Sports
University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, August 27, 1986
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Foreign students filling U.S. tennis rosters
Tennis, at the university level, has taken on an international perspective.
By ANNE LUSCOMBE Sports writer
Sports writer
Within the last 10 years, recruitment abroad has picked up considerably, the Kansas and Wichita State head coaches said yesterday.
Kansas head tennis coach Scott Perelman said many coaches were looking overseas for players to bring their programs up to par with the top U.S. teams.
Schools with tennis programs not over-appealing to top U.S. collegiate players are chief recruiters of foreign athletes, he said.
Problems for the schools may be on the horizon, however. The coaches said the National Collegiate Athletic Association was considering limiting the number of foreign athletes a school could recruit.
But until this happens, schools such as Wichita State will be able to maintain a culturally mixed team. Of the nine Wichita men's tennis players, five are foreign. Two are New Zealanders, one is Australian, another is Swedish and one, West German, Rex Coad, Wichita State's men's tennis head coach, said he might recruit two more foreign players at semester.
The athletes, as well as the tennis programs, prosper from the students' move to U.S. schools, he said.
"We offer the foreign athletes the best of both worlds," Coad said. "They get to fulfill their dream of playing tennis, and they are getting a good education at the same time."
Kansas has joined in the search for outstanding foreign tennis players, although not to the extent of Wichita State and Oklahoma State, which
Dan Ruettimann/KANSAN
Jeanette Jonsson, Marsta. Sweden, freshman, left, practices her swing while Sven Groeneveld. on the Jayhawk tennis teams.In the last 10 years collegiate coaches have been looking to foreign Vyhuizen, Holland, junior, right, takes a break during practice.The two are the only foreign players athletes to help their teams compete with stronger U.S. teams.
have had predominantly foreign teams. Kansas now has only two foreign players on its team. Two foreign students who played for the Jayhawks last year transferred at the end of the school year.
Perealm said his lack of interest in the foreign market was because of personal preference and because Kansas had the ability to recruit top U.S. players.
In the five years Perelman has been at Kansas, he has signed three top-50 players — Mike Wolf, Chris Walker and Craig Wildey — and several others who are nationally ranked. John Falbo, the No. 2 ranked player in the United States, plans to visit Kansas next week.
Jeanette Jonsson, Marsta, Sweden, freshman, won the Big Eight Championship in the No. 2 spot last spring. A year ago she was ranked eighth in the 18-year-old women's division in Sweden. She attended a special tennis school in Sweden which takes only the top four women and men in the country.
She came at Perelman's request last spring Perelman accepted her on the recommendation of the Swedish National coach, whom Jonsson played under.
The men's tennis team this year gained Sven Groeneveld Vfhuizen, Holland, junior. He transferred to Kansas from Southwest Baptist where he played the No. 2 spot his freshman year and the No. 1 position last year.
Groeneveld also is ranked on the international professional circuit. He can only go up, he said, because he holds the ranking of 781, the lowest possible ranking.
One reason the two decided to come to Kansas was that the university offered them an opportunity to help themselves as well as the team.
"I knew if I wanted to improve my tennis I had to go somewhere," Groeneveld said. "Kansas had what I wanted and what I liked. There are many good players here and I like the coach."
Jonsson said she enjoyed the combination of school and tennis, something she did not get in Sweden.
"When tennis gets me down, i... school, and when school gets me down, I have tennis," she said. "In Sweden, everything there in my life depended on tennis."
Royals beat Chicago
United Press International
CHICAGO — George Brett hit a pair of solo homers and Steve Balboni added a two-run shot to back the seven-hit pitching of Charlie LeBRandt and gave the Kansas City Royals a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
The loss was the White Sox's fifth straight and seventh in eight games.
Brett, who went 3-for-4, hit a solo homer in the third and another in the seventh. Balboni slammed a two-run shot to third off Richard Dotson, 8-13, who gave up the first four runs. Balboni's homer was his 28th.
Leibrandt, 11-10, struck out six and walked none in pitching his seventh complete game of the season.
Boston 8, Texas 1
ARLINGTON, Texas — Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd struck out a season high 10 Tuesday night and allowed four hits in pitching the Boston Red Sox to an 8-1 decision over the Texas Rangers.
The Red Sox, leaders of the American League East, broke a three-game losing streak while the
Rangers tell four games back of the Western Division leading California Angels.
California 2. New York 0
NEW YORK — Mike Witt fired a four-hitter for his seventh straight victory and third shutout of the season and Jack Howell and Dick Schofield contributed second-inning RBIs, leading the California Angels to a 2-0 victory over the New York Yankees.
