THE SIDELINES : Wilander Back on the Court

Just as suddenly as he dropped out of sight, Mats Wilander is back on the tennis court.

Playing competitively for the first time in five months, Wilander defeated Johan Anderson in the Swedish Open today, 6-0, 6-3.

“It’s fun to be back again, but please give me some time,” said Wilander, ranked No. 1 two years ago and now 29th on the computer after his self-imposed layoff. “I’ve only got five days training in five months.”

The 25-year-old Wilander, who blames fatigue and lack of desire for his tennis absence, made his return here “because everything started here. I played here as a kid and also in junior tournaments.” He is a three-time winner of this event.

Wilander became the world’s top-ranked player in 1988 after winning three of four Grand Slam events--the Australian, French and U.S. opens. But his career began to nose dive after that.