Tennis Roundup : Grabb Bags Another Upset Victory in Stockholm Open

Jim Grabb continued his winning ways in the $525,000 Stockholm Open tennis tournament, outlasting Sergio Casal of Spain to reach the quarterfinals.

The 23-year-old Grabb, who upset No. 2-seeded Mats Wilander Wednesday, beat Casal, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3, on one of the side courts at the Royal Tennis Hall. The match lasted 2 hours 39 minutes.

Canadian qualifier Martin Laurendeau was another surprising quarterfinalist. The lowest-ranked player in the main draw at No. 189, Laurendeau downed Christian Bergstrom of Sweden, 7-6, 6-4.

Laurendeau, a former All-American at Pepperdine, rallied from 0-3 and 1-4 in the second set.

Stefan Edberg, the defending champion, struggled early but held on to defeat fellow Swede Ulf Stenlund, 7-6, 6-3, and Peter Lundgren beat Jimmy Arias, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.

Also reaching the round of eight was former USC standout Matt Anger, whose serve-and-volley game is well-suited to the semi-fast Plexipave surface. He surprised Joakim Nystrom of Sweden, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

Anger will play Magnus Gustafsson of Sweden in the quarterfinals today. Gustafsson, ranked 106th in the world, beat Eric Jelen of West Germany, 7-6, 6-2.

Nystrom had not played for five weeks following a knee injury, and the 24-year-old Anger skillfully capitalized on his lack of sharpness.

“I have had a slow year, but I made a lot of good approaches today,” Anger said.

Anti-apartheid demonstrators wanted to stop his participation here because he had played in South Africa, but Anger responded, “I am representing the United States and not their government when I play in South Africa and I will go there again.

“Stockholm is virtually the only place where I have been questioned about it.”

Kevin Curren mixed a powerful serve with carefully placed drop volleys to upset top-seeded Miloslav Mecir, 7-5, 6-4, and advance to the quarterfinals of the $815,000 Paris Open.

Curren will meet Brad Gilbert, who defeated Czechoslovakian Tomas Smid, 6-2, 6-2.

Curren, a native of South Africa now living in Texas, beat Mecir, the world’s fifth-ranked player, with nine aces and numerous service winners. “I’ve had a lot of good wins in my career, but this is the biggest this year,” Curren said.

Also advancing to today’s quarterfinals was Michiel Schapers of Holland, who boomed 11 aces in a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Alexander Volkov of the Soviet Union.

Lori McNeil downed Anne Hobbs of Britain, 6-2, 6-1, in the second round of the $250,000 Virginia Slims of New England at Worcester, Mass.

In other matches, Eva Pfaff of West Germany held off Hu Na, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4; second-seeded Pam Shriver downed Peanut Louie Harper, 6-4, 6-2, and third-seeded Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina advanced when Kathy Jordan defaulted due to a knee injury at 2-2 in the first set.