Tennis Roundup : Swede Upsets Mandlikova in 1st Round at Eastborne

Hana Mandlikova of Czechoslovakia, third-seeded for next week’s Wimbledon tennis championships, was upset in the first round of a $150,000 grass court tournament at Eastbourne, England, Monday.

However, Mandlikova was not overly concerned after losing to Sweden’s Carina Karlsson, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4. Karlsson, a 21-year-old, reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon last year.

“I’m not worried about the defeat,” Mandlikova said. “I had hoped for a few more matches before Wimbledon but now I’ll prepare for the championships by playing doubles here and practicing with men.”

Karlsson, ranked 57th in the world, captured three straight games to take the first set, but Mandlikova struck back early in the second. The Czechoslovakian dominated the set after an early break and won in 24 minutes.

Mandlikova opened a 3-1 lead in the third set, but then the match drifted away from her. Karlsson rallied behind a series of excellent passing shots, and she allowed Mandlikova only one more game to clinch the match.

Hours before she was due to appear in her first-round match, fourth-seeded Claudia Kohde-Kilsch of West Germany was rushed to hospital with an attack of appendicitis. Tournament officials said later she has postponed a decision on her fitness for Wimbledon until later in the week.

In the doubles competition, Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver won their 100th consecutive match, beating Gretchen Rush and Camille Benjamin, 6-0, 6-3.

The American duo last lost in Orlando, Fla., in April, 1983. At the French Open eight days ago, they won their eighth consecutive Grand Slam tournament.

Wimbledon officials announced in London that Andres Gomez of Ecuador, who would have been the fifth-seeded player, has withdrawn from next week’s tennis championships.

The 25-year-old left-hander was sidelined for three months after injuring his arm last December and although he has returned to the circuit, doctors have advised him not to play five-set matches.