Tennis Roundup : Edberg and Becker Reach Quarterfinals in London

Sweden’s Stefan Edberg survived two rain interruptions Thursday to join two-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker in the quarterfinals of the $300,000 Stella Artois championships at Queen’s Club in London.

Edberg, bothered by a slippery court, lost the first set and was a break down in the second but rallied to beat Australia’s Wally Masur, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4.

“I had my doubts (about winning),” Edberg said. “I thought it was going to be tough.”

In contrast to Edberg, Becker’s 6-4, 6-4 victory came easily against John Sadri, but the 19-year-old West German said he thought his grass-court game still has room for improvement.

“I don’t think I’m 100% yet,” said Becker, who hit 10 aces and lost only 7 points in 10 service games against Sadri. “But my footwork is a lot better.”

Becker’s next opponent will be David Pate, who beat Bill Scanlon, 7-6, 7-6, while Edberg will meet No. 7 Pat Cash of Australia, who defeated Kevin Curren, 7-5, 6-3.

No. 6-seeded Tim Mayotte, the defending champion, beat Richey Reneberg, 6-4, 7-6, while West Germany’s Eric Jelen eliminated Israel’s Amos Mansdorf, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

The rain that has plagued this Grand Prix tournament fell again. Several matches started late, and when play was suspended because of darkness, Jimmy Connors, seeded No. 5, led Nigeria’s Nduka Odizor, 7-5, 2-3.

Elise Burgin of Baltimore upset No. 6-seeded Sylvia Hanika of West Germany, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3, in a women’s grass-court tournament at Birmingham, England.

Another seeded player to be eliminated was No. 4 Lori McNeil, who lost to South Africa’s Rosalyn Fairbank, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 .

Canada’s Carling Bassett was on the brink of defeat against Sharon Walsh-Peete. When rain halted play for the day, Walsh-Peete led, 7-6, 5-4, with Bassett, serving at 15-15.

Ivan Lendl began his tuneup for Wimbledon with a 7-6, 7-5 victory over his coach, 42-year-old Tony Roche of Australia, in the $160,000 Scottish grass-court championships at Edinburgh, Scotland.