Yannick Noah’s big win

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 42

Yannick Noah’s big win

NZPA-Reuter Paris The Cameroun-born Frenchman, Yannick Noah, yesterday scored one of the best wins of his life, when he completed a 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 victory over a former titleholder, Guillermo Vilas, of Argentina, to clinch a quarter-final place at the French Open tennis championships. • His quarter-final opponent will be Victor Pecci, of Par-' aguay.

Jose Luis Clerc, the seventh seed, kept Argentine title hopes alive by winning his fourth round match against Carlos Kirmayr, of Brazil, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, but he will do well to win his quarter-final against the second seed, Jimmy Connors. Connors came through a contest against a compatriot, :.Mer ' Purcell, : winning in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6, atid he seems well prepared for his showdown against Clerc, who won the Italian title last month.

Ivan Lendl, of Czechoslovakia, the fifth seed, seized ms place in the last eight with a 6-2, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 triumph over the Australian, Peter McNamara, the surprise winner last month of the West German Open, where he beat Connors in the final. John McEnroe, of the United States;,’', the 'third seed, comfortably“dismissed Ricardo YcaZa, of Ecuador; 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, to -join Connors as the only Americans through to the last eieht.