TENNIS / CHAMPIONS CUP : No. 3-Seeded Edberg Is Surprised by Reneberg

Unlike many visitors to the golf haven that is the Coachella Valley, Stefan Edberg is not particularly thrilled by the idea of having some extra time to play golf.

The No. 3-seeded player at the $1.7-million Newsweek Champions Cup, Edberg was upset Tuesday by Richey Reneberg in a second-round match, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Recovered from back problems that bothered him during the Australian Open in January and at a Milan tournament three weeks ago, Edberg had been in the country for 10 days getting ready for this event. Last week, he played three rounds of doubles--with Reneberg as his partner--in reaching the semifinals in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“This isn’t what I wanted to do,” he said unhappily about having to suddenly think about how he will spend his time until the Lipton event at Key Biscayne, Fla., which begins March 11. “Normally, I’m busy playing. I guess I’ll stay around because there’s lots of guys to practice with.”

After dropping the first set to Reneberg, who is ranked 60th in the world and got into the tournament as a wild-card entry, Edberg took control and appeared comfortably on his way to victory, leading, 4-2, in the third set.

Trailing, 30-40, in the next game, though, Edberg blasted a 115-m.p.h. serve, only to see Reneberg crack back a return at his feet. Edberg could manage only a lame swipe at it, and that began a four-game run for Reneberg, who is rounding into form again after having missed three months of play last year because of a herniated disk.

“I was reading his serve really well, and that helped me,” Reneberg, 27, said of the biggest victory of his eight-year pro career. “But there’s no question he didn’t play his best. His serve got a bit tentative at the end, and his volleys were going down the center of the court.”

Edberg said: “I hit the ball well, but when you get a bye in the first round and Richey has a match under his belt, it’s not the easiest thing. It’s a pity, I blew it. I needed that match, and then I could have gotten going.”

Edberg, ranked No. 3, and Reneberg played on the Grand Champions stadium court after top-seeded Jim Courier had taken an hour and 54 minutes to subdue David Wheaton, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5).

“It was very close all the way, just a few points here and there,” Courier said.

One of those was a set point in the second set for Wheaton when he held an advantage at 4-5. But Courier saved it with a forehand winner. Wheaton, along with Reneberg, Brad Gilbert and Jim Grabb, will be on the U.S. Davis Cup team that will play Australia on grass March 26-28. Courier, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras will not.

“Grass is not my surface, and I need the maximum amount of time to prepare to do my best on grass,” Courier said of his decision not to play. “If I do well at the Lipton, the following week I’d get down to Australia, possibly on Wednesday morning. I’d maybe have a day and a half to prepare. I can’t play at my best level without much preparation, so it was a pretty easy decision to make.”

Courier will meet Todd Martin, who survived four match points in defeating Arnaud Boetsch of France, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (10-8).

Henri Leconte of France was not so fortunate, failing to convert two match points in a 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 loss to Jason Stoltenberg of Australia.