TEAMTENNIS : Undefeated San Antonio Outlasts the Strings

Jimmy Connors had finished playing, so the crowd was on its way home. That the Los Angeles Strings were entering the mixed doubles segment of their match against San Antonio tied, 18-18, seemed an afterthought.

For the record: The Strings’ John Lloyd and Robin White dropped a 6-4 set to San Antonio’s Peter Doohan and Gretchen Magers, giving the Racquets a 24-22 victory in TeamTennis Wednesday at the Forum before what was left of a crowd of 3,363.

The Strings fell to 5-3, second place in the Western Division behind the 9-0 Racquets.

The women’s doubles team of White and Mary Lou Daniels beat Magers and Linda Barnard, 6-0, to open things on a positive note for the Strings.

Barnard was substituting for injured Anne Smith.

Magers cut into the Strings’ lead in the second set when she won a 6-4 victory over Daniels and White, who replaced Daniels at 3-5 to get a fresh player in the set.

White broke Magers but couldn’t hold her serve in the final game.

In men’s doubles, Doohan and Sammy Giammalva defeated Lloyd and Connors, 6-5 (5-3). Neither team was dominating, with every game going to 40-40. There is no deuce in TeamTennis; once the score reaches 40-40, the next point wins the game.

Connors lost his men’s singles match, 6-3, when he couldn’t find an answer to Giammalva’s serve.

Connors fell behind, 0-3, at one point but played Giammalva evenly the rest of the way. While down, 4-1, Connors stretched for a ball at the baseline and came up limping. He continued play, but his mobility seemed to be impaired. Connors said he was fine after thematch.