Lendl, Graf Easily Move Up a Round

NEW YORK — Top seeds Ivan Lendl and Steffi Graf had no trouble advancing today at the U.S. Open.

Lendl finished off Diego Perez 6-1, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 in a first-round match that began Tuesday and was suspended by rain. Graf needed all of 44 minutes to blitz Nathalie Herreman of France 6-1, 6-1.

“I feel that if I play well, I can beat anyone,” said Lendl, a finalist here the last seven years and a three-time Open champion. “If I don’t play well, the very next match may be the last.”

Fifth-seeded Zina Garrison of the United States beat unseeded countrywoman Gigi Fernandez 7-5, 6-4, and 16th seed Hana Mandlikova of Australia defeated Laura Golarsa of Italy 7-6 (7-0), 0-6, 6-1 in second-round play.

Also in the second round, Nathalie Tauziat of France beat Kathy Rinaldi of the United States 6-2, 6-1.

In continuing first-round play, 11th-seeded Jana Novotna of Czechoslovakia defeated Meredith McGrath of the United States 7-5, 6-2.

Among non-seeded players, Jill Hetherington of Canada beat Sandra Cecchini of Italy 6-0, 6-3; Rosalyn Fairbank of South Africa beat Peanut Harper of the United States 6-3, 6-4; Terry Phelps of the United States defeated Judith Wiesner of Austria 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, and Susan Sloane of the United States beat Laura Garrone of Italy 6-2, 7-5.

In the second round of men’s singles today, No. 2 seed Boris Becker of West Germany beat Derrick Rostagno of the United States 1-6, 6-7 (1-7), 6-3, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 and Yannick Noah of France beat Todd Witsken of the United States 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.