Connors Owns His Own Tour

Entering its third full season, the men’s over-35 tennis circuit continues to cruise along with a certain scripted sameness. Its founder, Jimmy Connors, continues to win the majority of the matches, most of the money and the goodwill of fans with his letting-us-in-on-the-joke antics on court.

In Sunday’s final of the Coopers and Lybrand Champions event, Connors put down the challenge of the tour’s second most successful player, Andres Gomez, with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory while sliding around on the clay at Riviera Country Club.

Since the tour began in 1993, Connors has won all but seven of the events. Even with younger players such as John McEnroe becoming eligible and joining the tour, it’s still an embarrassment of riches for Connors, who earned $40,000 for the three matches he won.

Connors understands that, in part, the tour’s credibility would gain from having a variety of players succeed. But Connors, a semi-retired 43-year-old, can’t stand to give an inch, even if it is for the greater good.

“For me to win every tournament . . . for me it’s great,” Connors said. “I am not ready to give up my spot. If you are going to beat me and take over my spot, you are going to have to play damn well all the time, because I do.”

On Sunday, Gomez had little zest left, having battled McEnroe for three hours in Saturday’s semifinal. Gomez and Connors, both left-handers, slugged it out from the baseline, using starkly different strokes--Gomez with his slices and off-speed shots and Connors with his flat, hard shots.

Connors capitalized on the only opening he got in the first set and broke Gomez in the eighth game.

Gomez made the most of Connors’ crumbling serve in the second set. Connors held serve only once, including double-faulting to give Gomez a 5-1 lead.

Gomez had two break points in the first game of the third set, but Connors didn’t relent. In fact, he broke Gomez in the Ecuadorian’s next two service games to control the third set.