TENNIS ROUNDUP : Same Old Connors Beats Seguso in 3 Sets

Jimmy Connors not only came back, he did it his way.

Playing for the first time since February because of a wrist injury, Connors defeated mistake-prone Robert Seguso, 6-2, 4-6, 6-0, Thursday to move into the quarterfinals of the WCT Tournament of Champions at New York.

The layoff affected Connors’ forehand and serve. But his strong backhand, which has been his strength throughout his career, made the difference in the win.

In another second-round match, Frenchman Henri Leconte defeated Spain’s Javier Sanchez, 6-2, 6-2.

Jay Berger was forced by a blistered foot to default his match to Todd Martin, a Northwestern University student from Lansing, Mich., who moved into the quarterfinals against Leconte.

Third-seeded Brad Gilbert downed Carl-Uwe Steeb of West Germany, 2-6, 6-1, 7-5, in the third round of a $150,000 tournament at Commack, N.Y.

In other matches, eighth-seeded Guy Forget of France defeated Paul Haarhuis of the Netherlands, 6-3, 6-3; fifth-seeded Goran Ivanisevic of Yugoslavia beat Wayne Ferriera of South Africa, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, and seventh-seeded Jonas Svensson of Sweden ousted Yannick Noah of France, 6-4, 6-4.

Jennifer Capriati upset ninth-ranked Manuela Maleeva, 6-2, 6-7 (7-3), 6-3, to advance to the semifinals of a women’s tournament at Mahwah, N.J.

Katerina Maleeva advanced with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Peanut Louie Harper in a third-round match. Maleeva will play Leila Meskhi of the Soviet Union, who advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Radka Zrubakova of Czechoslovakia, 6-1, 6-2, in 55 minutes.

At Schenectady, N.Y., Sylvia Hanika of West Germany overcame a called match and a rainstorm that forced play indoors to defeat Elizabeth Smylie, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, in the second round of a $250,000 women’s tournament.

NCAA singles champion Debbie Graham rallied from a set and service break down to upset No. 16 Barbara Paulus of Austria, 2-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-2, in the first round of an invitational tournament at Haverford, Pa.

Graham, 19, will play Monica Seles today in a semifinal match.