TEAMTENNIS : Borg Watches Strings Snap in His Debut

In his Strings debut Wednesday night at the Forum, Bjorn Borg was reduced to a spectator. All he could do was sit calmly, helplessly, and watch the Strings’ early lead evaporate before a crowd of 1,680.

The Sacramento Capitals, behind strong performances from its women, overcame an early deficit and won, 27-17, in the World TeamTennis opener for both teams.

The ponytailed Borg, displaying a deft net game and his trademark two-handed backhand, helped the Strings to a 10-9 lead before the whole thing unraveled.

The Strings lost 12 of the next 15 games, giving the Capitals a 21-13 lead heading into mixed doubles, which they won 6-4.

“Sometimes you’re lucky, sometimes you’re not,” said Borg, 37, who began his comeback in 1991.

But there’s one thing about Borg’s comeback that he’d like everyone to know: it’s not a comeback.

In the world according to Borg, TeamTennis is merely an outlet for him to express his affinity for the sport.

He said that the media has been caught up in labeling his return a comeback , not recognizing that he simply wanted to play the game, not win a sixth Wimbledon title.

“I just want to play,” Borg said. “It’s fun to play . . . if you lose it’s not like life and death.”

He said he has no regrets about retiring, in his prime, in 1983.

“I really had had enough,” he said. “I did not enjoy playing tennis anymore.”

Starting with men’s doubles, Borg and player/coach Larry Stefanki gave the Strings an early lead with a 6-3 victory over Steve DeVries and David MacPherson, the world’s sixth-ranked doubles team.

In singles, Borg led, 3-1, before losing, 6-4, to DeVries.

Then the Capitals’ women, Patty Fendick and Lindsay Davenport, took over.

Davenport, 17, of Murietta Valley, and Fendick swept Kimberly Po and Robin White, 6-0. Then Davenport, ranked 25th in the world, defeated Po, 6-3. That gave the Capitals a 21-13 lead.