European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 18, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 a the stars and stripes saturday january 18, 1992 Mcenroe straight sets Becker by Paul Alexander Melbourne Australia a John Mcenroe turned Back the clock Friday with a virtuoso performance that ousted defending Champion Boris Becker from the australian open with Mcenroe winning 6-4, 6-3, 7-5. The unseeded Mcenroe a heavy underdog electrified a capacity crowd on the 15,000-seat Center court stadium with a Brilliant exhibition of aggressive Tennis that kept the third seeded Becker defensive and off balance. Although Becker played Well he  match Mcenroe a almost flaw ices display of shot making Genius that earned him the Victory and advanced him to a fourth round meeting against no. 13 Emilio Sanchez. The Brash new yorker brought Back memories of his seven grand slam titles with an assortment of delicate drop shots acutely angled Cross courts nastily spinning serves and stinging passes. Although Becker had his own very vocal contingent of fans Mcenroe was the Darling of the crowd which cheered on every Point before becoming silent an instant before each serve. Making his first appearance Here since he was disqualified two years ago for a temper Tantrum Mcenroe a behaviour was immaculate. Instead it was Becker who became irate Over line Calls particularly in the second set when he complained bitterly several times to the Umpire. Earlier in the Day top seeds Stefan Edberg and Monica Seles won easily. Seles apparently recovered from her strained neck breezed to a 6-1, 6-1 third round Blitz of Sayuk Basuk of Indonesia. Edberg got a tougher workout bouncing Back from service Breaks Early in the first and third sets to oust australian John Fitzgerald 7-5, 6-1, 6-4. John Mcenroe a younger brother Patrick was beaten by Andrei Chesnokov 64, 1-6, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 with the russian making a big comeback after being on the Brink of elimination. Ivan Lendl a two time Champion and seeded no. 5, overcame the service blasts of 6-foot-5 German Markus Zolecke to win 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 8-6. David Wheaton the no. 15 seed cruised past Lars Koslowski 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. But no one put on a show like John Mcenroe and what a show it was. On a Chilly night that had fans bundled up in Coats and blankets Mcenroe a his right knee wrapped in a red and Black Clastic wrap and his head covered by a White baseball Cap a had no trouble warming up. He came out firing making it Clear from the Start he was going for broke. He followed his first serve in constantly and often took advantage of Beckers second serve to do the same. Becker succumbed in the 11th game of australian open the final set after five break Points. When Becker who fended off three break Points in his previous service game hit a backhand Long for the break Mcenroe pumped both fists and the crowd roared sensing the upset in the making. Mcenroe served successive aces his fifth and sixth of the match to go to match Point at 40-30, then watched Beckers last shot a backhand float Long for the final Point. Mcenroe raised both arms to the crowd and flashed the most satisfied smile he had shown in a Long time then whacked a Ball High into the stands after shaking Beckers hand at the net. Mcenroe again pumped his arms in the air As the crowds cheers intensified. Becker who had eight acc but none in the first set never could raise his game to the level he has shown in the past. Rather he stomped around the court angrily berating himself As he did when he lost the Wimbledon final to Michael Stich last year. A nothing goes a Becker screamed in German at one Point. A trash trash a he yelled on another occasion. Once he even offered a line woman his Racket Early in the third set asking if she wanted to play for him. Becker who reached the no. 1 ranking for the first time in his career after winning Here last year could leave this time As Low As no. 7. Mcenroe played better than he has since perhaps the 1984 . Open his fourth and last at Flushing Meadow. That year he also won Wimbledon and was ranked no. 1 for the last time. Mcenroe missed the australian open last year with a shoulder injury lost in the first round at the French the fourth at Wimbledon and the third at the . Open As he finished the year ranked 28th, the worst since he turned pro in 1978. Mcenroe played so fluidly that in one stretch he lost Only four Points in four service games from the end of the first set to the Middle of the second. Rather than relying Only on touch volleys and finesse Mcenroe