Connors wins as Witsken retires

Strange. That's the only way to describe Jimmy Connors' victorylast night in the first round of Volvo Tennis/Chicago at thePavilion.

Connors had his hands full with Todd Witsken, a 23-year-oldformer University of Southern California player from Carmel, Ind.

Witsken won the first set, which lasted a full hour, and Connorsturned on his game to score 12 of the final 13 points en route towinning the second.

Then, with Connors leading 2-1 and up a service break in thethird, Witsken informed chair umpire Gerry Armstrong he was retiring.

Armstrong offered the crowd of 5,314 no explanation for thewithdrawal and Witsken hurried out of the building for his hotel roomwithout talking to the media.

He told a tournament staffer that he had been bothered by theflu the last three days and wanted to withdraw from the tournamentbut the deadline had passed.

"I hadn't practiced, and he (Connors) ran me too much," Witskentold the staffer.

Witsken took a three-minute injury timeout after twisting hiselbow when he dived unsuccessfully for a return in the 17th minute ofthe match, but that incident apparently had no bearing on hiswithdrawal.

The end came after 1 hour, 59 minutes with Connors leading 6-7(7-3), 6-2, 2-1. Had the match continued to its natural conclusion,it easily would have been the longest match of the tournament.

Connors, who advanced to the second-round tomorrow against DanGoldie, was as surprised by Witsken's retirement as anyone.

"I didn't know he wasn't feeling well," Connors said. "I hadbeen struggling, even when I was leading. I was just trying to hangin and try to lift my own game."

Witsken, ranked 68th in the world, had given Connors fitsbefore. He upset the game's No. 9 player in straight sets in thethird round of last year's U.S. Open.

"He plays like he has nothing to lose against me," Connors said,"and that's good. The young guys are a gauge for me. I enjoyrunning them crazy."

Witsken was fading as the match progressed. The key game mayhave been the third of the second set. Connors earned a servicebreak after seven deuces.

Connors then took control in Game 6, which he won at love on hisserve. He allowed Witsken only one point in breaking him again inthe next game, and Witsken hurt his own cause by double-faultingtwice. Then Connors broke at love for the set.

His next service break immediately preceded Witsken'sretirement.

Connors, 34 and the event's No. 2 seed, became one of six seededplayers to survive the first round. Johan Kriek (5), Scott Davis (6)and Christo van Rensburg (7) advanced Monday and Tim Mayotte (3) andDavid Pate (8) won yesterday.

The other two seeded players - No. 1 Yannick Noah and No. 4 BradGilbert - make their singles debuts tonight.