TENNIS ROUNDUP : Austin Loses to Rottier in Florida

They were teen-age sensations until struck down by injuries. Failed comebacks followed. Now, Aaron Krickstein and Tracy Austin are starting over again.

It’s not easy, as both showed on Friday, the first day of the Lipton Championships at Key Biscayne, Fla.

At least Krickstein won. Playing for the first time since breaking his left foot last August, Krickstein outlasted 1992 NCAA champion Alex O’Brien of Stanford, who retired at 5-5 in the third and final set because he was dehydrated.

“It wasn’t the best tennis,” said Krickstein, 25. “But for my first match, a win is a win.”

Austin, playing in her second tournament since 1989, lost to Stephanie Rottier of the Netherlands, 6-3, 6-1. Rottier also eliminated Austin last month at Indian Wells, 6-1, 6-0.

“I don’t remember making so many unforced errors and stupid mistakes,” said Austin, 30.

Among the first-round winners were three American teen-agers--16-year-old Lindsay Davenport, 17-year-old Chanda Rubin and 18-year-old Vincent Spadea.

Spadea, ranked 515th, defeated former French Open champion Andres Gomez of Ecuador, 6-3, 6-1.

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Top-seeded Karel Novacek of the Czech Republic defeated Spain’s Francisco Roig, 6-4, 6-4, to advance to the semifinals of a $175,000 indoor tournament at Zaragoza, Spain.