Tennis Roundup : McEnroe Finishes Off Van Patten

Top-seeded John McEnroe began his quest for a third consecutive Tournament of Champions title Tuesday night with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Vince Van Patten, sweeping the last nine games.

McEnroe, the world’s No. 1 player, was trailing, 4-3, when he began his winning run at Forest Hills, N.Y.

“It was very windy, and I wasn’t ready for the conditions,” McEnroe said. “It was my first time outdoors this season, and you don’t feel like you’re getting in a groove. I felt sluggish, I wasn’t moving as well, and the ball toss was tough.

“It’s frustrating for both players but it’s an equalizer. It’s tougher if you’re the guy who’s supposed to win.”

Earlier, 20-year-old Marian Vajda of Czechoslovakia posted the first upset of the $615,000 tournament by defeating sixth-seeded Vitas Gerulaitis, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Other winners Tuesday included No. 3-seeded Aaron Krickstein, No. 4 Henrik Sundstrom of Sweden, No. 5 Johan Kriek, No. 7 Brad Gilbert, No. 8 David Pate, No. 9 Terry Moor and No. 11 Victor Pecci of Paraguay.

Krickstein routed Hans-Peter Kandler of Austria, 6-1, 6-1. Sundstrom beat fellow Swede Jonas Svensson, 6-4, 6-2, and Kriek defeated Christophe Roger-Vasselin of France, 7-6, 6-2.

Gilbert beat Peter Carlsson of Sweden, 6-2, 6-4; Pate eliminated Florin Segarceanu of Romania, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6; Moor defeated Wolfgang Popp of West Germany, 7-6, 6-2, and Pecci outlasted Juan Avendano of Spain, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

At Kobe, Japan, Bjorn Borg of Sweden and Carling Bassett of Canada scored first-round victories in a $200,000 tournament.

Borg, who has retired from major tournaments, eliminated 19-year-old Johan Carlsson of Sweden, 6-4, 7-6. Bassett overpowered Catherine Tanvier of France, 6-2, 6-3.

Kathy Jordan, the No. 2-seeded player, and Alycia Moulton, No. 4, easily advanced to the quarterfinals of the $200,000 Australian Women’s Indoor Championships at Sydney.

Jordan defeated South Africa’s Yvonne Vermaak, 6-2, 6-1, in a second-round match, while Moulton beat Robyn White, 6-3, 6-1.