SENIOR TENNIS : Connors Holds off Strong-Serving Clerc, Wins Another Title

Jimmy Connors and Jose-Luis Clerc engaged each other in a baseline duel before 2,600 fans in the final of the Digital PC Champions tournament at Sherwood Country Club on Sunday afternoon.

The top-seeded Connors captured his ninth title on the 10-stop Champions over-35 tennis tour with a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 victory that took about three hours.

“I’ve always been a grinder, whether we play 30 minutes or five hours,” said Connors, who took home $40,000 in prize money. “If you’re willing to stay out there you’ll feel as bad as I do afterward, and I feel pretty bad right now.”

As he did throughout the tournament, the fourth-seeded Clerc earned points with his serve, launching nine aces past Connors to put his three-match total at 24.

But Connors returned shots that eluded earlier Clerc opponents Larry Stefanki and Bjorn Borg. The five-time U.S. Open singles champion played consistent tennis that wore down Clerc in the final set, when Connors lost his serve in the first game only to break back for a 1-1 deadlock.

“I was struggling a little bit and I wasn’t hitting the ball well enough to take chances,” Connors said. “He was swinging away and hitting some winners but I didn’t think he could keep that up.”

Clerc, who had back surgery last year, unleashed a number of winning backhand shots past Connors, but couldn’t be consistent when the tour’s 42-year-old co-founder began to charge the net late in the match.

In the doubles final, Clerc and Peter Fleming defeated Monsour Bahrami and Larry Stefanki, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3.