TENNIS ROUNDUP : Edberg, Lendl, Agassi Get Big Fines From ATP

Three of the top men’s tennis players in the world were assessed substantial fines by the ATP Tour Thursday for failing to play in the required number of tournaments.

Stefan Edberg, the current No. 1, said he will appeal his fine, which will be a minimum of $115,496.

Also fined were No. 3 Ivan Lendl, who was set back at least $95,443 and fifth-ranked Andre Agassi, who was fined a minimum of $85,042.

The ATP said the amount of the fines would increase proportionally to include any income the players earn the rest of the year.

“It’s quite a lot of money and I’ll certainly appeal, probably early next year,” Edberg said Thursday after winning his third-round match at the Stockholm Open.

Mark Miles, the ATP Tour chief executive officer, said in a statement: “This is more than a financial penalty. I see this as an expression of commitment to play the ATP Tour World Championship.”

Edberg and Agassi were required to play in 11 tournaments this year and Lendl one less because he is a 10-year-veteran.

All three are two tournaments short. The Paris tournament next week, in which they all are scheduled to play, is the final event before the season-ending ATP Tour World Championship at Frankfurt, Germany, from Nov. 13-18.

ATP Tour rules require a player be fined 10% of his income for each tournament he misses. Income from Grand Slam events are not included in the fines.

John McEnroe, who had made the finals in each of his five previous appearances in the Stockholm Open, bowed out in the third round to Goran Ivanisevic.

The big-serving Yugoslav broke once in each set for a 6-4, 6-4 victory to set up a quarterfinal meeting with Boris Becker.

“I never really got into the match,” McEnroe said. “He hit great shots on the break points.”

The second-seeded Becker, who is chasing Edberg for the No. 1 ranking, beat Richey Reneberg, 6-4, 6-3. Edberg, making few mistakes, moved into the round of eight after beating Marc Rosset of Switzerland 6-4, 6-4.

The Swede faces Brad Gilbert today. The seventh-seeded Gilbert downed Andrei Chesnokov of the Soviet Union, 6-3, 6-4.

Pete Sampras defeated Petr Korda of Czechoslovakia, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-0), and will next face David Wheaton, who eliminated 12th-seeded Michael Chang, 6-7 (7-1), 6-2, 6-3.

Fourth-seeded Helen Kelesi of Canada was upset by Audra Keller, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, in a $150,000 tournament at San Juan, Puerto Rico. Lori McNeil, seeded seventh, was ousted by Swedish qualifier Maria Strandlund, 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1.

Top-seeded Zina Garrison beat England’s Samantha Smith, 7-5, 6-1, and No. 2 Jennifer Capriati was leading Meredith McGrath, 5-3, when rain halted play.

Nathalie Tauziat of France headed for another quarterfinal match with Steffi Graf by beating compatriot Catherine Suire, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, in the WITA indoor tournament at Brighton, England.

No. 3-seeded Helena Sukova swept Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria, 6-4, 6-1.