Tennis Roundup : Edberg Gets Even for Loss to Annacone

Stefan Edberg got even for a week-old loss Saturday, reaching the final of the $277,000 Transamerica Open tennis tournament in San Francisco with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Paul Annacone.

Sixth-seeded Johan Kriek, who knocked off John McEnroe Friday night, trounced Bob Green, 6-2, 6-1, in the other semifinal and will face Edberg in today’s final.

The third-seeded Edberg, who was upset by Annacone in the final of the tournament last Sunday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center, jumped to a 4-1 lead in the first set to win the first set, but Annacone recovered with some fine net play to even the match.

With Edberg leading, 1-0, in the second game of the third set, he took Annacone to four deuce points before the unseeded Annacone hit a forehand long to lose the game.

Just before Annacone drove the ball out of the court, he served what looked like an ace near the centerline. The umpire was about to give him the game, but a linesman yelled, “Fault.”

With a 2-0 lead, Edberg took charge and ran away with the match.

“That was such a big point,” Annacone said. “I guess somewhere there’s an unwritten code that umpires don’t overrule their linesmen anymore.”

Edberg said: “The courts here are faster (than the outdoor courts in Los Angeles) and it takes less time to volley.”

Edberg also said he was going for the shots “instead of just hitting them over” and that the balls were staying in the court.

Annacone said Edberg’s first serves were much more accurate this week. “It was very difficult to break him,” he said.

Top-seeded Chris Evert Lloyd breezed into the final of the $150,000 Virginia Slims of New Orleans tournament with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Lisa Bonder.

Lloyd will face second-seeded Pam Shriver for the title today. Shriver outlasted Anne White, 6-3, 6-2, in the other semifinal.

“I always have more respect for a player after they beat me,” Lloyd said after the match. “She (Bonder) beat me two years ago in Japan. She’s a dangerous player.”

“We have similar styles. She’s lethal from the baseline,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd had little problem disposing of Bonder. After being tied, 3-3, in the first set, Lloyd nearly shut out Bonder the rest of the way.

Unseeded Frenchman Thierry Tulasne upset Henri Leconte, also of France, 6-3, 6-2, Saturday in the semifinals of the 33rd Conde de Godo tournament at Barcelona, Spain.

Tulasne will play top-seeded Mats Wilander of Sweden in today’s final. In the other semifinal, Wilander defeated sixth-seeded Martin Jaite of Argentina, 7-5, 6-3.