Tennis Roundup : U.S. Sweeps to 2-0 Lead as Agassi Wins

Andre Agassi put the United States within one match of victory Saturday by defeating Peru’s Jaime Yzaga, 6-8, 7-5, 6-1, 6-2, in the Davis Cup American Zone competition at Lima, Peru.

The victory by the 17-year-old player from Las Vegas gave the Americans a 2-0 lead.

The match between Agassi and Yzaga was suspended Friday because of bad light at 5-5 in the first set after it had been delayed by a 5-hour, 45-minute battle, in which Jay Berger defeated Peru’s Pablo Arraya, 7-5, 6-1, 5-7, 1-6, 7-5.

Peruvian commentators said the 10 games Agassi and Yzaga played Friday on the clay courts of the Exhibition Lawn Tennis club were perhaps the best tennis ever seen in Peru.

Saturday’s scheduled doubles match was postponed until today at the request of Peruvian team captain Fernando Mayneto.

Under Davis Cup rules, a postponement is allowed if a doubles competitor plays 30 games the same day as the doubles. Yzaga played 31 games in his singles loss.

In today’s doubles, the U.S. pair of Ken Flach and Robert Seguso, who have never lost in Davis Cup play, are heavily favored against Yzaga and Carlos Di Laura.

Agassi, who is ranked 15th in the world, won 12 of the 16 times he had the serve Saturday. Yzaga, ranked 71st, won only 7 of the 15 times he served.

The winner between the United States and Peru will take on Argentina next on July 22-24.

Top-seeded Martina Navratilova will meet second-seeded Gabriela Sabatini today at Hilton Head Island, S.C., in the final of the $300,000 Family Circle Magazine Cup tournament.

Navratilova, struggling for the second straight day, defeated third-seeded Manuela Maleeva, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2, while Sabatini downed sixth-seeded Zina Garrison, 6-0, 6-0.

“I just got killed. That’s all I can say,” Garrison said. “She didn’t miss at all. She kept me on the run all the time.”

Today’s winner will receive $60,000.

Eighth-seeded Paul Annacone eliminated third-seeded Brad Gilbert, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, in the semifinals of the $315,000 Volvo tournament at Chicago.

In today’s final, Annacone will play second-seeded Tim Mayotte, who defeated Scott Davis, 6-1, 7-5.