Flames of Edberg, Becker Are Flickering : Commentary: They a repart of a tennis generation that is passing the torch to players such as Sampras and Agassi.

INDIAN WELLS — They are young men who are tennis old. Both are within the shadow of age 30, and when they waved goodby to an appreciative sellout crowd while leaving the court after semifinal losses in Sunday’s Newsweek Champions Cup there was a touch of sadness to it.

Certainly, Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker will be back here, perhaps as many as half a dozen times. And certainly there are many victories and fine moments left for each, because they remain among the top players in the game.

But for Edberg and Becker, tomorrow is much closer than yesterday. For them, the old sports cliche doesn’t quite work. Their future is behind them.

Edberg, only yesterday winning the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles as the new kid on the tennis block, will turn 30 in January. He is six Grand Slam tournament titles and nearly $19 million in prize money removed from those wonderful August days at UCLA’s shiny new tennis stadium.

Becker, only yesterday winning the 1985 Wimbledon final as a dazzling young redhead diving around the hallowed grass and becoming the youngest at 17 years 7 months to take this most prestigious of tennis titles, will turn 30 in a little more than two years. He is five Grand Slam tournament titles and nearly $16 million in prize money removed from those wonderful days of acrobatics in England’s creaky old tennis shrine.

For Edberg and Becker, magical names in tennis, each stop on the tour is an appearance to be noted, perhaps even cherished by historians of the sport. Sunday’s crowd in the Hyatt Grand Champions Stadium numbered 11,500, and by the warmth of the applause as Edberg and Becker headed off, it was clear that there was an appreciation that went beyond that of fans merely clapping for nice tries in tough matches.

Certainly, neither is ready for AARP cards. Nor is anybody suggesting Geritol or walking sticks.

But the facts are that there may be, yes may be , one Grand Slam event title left between the two of them. And if it comes, it probably will be at Wimbledon, where the grass is soft on the legs, the points end fast and a big serve can cover for a lost step here and there--or for a tight throat on those big points that now mean so much more than they did at age 20. Neither Arnold Palmer nor golf has a patent on the yips.

It isn’t so much age that makes Edberg and Becker tennis old. It is the age of the tennis-young people they have to play.

Edberg lost Sunday to Pete Sampras, at 23 the reigning No. 1 player in the world. In the third set, with the match on the line, Edberg, in full run, hit a screaming cross-court forehand to the right of Sampras at the net. Sampras bent easily and scooped the ball, almost effortlessly, into the open court for match point. Then Edberg cranked a hard shot at Sampras at the net that most mortals would have lacked the hand speed to handle. Sampras, hands of velvet, nudged it over the net, a drop shot that neither Edberg nor Carl Lewis could have run down.

Game, set, match young guy.

Becker lost to Andre Agassi, at 24 the No. 2 player in the world and currently the hottest hitter on the tour. Becker served bombs frequently in the mid-120-m.p.h. range, dug winning volleys off his shoe tops and tightened just enough to push two forehands inches wide in a second-set tiebreaker.

Game, set, match young guy.

Edberg and Becker are fathers now. Edberg was a daily delight during the Australian Open, pushing daughter Emily in her stroller. Becker enjoys telling people about son Noah, who walks, “but not so well yet.”

Both bravely talk about great tennis moments to come, and both believe it. But their younger counterparts showed quite clearly Sunday that, while it is still close, they are a notch above now--a half-step faster, a degree of vision clearer, a split-second of hand quicker.

The tennis torch is passing. Like the fans did here Sunday, tennis should cherish the flickers that remain.