TENNIS ROUNDUP : Curren Wins; Connors to Try Comeback

Sixth-seeded Kevin Curren beat Spain’s Tomas Carbonell, 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, Tuesday in a first-round match of the $225,000 Volvo indoor tournament in Chicago.

Tuesday night’s action featured the return of Jimmy Connors to the men’s tour. Connors faces Peru’s Jaime Yzaga.

After the Connors-Yzaga match, top-seeded John McEnroe will play Israel’s Gilad Bloom.

The South African-born Curren used his big serve, clocked up to 116 m.p.h., to offset his opponent’s long-rally tactics in a match that lasted 2 hours 26 minutes.

Connors, 38, has been out of action since undergoing surgery on his left wrist last November.

“We’re all pulling for him,” Curren said of Connors’ comeback. “Tennis, since Jimmy loves the game so much, is hard to get out of your blood.

“You have to admire Connors trying to make a comeback. It’s very difficult. But then he is one of the greatest competitors in the game,” Curren said. “Jimmy is one of the all-time greats and the fans love him.”

Connors hasn’t played a Grand Slam event since losing a U.S. Open quarterfinal match to Andre Agassi in 1989, and hasn’t played a match since losing to Ronald Agenor at Toulouse, France.

McEnroe also is on the comeback trail. He is currently ranked 19th.