TENNIS ROUNDUP : Berger Beats Shiras in the Second Round at Toronto

Jay Berger breezed past Leif Shiras, 6-2, 6-4, in the second round of the Players International tournament Tuesday at Toronto.

The top three seeded players--Andre Agassi, Brad Gilbert and John McEnroe--begin play today.

Berger was playing his first tournament after a six-week rest. He had taken off after the French Open, skipping Wimbledon. He fished. He played golf. He just hung around. It was therapeutic.

“I learned just to play the tournaments you really want to play, because if you’re not healthy you’re not going to play well,” said Berger, who cramped up in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open last year and had to withdraw.

In other matches, 14th-seeded Jean Fleurian of France eliminated Glenn Michibata of Toronto, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, and 10th-seeded Jim Grabb beat Udo Riglewski of West Germany.

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain overcame a slow start to help second-seeded Spain defeat Canada, 2-1, in the first round of the Federation Cup at Norcross, Ga.

Sanchez-Vicario overcame a 3-1, 40-love deficit in the first set to defeat Helen Kelesi, ranked No. 23 in the world, 6-3, 6-2.

Team captain Juan Alvarino, who showed little concern during Sanchez Vicario’s first set, said, “I stayed calm because maybe it’s normal with Arantxa to start slowly. Also, every time she plays she fights till the last ball.”

Sanchez Vicario’s win sealed the Spanish victory. Earlier in the day, teammate Conchita Martinez beat Jill Hetherington, 6-1, 6-4.

The Federation Cup is the women’s equivalent of the Davis Cup in men’s competition. The event ends Sunday.

In other matches, Leila Meskhi of the Soviet Union led her fourth-seeded team to a 3-0 victory over Brazil, beating Andrea Vieira, 6-7 (7-4), 6-1, 6-2.

Natalia Zvereva beat Claudia Chabalgoity, 6-0 6-1, and teamed with Larisa Savchenko to defeat Chabalgoity and Luciana Corsato, 6-2 6-1.