Becker Gets Within Match Point, Then Loses in 3 Sets to Emilio Sanchez

Boris Becker squandered a match point in the second set and lost to Spain’s Emilio Sanchez, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Open Friday, joining No. 1-seeded Stefan Edberg of Sweden on the sidelines. Edberg lost to Juan Aguilera Thursday.

Aguilera was eliminated by Austria’s Thomas Muster, 6-3, 6-4. In other quarterfinals, Henri Leconte of France eliminated a seeded player for the third time in the tournament, topping No. 14 Horst Skoff of Austria, 6-2, 6-7 (7-3), 6-4, and Andrei Chesnokov of the Soviet Union defeated Marc Rosset of Switzerland, 6-3, 6-2.

Becker had a match point in the ninth game of the second set, but sent a forehand long. He then served for the match, leading 5-4, but Sanchez started a run of three games to take the set, and then won the third set on a tiebreaker.