Tennis Roundup : Leach Tests Becker in a Straight-Set Defeat at Ohio

Top-seeded Boris Becker of West Germany was pushed by Rick Leach of Laguna Beach in their first-round match at the Assn. of Tennis Professionals Championship Tuesday at Mason, Ohio.

“These kind of matches are very good for me since I haven’t played in a while,” Becker said of his 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) victory. “I don’t need a 6-2, 6-1 match.”

After winning the first four games of the match, Becker saw Leach pull within 5-3. But Becker recovered to hold service and win the first set.

Becker, ranked second in the world, said it wasn’t surprising that he had so much difficulty against Leach. Becker said he was still trying to find his rhythm after a three-week layoff since Wimbledon.

Mats Wilander defeated Byron Talbot and Stefan Edberg beat Barry Moir to also advance.

Edberg, ranked third in the world, is seeded No. 2 and Wilander is seeded third. Wilander is ranked fourth in the world.

Also advancing were No. 5 Brad Gilbert, No. 6 Aaron Krickstein and No. 14 Jim Courier.

Pam Shriver, trying to regain form for the upcoming U.S. Open, defeated Louise Allen, 6-2, 6-2, in the opening round of the United Jersey Bank tournament at Mahwah, N.J.

Eighth-seeded Sylvia Hanika of West Germany fought off a match point and won the final four games to beat Donna Faber of Bradenton, Fla., 2-6, 6-2, 7-5, in a match twice delayed by rain.

Shriver, seeded second behind West German Steffi Graf, said recently that her interest in tennis has waned.

“But that’s no longer true,” Shriver, 27, said. “I have regained my enthusiasm. I’m working myself back into condition playing matches and that is the tough way to do it.”

Top-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and fifth-seeded Lori McNeil breezed to first-round victories in the Virginia Slims of Albuquerque tournament.

Sanchez Vicario, making her first U.S. appearance since she beat Steffi Graf to win the French Open in June, defeated Peru’s Pilar Vasquez, 6-2, 6-2. McNeil, who has been eliminated in half her opening matches this year, was in control throughout as she defeated Jo-Anne Faull, 6-2, 6-3.

Seventh-seeded Anne Minter defeated Peanut Louie-Harper, and Japan’s Nana Miyagi was the only woman who advanced through the qualifying tournament to win in the opening round. She beat Jenny Byrne, 6-1, 6-2.

Jimmy Arias, seeded 16th, breezed past fellow American Jeff Tarango, 6-2, 6-2, to advance to the third round of the Players International Canadian Open in Montreal.