TENNIS / INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIPS : Wheaton Has More Aces, but Folds to Courier

Even though David Wheaton had more aces, Jim Courier won the jackpot.

Courier trumped Wheaton’s 10 aces with steady play from the baseline for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory in Sunday’s final at the International Players Championships. The first-place prize of $179,000 was the biggest payday of Courier’s five-year career.

“I don’t think it’s hit me yet that the tournament is over,” Courier said after defeating his former high school classmate. “I feel like I’ve still got to play one more match.”

The title was Courier’s second this month and the third of his career. The Dade City, Fla., native beat Guy Forget in the final at Indian Wells on March 10, and has now won 12 consecutive matches.

“I feel like I can compete with anybody,” said Courier, who will move from 18th to ninth in the latest rankings. “I’m playing solid ball and playing pretty smart.”

Courier, 20, will play with the U.S. Davis Cup team for the first time in its opening-round match at Mexico next weekend.

The unseeded Wheaton had lost his opening match in his previous four tournaments this year but won six in a row at Key Biscayne. Aces kept him in contention against Courier, but double faults kept him in trouble.

Wheaton had seven double faults, the final one on break point to give Courier a 4-3 lead in the third set. Courier held his final two service games for the victory.

“I never really quite had my rhythm on my serve after the first set,” Wheaton said.

“It hurts a lot. I have a pain in my stomach after a loss like that. But I had a great week.”

The former Stanford star, who will move from 46th to 23rd in the new rankings, beat Stefan Edberg and Andre Agassi on his way to the final. He earned $94,200.

After dictating the points in the first set with his serve-and-volley game, Wheaton became erratic. The only service break in the second set, which gave Courier a 5-3 lead, came with the help of a Wheaton double fault.

Courier then won the next three games as he took a 2-0 lead in the second set.

Wheaton came back. The 6-4 Minnesotan fired a second-serve ace at 15-30, then made two more aces to win the game. He broke Courier three games later to even the score at 3-3.

But at deuce in the next game, Wheaton missed an easy overhead and then double-faulted to give Courier the lead for good.

“It was pretty much a dead-even match all the way through,” Courier said. “I think we both can play a lot better than we did today. But I’m not complaining.”

When the match was going Wheaton’s way in the second set, a frustrated Courier hit a ball the length of the court and into the 10th row. He received a warning for ball abuse from chair umpire Richard Kaufman.

Courier lost that game but won the next five. He had no further outbursts and had no problem with Kaufman’s warning.

“He had to do it,” Courier said. “I don’t know if I’ll get fined. But I think I can afford one.”