European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 26, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 the stars and stripes thursday january 26,1989 Lendl tops Mcenroe in straight sets Melbourne Australia a Ivan Lendl de stroy a John Mcenroe s title dream with a straight set Victory wednesday in the quarterfinals of the $2.4 million australian open Tennis championship. I played very Well but he played better Mcenroe said. Lendl crashed a remarkable 40 passing shots past the american to win 7-6 7-06-2, 7-6 7-2 and earn a meeting in the semifinals with Lith seeded Thomas Muster of Austria. Muster gained the semis for the first time in a grand slam event when two time Champion Stefan Edberg of Sweden was forced to default with a mysterious and pain Ful Back injury. Edberg suffered the injury during his fourth round Victory Over australian Pat Cash and said it would keep him out of action for at least two weeks. Miloslav Mecir of Czechoslovakia the ninth seed crushed yugoslav teen Ager Goran Ivanisevic 7-5,6-0,6-3 to also Advance to the semifinals where he will face unseeded swede Jan Gunnarsson. Gunnarsson who almost retired a year ago after a pain Ful knee injury and is playing in the event for the first time beat his 14th-seeded compatriot Jonas b. Svensson 6-0,6 3,4-6,6-4. Both men s semifinals Are scheduled for Friday. Lendl who has never won the australian open was at his very Best against Mcenroe whose last Victory in a grand slam tournament was in the 1984 . Open. Mcenroe believed he had a realistic Chance to beat Lendl but had no answer to the powerful czech s precision from the Baseline. The no. 2 seed rifled backhands past the onrushing Mcenroe with regularity and his service never was threatened. Mcenroe reached Deuce on it Only once. Lendl also returned serve spirit edly repeatedly hitting his shots to Mcenroe s feet. Mcenroe did not play badly dropping serve Only twice but was never Able to raise his game to his opponent s level. Lendl now has a 15-14 record Over Mcenroe with whom he has dulled for the past decade. He has won their last four encounters. He is bidding for his first grand slam title since the 1987 . Open but has lost in the semifinals in Melbourne for three straight years. I feel if i keep playing like today it should be Good enough Lendl said. Big hitting Muster never has previously made it past the third round of a grand slam and has made the semifinal without facing another seed. I Don t feel bad about it. I can t do anything about it Muster said of Edberg s injury. Edberg had been aiming for his fourth straight semifinal. Swedish players have won the event five straight years but the nation s Hopes now rest on unseeded Gunnarsson ranked 85th in the world. Gunnarsson eliminated his second seed of the tourney when he ousted Svensson. He also beat sixth seeded Frenchman Henri Leconte in the first round. I m very surprised. I could never believe before this tournament i would get this far Gunnarsson said. It s like a  Gunnarsson 26, a 10-year-Yeteran of the professional tour said he has been playing his Best Tennis for a Long time. Mecir holds a 2-1 career Edge Over Gunnarsson. Mecir was far too steady for Ivanisevic who is ranked 300th in the world and playing Only his fifth senior tournament. The czech player dubbed the big cat because of his Graceful movement returned Ivanisevic s left handed serves particularly Well. The women s semifinals in which defending Champion Steffi Graf of West Germany faces third seeded Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina and unseeded Belinda Cordwell of new zealand meets fifth seeded Helena Sutkova of Czechoslovakia Are scheduled thursday. Mcenroe s defeat left the United states without a representative in either singles event. Irvin keys Missouri rally for Victory at Maryland Byron Irvin. Big second half by the associated. Press College Park my. Missouri senior Byron Irvin did what he had to in order to win on the Road we d have to put it up another  Irvin scored a dozen of his 28 Points during a 19-5 second half run tuesday night As the fifth ranked tigers charged from behind to a 87-73 Victory Over Maryland. Irvin totalled 20 Points in the second half to Lead Missouri 17-3, to its eighth consecutive Victory. Maryland has lost eight straight falling to 6-11. It was the third straight game in which Irvin has led the tigers in scor ing. He s averaged 31 Points during the Streak. The tigers needed to rally in the Sec Ond half after dominating the Early stages of the game. Missouri led by As Many As 13 Points in the first half and enjoyed a 37-26 Lead with 2 13 left in the half. But the Terra pins scored the final six Points of the half to make it 37-32 at intermission then opened the second half with a 17-6 run that gave Maryland a 49-43 Lead with 14 08 remaining. The tigers responded with six straight Points tying the score at 12 15, then College basketball