Tennis Roundup : Becker Beats Mecir and Wins Milan Title

Two-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker scored his second tournament victory of 1987, defeating Miloslav Mecir, 6-4, 6-3, Sunday in the $345,000 Fila Trophy tennis tournament at Milan, Italy.

The 19-year-old West German, who won at Indian Wells, Calif., earlier this year, needed 1 hour 21 minutes to subdue the 22-year-old Czech, who had routed Sweden’s Mats Wilander, 6-0, 6-2, in the semifinals.

Becker, ranked No. 2 in the world, had to play aggressively and take risks at the net to score decisive points Sunday. But his powerful serve enabled him to overcome the No. 6-ranked Mecir, who played well from the base line.

“I knew from the beginning I had a good chance to win, but Mecir was difficult to beat,” said the top-seeded Becker. “He is difficult if you just play tennis. You need tactics as well against him.”

Becker won $55,000. The second-seeded Mecir earned $27,500.

“I am disappointed, but Becker played very well,” said Mecir, who had not lost a set in four previous matches.

“It was very difficult for me to place the ball where I wanted. Becker’s shots were coming in extremely hard,” Mecir said.

After starting the match with four consecutive errors, Becker broke Mecir’s serve in the third game and then served three consecutive aces to move ahead, 3-1. He served a total of seven aces in the match and made three double faults.

Mecir rallied back to 3-3, but Becker came up with a decisive break in the ninth game and served out the set at 6-4.

In the second set, Mecir missed a break point in the second game while Becker wasted three break points in the fifth game.

The West German finally got the decisive break in the seventh game.

With Mecir serving at 3-5, Becker climbed to 0-40 but missed three match points. But after a double fault by Mecir, he hit a winning backhand volley to win the match to the cheers of the sellout crowd of 8,000.

The Milan victory gives Becker a 4-2 career advantage against Mecir. Mecir won the pair’s last encounter in the semifinals of the U.S. Open last autumn in a five-set struggle.

Both Becker and Mecir head to Dallas for the WCT Finals, which begin today.

At Chicago, third-seeded Tim Mayotte capitalized on overhead slams to win a $315,000 Volvo indoor tournament, defeating eighth-seeded David Pate, 6-4, 6-2.

Mayotte earned $50,000 for winning his second Grand Prix tournament of the season. Pate received $25,000.

Mayotte, who beat John McEnroe in the U.S. Pro Indoor championships earlier this year, said Sunday’s title was more satisfying because he had to work so hard for it.

“I had a really tough week this week,” said Mayotte, who struggled to victories against Todd Nelson in the quarterfinals and Eliot Teltscher in the semifinals. “It’s a little more satisfying to come back from the brink and win.”

Pate: “He volleyed really well and always put me on the defensive so I couldn’t get in a position to get a good passing shot.”

Mayotte, ranked 12th in the world, acknowledged he’s playing some of his best tennis so far this year.

McEnroe and Ivan Lendl bowed out of the tournament because of injuries, and Mayotte said that made the field wide open.

“Perhaps the fans and the media are learning there are a lot of guys out there who are playing well, too,” he said. “That’s kind of a gift to the public, if they open their eyes.”