WIMBLEDON : Becker Will See Enough of Edberg Today : Tennis: For the third consecutive year, they’ll meet on Centre Court, where the West German feels right at home.

While Stefan Edberg played his Wimbledon semifinal match, Boris Becker waited in the locker room. Becker said he didn’t need to watch.

“I know him blind,” Becker said.

An Edberg-Becker final is a familiar sight on the grass of the All England Club’s Centre Court, where they meet today to decide the men’s singles championship of the world’s biggest tennis tournament for the third consecutive year.

Obviously, Edberg, a 24-year-old Swede, and Becker, a 22-year-old West German, are in a rut:

--In 1988, Becker beat Ivan Lendl in the semifinals. Rained out on Sunday, Becker and Edberg played the final on Monday instead. Edberg won in four sets.

--In 1989, Becker beat Lendl in the semifinals. Becker won the final in straight sets after shocking Edberg, 6-0, in the first.

--In 1990, Edberg beat Lendl in the semifinals . . .

And the Becker-Edberg final? They agreed there isn’t much difference between them.

“Since we both know each other better than any other player, it’s going to be who wakes up with the better frame of mind,” Becker said. “It’s not much about tennis.”

Edberg is 8-15 in his series against Becker, who has won three of their four matches on grass. When they’ve met in finals, Becker has won seven of nine times.

But buoyed by his 6-1, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 victory over Lendl, Edberg is confident he can duplicate his Wimbledon victory of two years ago.

“I don’t think I can play much better,” Edberg said. “We’ve played here the last two years, and I feel the way I’m playing, I’ve got a good chance. It’s really the one who’s got the best day.”

Once again, Wimbledon will not be won by the player who wants to win it the most. Lendl’s defeat marked the third consecutive semifinal ouster of Wimbledon’s top-seeded player. Each time it has been Lendl, who this year was unlucky to have the third-seeded Edberg in his half of the draw.

If Edberg had been dropped to the bottom half of the draw and replaced by the quarter of the draw headed by fourth-seeded John McEnroe, Lendl might have had a better chance.

Lendl blasted both McEnroe and Becker to win the Queens Court tournament, but that was three weeks ago.

“If you look at it, he played really well in Queens and maybe he peaked a little bit too soon this year,” Edberg said. “I thought, sooner or later, he was going to have a tough match like he had with me.”

Edberg’s toughest match happens today. He is venturing out onto Becker’s domain, the Centre Court, where Becker is 21-1, blemished only by Edberg in 1988.

After eliminating another big server in the semifinals, 18-year-old Yugoslav Goran Ivanisevic, Becker said he has just one plan for today: “Keep cool.”

Actually, it’s probably good advice for both of them. But the way things have been going, they will probably be back for another hot rematch next year.