeated Tim Mayotte, 6-4, 6-3, in the first singles match, and countryman Carl-Uwe Steeb overpowered Aaron Krickstein, 6-2, 6-2, in the second.

In Blue Group doubles play, Rick Leach and Jim Pugh of the U.S. pulled out a 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 victory over Eric Jelen and Patrick Kuhnen.

It was the first time West Germany has advanced to the tournament finals, whereas the United States is a three-time champion.

Spain defeated Switzerland, 2-1, to take third place in the Blue Group. Argentina advanced to the final by beating Czechoslovakia, 2-1, Friday.

Third-seeded Manuela Maleeva of Bulgaria and fourth-seeded Conchita Martinez of Spain will meet in the final of the European Open women’s tournament today at Geneva, Switzerland.

Maleeva advanced by beating Laura Garrone of Italy, 6-3, 7-5, and Martinez, ranked 13th in the world at age 17, advanced with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Barbara Paulus of Austria, who stunned top-seeded Chris Evert in the second round.

Maleeva, singles bronze medalist at the 1988 Olympics, said she has particularly wanted to win at Geneva since marrying her Swiss coach, Francois Fragniere, in 1987.

Second-seeded Jana Novotna of Czechoslovakia breezed into the final of the Strasbourg Open women’s tournament with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over unseeded Jo-Anne Faull of Australia. In the other semifinal, Patricia Tarabini of Argentina defeated Wiltrud Probst of West Germany, 6-3, 6-3.

Sixth-seeded Horacio De La Pena of Argentina trounced top-seeded Andres Gomez of Ecuador, 6-1, 6-1, to reach the finals of a tournament at Florence, Italy. De La Pena will face 17-year-old Goran Ivanisevic of Yugoslavia, who reached his first career final by beating seventh-seeded Lawson Duncan, 6-3, 6-4.