Evernden goes down to Leconte

Press, 16 December 1985, Page 44

Evernden goes down to Leconte

NZPA-AAP Sydney The fifth seed, Henri Leconte, yesterday ran roughshod over New Zealand’s Kelly Evernden to become the first Frenchman to win the $145,000 Alberto New South Wales Men’s Open at White City. The 22-year-old Leconte won his second Grand Prix title of the year when he beat Evernden 6-7, 6-2, 6-3, in just over two hours under heatwave conditions. The win was the brilliant lefthander’s first grass court title and won him just under SAust3o,ooo ($39,000) with Evernden taking home sAustl4,ooo, ($18,200). Leconte decided to play tie N.S.W. Open to qualify

for the rich Nabisco Masters, to be staged in New York next month.

Evernden was playing in his second final in Australian tournaments in two months.

The 24-year-old from Gisborne, who plays with one lung after a near fatal car accident eight years ago, was runner-up to an American, Paul Annacone, in the GWA Classic in Brisbane in the first week of October. Leconte had lost the 1983 final of the Custom Credit Australian Indoor to John McEnroe and this year’s final to Ivan Lendl before yesterday’s success. Played in sweltering conditions the final w§s a real

battle from the opening game, but Leconte, who was booked on an afternoon flight to Paris, took command in the second set.

He broke the 24-year-old Evernden in the third and seventh games to race through in just over 20 minutes.

The 6-2 triumph levelled the match at one set each but effectively shut out Evernden.

By capturing it the enigmatic Frenchman, the highest remaining seed in the tournament, began a roll that carried him to his first Grand Prix title in Australia.

With Evernden struggling to contain his brilliance, the

French lefthander broke immediately in the opening game of the third set. A slashing backhand down the line into the comer for the break was saluted by a loud cheer from Leconte. He had started the match slowly with his rifling serve not working while Evernden was devastating. Evernden took the opening set with his serve doing much of the damage. He held break points on Leconte’s serve in the third and ninth games only to be frustrated by snappy returns from the Frenchman, but in the tie-breakers he put together his own passing surprises, racing to a 4-0

However, the New Zealander’s problem in finishing an opponent enabled Leconte to claw his way back winning the next six points, the last off an Evernden double fault, to lead 6-4 with two set points. But a poor volley by Leconte and a flashing Evernden backhand cross court passing shot levelled it again at 6-6. Evernden’s serve gave him a 7-6 lead and another deep to the backhand left the Frenchman with a near impossible shot to play. He sprayed it wide to give Evernden the opening set and the early lead. Evernden said after the match that Leconte had

been too good: “He played some unbelievable tennis in the last two sets. He really picked up his game after I won the first set.

“He lifted it a couple of notches and there was not much I could do. “I tried to do too much in the last set but I had to to stay with him.” Evernden may have lost, but making the final will improve his world ranking considerably. Ranked nineth-sixth going into the tournament Evernden will find himself in the low 70s after his performances in Sydney this week. Leconte said he had flayed some of his best tennis against Evernden.