TENNIS ROUNDUP : Volkov Survives Match Point to Upset Connors in 3 Sets

Alexander Volkov of the Soviet Union upset fourth-seeded Jimmy Connors, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), Tuesday night in the first round of a $440,000 tennis tournament at London.

Volkov earned his first victory in seven tournaments after Connors blew a match point at 6-5 in the third-set tiebreaker.

Every time Connors looked ready to put the match away, Volkov improved. Connors held a 4-3 lead with a break in the second set, but Volkov won three consecutive games to send the match to a third set.

Connors broke for a 3-2 lead in the third, but again Volkov rallied.

“He played well tonight but he was not so quick,” Volkov said.

In other matches, third-seeded Brad Gilbert defeated Pieter Aldrich of South Africa, 6-0, 6-1; sixth-seeded Kevin Curren beat Andrei Chersakov of the Soviet Union, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; seventh-seeded Andrei Chesnokov of the Soviet Union defeated Nick Brown of Britain, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, and eighth-seeded Miloslav Mecir beat Christo van Rensburg of South Africa, 7-6 (8-6), 1-6, 6-1.

Mats Wilander won his first match in more than two months, outlasting Udo Riglewski of West Germany, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, in the second round of the Stockholm Open.

Andre Agassi defeated Milan Srejber of Czechoslovakia, 6-4, 6-3, and Aaron Krickstein beat Swedish qualifier Ronnie Bathman, 6-0, 6-7 (7-3), 6-3.

Gretchen Magers defeated Mary Joe Fernandez, 6-3, 7-5, and Larisa Savchenko of the Soviet Union rallied to eliminate Holland’s Brenda Schultz, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 at the Virginia Slims of Chicago.

Hana Mandlikova of Australia, scheduled to play Ann Henricksson, withdrew because of an ear infection.