Tennis Roundup : Fernandez Leads U.S. to Title

Mary Joe Fernandez had a part in two victories Friday that helped the United States clinch its 11th consecutive Wightman Cup women’s tennis title over Britain.

The 18-year-old Fernandez scored a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Sara Gomer that gave the United States a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven annual competition at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

Later in the evening, Fernandez teamed with Betsy Nagelsen for a 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) victory over Gomer and Clare Wood.

That victory gave America a 51-10 record in the series, which alternates venues each year between the United States and Britain.

This year’s event concludes today with a doubles match and two singles matches.

Gomer, 25, the second-seeded player in the event, won the first game of the first set before dropping six consecutive games. Top-seeded Fernandez continued her dominance in the second set.

Fourth-seeded Guillermo Perez-Roldan led three Argentines into the semifinals of the Geneva Open with a 6-0, 6-2 victory Juan Aguilera of Spain.

Francisco Yunis defeated fellow qualifier Sergio Cortes of Chile, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3, and Eduardo Bengoechea defeated Lars Jonsson of Sweden, 6-3, 6-2.

Australia’s Rachel McQuillan defeated Sandra Cecchini of Italy, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the semifinals of a Virginia Slims International tournament at Athens.

Francesca Romano and Laura Garrone of Italy and Cecilia Dahlman of Sweden also made it to the semifinals.

John Barry of New Zealand beat King Lambert of Santa Ana, 6-3, 6-0, in the semifinals of the 60-and-over division of the USTA Senior Grass Court Championships at Cedarhurst, N.Y.

In the 65-and-over division, Bob Sherman of Santa Barbara was a 6-4, 6-0 winner over Newton Meade of King of Prussia, Pa., and Bog Perez of Irvine lost to Fred Kovaleski of New York, 6-4, 6-0.

In the women’s 70-and-over semifinals, Dodo Chaney of Santa Monica, who has won more than 100 USTA titles, beat Billie Burr of Westport, Conn., 6-4, 6-1, and Pat Yeomans of Los Angeles defeated Jean Corvino of Lighthouse Point, Fla., 6-3, 6-1.