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June 28, 2000 SportsLine.com wire reports |
WIMBLEDON, England -- Martina Navratilova walked off the court to
applause, licked her index finger and made an imaginary mark in the air to
signify one victory -- her first at Wimbledon in four years.
The nine-time singles champion made a successful return to the All England
Club, teaming with Mariaan de Swardt for a first-round victory in doubles
Wednesday. They beat Lubomira Bacheva and Amanda Hopmans 6-3, 6-7 (7-6), 6-3.
The match was the first since 1996 at Wimbledon for Navratilova, 43.
"It was nice," she said. "I've been thinking about it a long time. Once
you get out there, you bask in the applause for 30 seconds, then you have to
play a match. You don't have a chance to sit and relax and enjoy it very much.
Doubles moves pretty fast. You've got to get on with it."
Navratilova will also play mixed doubles with Mahesh Bhupathi. Two more
titles would give her 21 in singles and doubles at Wimbledon, breaking the
record of 20 held by her close friend, Billie Jean King.
"Not bloody likely," said Navratilova, who has repeatedly denied that the
record is her motivation for returning. She said she merely found herself with
free time this summer and decided to play doubles in the French Open and
Wimbledon. She may also play at the U.S. Open.
"Giving the old people hope," she joked. "I didn't have anything planned
for a couple of months. I thought, 'Ah, I'll play Wimbledon.'"
Her return attracted an overflow crowd on Court 18, and fans in the back
were still standing at the end of the two-hour match. For many, the sight of
Navratilova moving gracefully on the immaculate lawn likely brought back a
flood of memories.
She's still trim, bespectacled and aggressive about charging the net, just
like in 1990, when she won her last Wimbledon singles title. According to de
Swardt, Navratilova remains a formidable force today.
"I've been struggling to get points off her in practice," de Swardt said.
"She'll beat a lot of people if she still wants to play singles."
She doesn't want to, saying it would require too much time and effort to get
into shape. Navratilova said she now has too many other interests with family,
hobbies and her work as a television commentator, which she finds easier than
playing.
"Up in the booth," she said with a laugh, "I never miss a shot."
Martina Navratilova celebrates a point in her doubles match on Wednesday.(Reuters)
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2000, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
| R E L A T E D L I N K S |
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Wimbledon results Notebook: British chances especially slim this year Smashnova lives up to name; wins despite blasting a ball at heckler Forum: How far will the Navratilova-de Swardt team go? |
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