TEAMTENNIS : Strings Take Advantage of Victory by Connors

The Laker girls’ performance at the intermission of Thursday night’s TeamTennis match between the Strings and the Wichita Advantage received the biggest ovation from the crowd of 3,899 at the Forum.

However, Jimmy Connors finished a close second after rallying the Strings to a 25-20 victory.

With the Strings trailing, 15-13, Connors easily defeated former UCLA player Buff Farrow, an NCAA singles semifinalist for the Bruins in 1988, 6-2, to give the Strings an 18-16 lead. Connors took a 3-0 advantage to give the Strings the lead for good.

The Strings’ mixed doubles team of John Lloyd and Robin White then held off Catherine Suire and Craig Johnson, 6-3, to preserve the victory.

The victory gave the Strings (8-5) a home-court advantage for the West division semifinals Tuesday against Wichita. The Strings close out regular-season play Saturday night at San Antonio, the West Division champion.

“TeamTennis is as much pressure as a regular match,” Connors said. “I’m enjoying what I am doing with a good team. That’s important. I’m here to play and when we fall behind I’ve got to try my best to bring us back. I wish we were in first place, but we’re winning and that’s why were here.”

The Advantage (6-7) took their short-lived 15-13 lead after Farrow and Johnson combined to defeat Connors and Lloyd, 6-4, in men’s doubles. Farrow and Johnson overcame a 3-2 deficit with Johnson serving five consecutive points, including an ace in the deciding game.

In other matchups, the Strings’ White and Mary Lou Daniels defeated Suire and Cammy MacGregor, 6-3, and MacGregor defeated Daniels, 6-3, in women’s singles.