TENNIS : INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIPS : A McEnroe, Not John, Knocks Off No. 2 Becker

Patrick McEnroe did something Monday that his brother has done only once. He beat Boris Becker.

The younger McEnroe upset the second-ranked German, 6-1, 6-4, in the third round of the International Players Championships.

Becker has a 6-1 career record against John McEnroe, and he beat Patrick in four sets when they met in the semifinals of the Australian Open in January. This time, Becker struggled from the start.

Becker’s record at Key Biscayne fell to 5-4. He has never advanced beyond the third round and narrowly averted an upset in his opening match Sunday against Steve DeVries.

One day after winning for the first time in 17 months, 38-year-old Jimmy Connors was eliminated in the second round by Cristiano Caratti of Italy, 6-4, 6-3.

Connors, trying to come back from wrist surgery last October, is 1-2 this year.

“It’s a start,” Connors said. “I’ve got to start someplace. But if I’m telling you five months from now, ‘I’ve got to start someplace,’ then it’s time to do something else.”

In other matches, top-ranked Stefan Edberg of Sweden beat Goran Prpic of Yugoslavia, 6-4, 6-2; fourth-seeded Guy Forget of France trounced Jimmy Arias, 6-1, 6-1, and 10th-seeded Michael Chang overcame Henri Leconte of France, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

In women’s play, top-ranked Monica Seles beat Florencia Labat 7-5, 6-0, and No. 2 Steffi Graf of Germany routed Marianne Werdel, 6-0, 6-1. The German will regain the No. 1 ranking if she wins the championship and Seles loses before the finals.

In other matches, fifth-seeded Zina Garrison defeated Mary Pierce, 6-3, 6-4, and fourth-seeded Mary Joe Fernandez defeated No. 17 Lori McNeil, 6-1, 6-2.