Milwaukee 6, Minnesota 5
MILWAUKEE — Paul Molitor's single with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Jim Gantner and gave the Milwaukee Brewers a 6-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
CLEVELAND — Rain forced postponement of the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cleveland Indians after nine innings with the score tied 6-6.
Cleveland, Toronto postponed
DETROIT — Alan Trammell doubled home Lou Whitaker with two out and capped a six-run sixth inning that gave the Detroit Tigers a rain-delayed 8-7 victory over the Oakland A's.
Detroit 8. Oakland 7
Cubs defeat Houston
United Press International
HOUSTON — Terry Francona and Ron Coy homered to help the Chicago Cubs defeat the Houston Astros, 5-3.
Starter and winner Ed Lynch improved to 4-3 by working the first six innings, allowing to hits and all three Houston runs. Ex-Astro Frank DiPino hurled the seventh and eighth, striking out four. Lee Smith pitched the ninth for his 25th save.
Danny Darwin, making his first National League start, allowed four runs in six innings and fell to 0-1.
with the score tied 1-1; Chicago scored three runs in the sixth. Manny Trillo led with a single and Gary Matthews grounded to shortstop Craig Reynolds, who threw to second too late to force Trillo. Second baseman Bill Doran's throw to first bounced off Trillo's helmet and caromed all the way into the stands. Trillo scored what proved to be the game-winner and Matthews wound up at second on the play.
Matthews went to third as Keith Moreland grounded out and scored on Jody Davis' sacrifice fly to give the Cubs a 3-1 lead. Francona then hit his second homer of the season, a drive over the right field fence, to make it 4-1.
The Astros made it 4-3 in the sixth. With one out, Kevin Bass singled. After Alan Ashby flied out, Reynolds hit his career-high sixth homer of the season.
in the top of the seventh, Cey pinch hit for Lynch and hammered a 3-1 pitch from Aurelio Lopez over the left field fence for his 13th home run of the year and a 5-3 Chicago lead.
The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the second. With one out, Francona singled and was doubled home by Chris Speier.
Houston tied the score 1-1 in the fifth on a double by Doran and a single by Billy Hatcher. The double by Doran extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
PITTSBURGH — Dave Parker drove in his fourth run of the game in the ninth inning with a sacrifice fly and gave the Cincinnati Reds a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Cincinnati 5. Pittsburgh 4
Dan Dameles led off the ninth with a single of loser Ray Krawczky, 0-1. He stole second and took third on catcher Tony Pena's throwing error. Buddy Bell walked to knock out Krawczky in favor of Pat Clements. Parker's sacrifice fly to right made a winner of John Franco, 5-4.
Road ends at starting spot for Blackledge
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The time has come for Todd Blackledge to determine his future as a professional quarterback.
In May, Kansas City head coach John Mackovic said Blackledge, a fourth-year player from Penn State, was going to be his starting quarterback this fall.
United Press International
Watching most intently will be 44 other Kansas City Chiefs, who all know that their hopes of success ride with Blackledge's fortunes.
back at the bank.
"It's been a long road, and I was happy to be named the starter." Blackledge said. "I was happy that it was announced when it was because it gave me a couple months to prepare myself and it gave the team an opportunity to recognize what the situation was going to be right away."
with the
The Chiefs had been very patient
with Blackledge. He was the second
quarterback seventh player
overall taken in the gold-mine
Most of those players were immediately thrust into action, and none had to wait long before given an NFL team to direct. Blackledge, meanwhile, became a familiar figure on the Chiefs' sideline, wearing a baseball cap instead of a helmet and holding a clipboard instead of a football.
draft of 1983 in which fellow quarterbacks John Elway and Dan Marino also were selected.
Blackledge said the waiting definitely helped him.
"I really don't know what would have happened to me if I'd gone right into starting," he said. "I think realistically, I knew it would take some time. I don't regret what I've gone through and I don't regret sitting for as long as I did, because I have been conscientious and I haven't pouted about it. I have tried
"It's been a tough road to get here for me — coming out of college and being drafted as highly as I was and going through what I've gone through in three years," Blackledge said.
to work hard and prepare myself because I knew I'd get an opportunity sooner or later."
Blackledge was given a test at the starting spot the final five games of the 1985 season. The Chiefs were riding a seven-game losing streak to the depths of the AFC West when Blackledge went out against Indianapolis.
It's now later.
