TENNIS : Bruguera Wins, Lendl Withdraws at ATP

Top-seeded Sergi Bruguera needed three sets to defeat Russian Andrei Cherkasov, 6-1, 2-6, 6-1, on Wednesday in the second round of the $1.72-million ATP Championship.

The Spanish clay specialist, a three-time winner on that surface this year, inherited the top seeding when No. 1-ranked Pete Sampras withdrew late last week because of tendinitis in his ankle.

Second-seeded Stefan Edberg of Sweden eliminated countryman Henrik Holm, 6-3, 6-2, avenging a loss to Holm in the first round of the French Open this year.

Ivan Lendl, the one-time No. 1 who flashed some of his old form Monday, complained of a sore back and withdrew in the second set of Wednesday’s match with David Wheaton. Wheaton had won the first set, 7-6 (7-5), and was leading 2-0 in the second when Lendl, 34, left the court.

Lendl won the ATP Championship in 1982, the year he won 15 tournaments. He was the top-ranked player in the world for 157 weeks from September 1985 to September 1988, and is the tour’s career earnings leader with more than $20 million.

Jason Stoltenberg, unseeded but playing well lately, ousted fifth-seeded Andrei Medvedev, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2. Stoltenberg underwent shoulder surgery a year ago but has come back stronger than ever and is 22nd in the tour rankings, a career high for him.

Stoltenberg, 24, of Australia, is the hottest player on the ATP tour, winning 16 of 19 matches in the past four weeks. It was the first hard-court match of the year for Medvedev, of Ukraine.

Amos Mansdorf of Israel upset 10th-seeded Petr Korda of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3.