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Ivan Lendl powers past Jimmy Arias in Delray opener
Ivan Lendl gets a laugh when he checks out the linesman's glasses on a disputed called.
By Palm Beach Business.com
DELRAY BEACH — Jimmy Arias jokingly complained throughout their opening Champions Tour match Friday evening at the Delray Tennis Center that Ivan Lendl was becoming more and more like John McEnroe.
Leading six games to five in the opening set, Lendl, in fact, did something that might have made McEnroe smile.
Arias sent a shot down the sideline that Lendl thought was out. Except the linesman didn’t quite see it that way, and neither did the umpire. Point to Arias, and a set that seemed to be in Lendl’s pocket was now tied.
Lendl, known for his dry sense of humor, conferred with the umpire. Unsatisfied, he walked over the linesman and asked to check out check out his glasses to make sure they were in working order. That got a laugh from the linesman — and the crowd.
But that was as close as the match was going to get. Lendl quickly won the tiebreaker — and dispatched Arias in the second set to win the match 7-6(6), 6-2.
The two, who are golfing buddies, bantered with each other throughout the match and with the crowd at times.
In the opening match, Carlos Moya of Spain, defeated Australia’s Pat Cash 6-2, 2-6, 10-2.
Pat Cash in the opening match with Carlos Moya. Cash lost.
The weekend’s schedule:
Saturday
10 a.m. ATP World Tour Qualifying
12:30 p.m. Pat Cash vs Aaron Krickstein
NB 2:30 p.m. Michael Chang vs Carlos Moya
7 p.m. Jimmy Arias vs Johan Kriek
NB 9 p.m. Ivan Lendl vs Mikael Pernfors
Sunday
Noon ATP World Tour Qualifying
NB 1 p.m. Aaron Krickstein vs Carlos Moya
NB 3 p.m. Michael Chang vs Pat Cash
5:30 p.m. Jimmy Arias vs Mikael Pernfors
7:30 p.m. Ivan Lendl vs Johan Kriek