Kansas City won that game and went 3-2 — including a 14-13 loss at Denver — the rest of the way. Blackledge completed 54 percent of his 113 passes for 944 yards in those games. He said that “little success in an unsuccessful season” helped him win the start job.
"I felt good after those last five games." Blackledge said. "I felt like I'd been given an opportunity to start because they wanted me to start. They wanted to see what I could do in that capacity and that I responded the way they wanted to see me."
The test completed, Mackovic gave
the results in May: Blackledge was the starter, and incumbent Bill Kenney, of whom Blackledge cannot say enough, was second string.
"No, I wasn't surprised" the new starter said. "He had said he was going to make a decision early, that it wasn't going to drag into camp, that it wasn't going to be a controversial thing in camp, and I felt I had a real good chance to be named the starter."
"From the season's end my thinking was all geared towards being the starter. Had it gone the other way, I would have adjusted at that point."
The waiting wasn't easy for a quarterback who had had nothing but success. At Penn State, Blackledge led the Nittany Lions to the 1982 national championship and set 28 school records. He was expected to be a positive factor right away.
there were times I was frustrated," Blackledge said. "There were times I didn't know if this was the best situation for me or not. There were times I wasn't sure if things were going to work out or not."
Mac beaten easily at U.S. tournament
The Associated Press
"I felt like I was in a reasonably good frame of mind," said McEnoroe, the ninth seed who was appearing in his third tournament since his seven-month sabbatical
NEW YORK — There was no fire in John McEuroe's game yesterday, no temper tantrums, no arguing with spectators. Now, there is no John McEuroe in the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.
John McEnroe
"I just hoped that I would go out and play well today," Annacone said. "And if I did, then I'd have a chance. Fortunately, I got a lot of chances."
McEnroe became the first finalist to lose in the first round of a subsequent U.S. Open since Tom Okker of the Netherlands lost to Britain's Mark Cox in the first round in 1969. In 1968, Okker lost to Arthur Ashe in the title match.
from tennis, after being stunned by fellow New Yorker Paul Anapone 1-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.
Annacone overpowered McEnroe, who, until a year ago, was ranked No. 1 in the world.
Last year, McEnroe fell to Czechoslovakia's Ivan Lendl in the men's singles final. Yesterday, Lendl followed McEnroe onto the Louis Armstrong Stadium Court and crushed Glenn Layendecker 6-3, 6-2, 6-0.
"Eventually I could have played McEnroe in the quarters, but it a long way there for me and for him," Lendl said. "For him it proved to be too long. I hope it doesn't prove to be too long for me."
Argentina's Guillermo Vilas, who won the U.S. Open in 1977, lost to Paul McNamee of Australia 7-5, 5-7, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Earlier, defending women's champion Hana Mandikova of Czechoslovakia, the fourth seed, crushed into the second round with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Marie Christine Calleja of France, Kathy Rinaldi, the women's No. 10 seed, tumbled to Michel Torres 6-1, 6-4.
It was Annacne, a hard-serving right-hander, who was dominant on this day as McEnroe constantly found himself out of position or committing unforced errors.
The match ended when McEnroe, once almost untouchable at the National Tennis Center, hit a volley wide when he had most of the court to aim at.
"I'm sorry that he lost." Anacone said of McEnroe. "I want to see him come back because I think he's great for tennis.
"I'm not sorry that I won, but it feels kind of awkward beating him."
Other early first-round winners included eighth-seeded Henri Leconte of France, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 over Argentina's Martin Jaite; Israel's Amos Mansdorff, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 over Tomas Sáez of Czechoslovakia; Nduka Odizor of Nigeria, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1, 7-6 over Brazil's Carlos Kirmayr; and Mexico's Francisco Maciel, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-1 over Poland's Wojtek Fikab
With the defeat, McEnroe dropped to at least 21st in the world computer rankings, his lowest ever Sixth-ranked Jimmy Connors is now the only American player ranked in the top 10.
In women's play, Katieheen Horvath stopted Susan Sloane 6-3, 6-2; Hungary's Csilla Bartos-Cserpey downed Andrea Betzner of West Germany 6-1, 7-6; and Pascale Paradis of France defeated Argentina's Adriana Villagran 6-7, 6-3.
top-seeded Martina Navratilova easily moved into the second round by defeating Czechoslovak Andrea Holikova 6-4, 6-2.
In one of the closest matches of the day, Australia's Amanda Dingwall edged Gigi Fernandez of Puerto Rico 7-6, 7-6, winning the first-set tiebreak 8-6 and the second-set tiebreak 10-8.
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