matched Beckers Power with plenty of his own As he put away approach shots and Backie Dang overheads. The two players exchanged service Breaks Early in All three sets but it was Mcenroe who came up with the key Points. After Mcenroe held serve at 5-4 in the first set Becker moved ahead 15-0 before Mcenroe ripped off five straight Points pouncing on two second serves to break for the set. On serve at 4-3 in the second set Mcenroe again bore Down. On the third Deuce he made Back to Back great re look on Boris Beckers face tells the Story As he congratulates John Mcenroe left. Turns off Beckers first serve. The German netted the first then mis hit the second. A this is a big Monkey off my Back a Mcenroe said. A a it a been so Long since i had such a big win. I can to even  he said a doubts creep in a As the years go by without victories Over the top ranked players and he was beginning to wonder if he would have another. A i played great there a no question about it a Mcenroe said. A i did what i wanted to do. He did no to believe 1 could keep doing it. You could see he was getting  Mcenroe who said his ability to stay focused on his plan to match Power with Becker while blunting the Force of his serves recalled the Days when he would go into matches with similar plans and win just As easily. A Aback when i was no. 1, i could do that All the  he said it was a mistake for him in recent years to play against the More powerful opponents with an emphasis on touch shots rather than his own Power. A the Bottom line is i should never have changed my game a he said. Its been equally Long since he played with so much concentration and without his characteristic outbursts in a big match adding that his father used to Tell him he would be a better player if he did no to question Calls All the time. A a it a really important for me to feel in control a Mcenroe  trials held up for court ruling by Michael Janofsky the new York times the final trials to determine the . Olympic team in bobsled which were scheduled to begin thursday in Alten Berg Germany were postponed pending an appellate courts ruling that would establish who is eligible to compete. The delay was imposed by the . Bobsled federation after a Long Day of Legal Maneu vers starting with a ruling by a judge in the supreme court of new York state that effectively ended the chances of Willie Gault and Greg Harrell to make the team. In granting an injunction Justice Robert f. Doran set aside an arbitrators decision that forced the federation to stage new trials for Gault and Harrell. The Justice ruled that the arbitrator Ross r. Hart had exceeded his authority by ruling that Gault Harrell and Edwin Moses had been denied a fair Chance to make the team in trials last july. Later in the Day attorneys for Gault and Harrell appealed the decision and the higher court agreed to hear the Case thursday morning. Moses retired As a bobsled Der after the arbitrators ruling to concentrate on making the summer olympic team As a hurdler. He is the current world record Holder. If the appeals court upholds Dorans injunction seven of the eight athletes who qualified in july would hold their spots. The eighth Tom Allen would still have to engage Herschel Walker the Minnesota Vikings running Back in a up Shoff that was unaffected by the current Case. If the court reverses Dorans ruling All eight spots would be vacated then filled through trials starting probably saturday. Ray Pratt the acting executive director of the federation and Michael Friedman a lawyer representing the four athletes a Allen Todd Snavely Jeff Woodard and Brian Leturgez a who prevailed in seeking the injunction said they were prepared to live with whatever the court decided. Gerald Chizever a lawyer in los Angeles representing Gault and Harrell said an Appeal to the state court of appeals new Yorkus highest court was possible. The Case is layered with Strong feelings on All sides. The federation is desperately trying to right itself after the . Olympic committee stepped in two years ago to sort out years of financial and managerial mismanagement. The athletes who previously qualified Are strongly protective of their turf inasmuch As Gault a wide receiver for the los Angeles raiders and Walker Are highly paid athletes in another sport. Harrell is a former football player. Yet Gault among the newer bobsled Ders contends the sport should be opened to All athletes no matter what their backgrounds. A besides a he said from Altenberg where All the athletes Are staying a it s not like the United states has been so great in the  he has a Point. The last olympic year the United states won a medal was 1956, a Bronze