traded baskets with Maryland until Lee Coward put them ahead to stay 56-55 on a three Point play. After a Maryland turnover Coward fed Irvin for a Lay up that resulted in another three Point play. Irvin added an other three Point play and two 3-Point baskets As the tigers built their Lead to 72-60 with 6 42 left. Irvin got a lot of help from Forward Greg Church who started in place of Doug Smith out with an ankle injury. Church celebrated his 22nd birthday by scoring 17 Points Matching his Ca reer High and grabbing a career High 17 rebounds. Coward scored 15, an Thony Peeler 11 and Gary Leonard 10. John Johnson led Maryland with 24 Points 17 in the second half. Tony Mas Senberg contributed 15. Syracuse 72, Boston College 60 Syracuse . Sherman Doug Las scored 19 Points As 14th-ranked Syra Cuse snapped a three game big East los ing Streak by defeating Boston College. Syracuse improved to 16-4 with Only its second conference win in six tries this season. The Victory allowed Syracuse to climb out of the conference cellar Rele gating the eagles 8-8 and 1-5, to that spot. It was the fourth straight loss for Boston College. Derrick Coleman had with 15 Points 14 rebounds and six blocked shots for Syracuse which also got 14 Points from Roe. Dana Barros led Boston College with 17 Points. Reserve Corey Beasley had 10. Providence 106, Miami 91 Miami Carlton screen scored 27 Points and keyed an Early second half surge to Lead no. 20 Providence to a Vic tory Over Miami. The friars 15-2, also had 23 Points by Marty Conlon and 15 by Matt palazzi. Eric Brown scored 30 Points for the hurricanes 10-8, and Dennis Burns added 12 Points and Joseph Randon 11. Screen scored the final five Points of the first half which had 20 Lead changes to give Providence a 51-50 Lead at half time. Four minutes into the second half the friars began a 19-3 run that included eight Points by screen. The friars led 78-60 with 11 40 remaining in the game. Miami was never Able to come closer than 13 Points the rest of the game. Aba from Page 17 and Phoenix withstood a late Charlotte comeback to hand the hornets their fourth straight setback. Rookie Rex tallied 23 Points for Charlotte which played without flu plagued Kelly Tripucka for the Sec Ond straight game. Tom Chambers had 25 for Phoenix. Supersonics 103, Trail blazers 100 Portland Ore. Derrick Mckey scored 13 of his career High 34 Points in the final period to Lead Seattle to its fourth straight Victory. Clyde Drexler scored 25 Points for Portland which has lost four games in a Row including three straight at Home. Dale Ellis and Xavier Mcdaniel had 24 and 23, respectively for Seattle. Bulls 109, Mavericks 91 Chicago Michael Jordan scored nine of his 24 Points in the fourth Quarter after sitting out seven minutes with a bruised knee As Chicago handed Dallas its 10th straight Road defeat. Mark Aguirre and Rolando Blackman each scored22 for the Mavericks. Rockets 118, heat 93 Houston Otis Thorpe scored six Points and Purvis Short had five during a 19-4 second half run that powered Houston Over Miami and lifted the rockets within one half game of first place Utah in the Midwest division. Sleepy Floyd led the rockets with 22 Points Akeem Olajuwon had 20 Points and 12 rebounds and Short scored 15 Points. For Miami Billy Thompson had 20points and Kevin Edwards 18. Nets 117, nuggets 115 East Rutherford . Buck Williams scored a season High 27 Points and new Jersey held off a late Denver spurt to hand the nuggets their fourth straight loss. Denver guard Michael Adams who scored eight Points missed All six of his 3-Point tries ending his Aba record of 79 consecutive games with at least one 3-Point Basket. Denver lost despite a season High 43 Points by Alex English. Lafayette lever tallied 26 for the injury Deci mated nuggets who used Only eight players. Bucks 114, Kings 110 Sacramento Calif. Larry Krystkowiak scored four of his 21 Points in the final 39 seconds As Milwaukee beat Sacramento for the Bucks 12thstraight Victory Over the Kings. Terry Cummings led Milwaukee with 31 Points As the Bucks won for the13th time in their last 16 games. Leonard Hearns to fight june 12 Las vegas a sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns who met 7 /2 years ago in a classic welterweight title fight will fight june 12 at Caesars Palace in a rematch for Leonard s 168-Pound title promoter Bob arum said tues Day. Arum said he reached agreement late tuesday on the fight with Caesars Palace which he said will pay $8 million to Host the bout. The promoter said Leonard s lawyer Mike Trainer had not signed a contract for the fight but had agreed in principle to  Leonard will be guaranteed $13 million and Hearns $11 million for the bout which will be televised to closed circuit locations and pay per View arum said. Hearns 46-3, has Long clamoured for a rematch with Leonard and has often expressed bitterness that Leonard 35-1, would not agree to fight him again