GaryMrMets
09-08-2005, 12:52 AM
Navratilova still displays competitive fire at 48
SportsTicker
By Aaron Rennie SportsTicker Tennis Editor FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) - Martina Navratilova is 48 years old, but one wouldn't know it based on her play Wednesday at the U.S. Open.
The best player on the court, Navratilova and partner Anna-Lena Groenefeld rallied past second seeds Svetlana Kuznetsova and Alicia Molik, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 7-5, at Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach the semifinals of the women's doubles draw.
A winner of a record 167 singles titles, including 18 Grand Slams, Navratilova saved two break points on her serve in the seventh game of the third set.
With Kuznetsova - her former partner - serving on match point, the lefthanded Navratilova lunged to her right to get a racquet on a serve up the T, and Molik netted an overhead smash, ending contest after 2 hours, 24 minutes.
The Czechoslovakian-born American shouted in joy and greeted her German partner, then carried her enthusiasm into the seventh seeds' postmatch media session.
"That was an unbelievable match, period," Navratilova said. "It was so tight the whole time. We could have won the first set, lost it. We could have lost the second set, won it. The third one was very, very tight. Some break points against them. They had some break points against us. Just nobody could get ahead. It was tight all the way through.
"So that was an exciting match to win, period. And to do it on this stadium in the quarterfinals, it's sweet."
During the session, Navratilova - five years older than Kuznetsova and Molik combined - was asked how she kept the excitement alive.
"Well, I am alive," she said. "I mean, that's what life is about. If you don't have passion for life, then you might as well not be living.
"I show it probably more than other people. I know Anna is feeling it as well, but she keeps it a little more under control. I've always worn my emotions."
One thing Navratilova always has been passionate about is doubles, of which she has won a staggering 175 crowns in her career.
On Wednesday, she was asked about a lawsuit filed last week by men's players against the ATP Tour, which after the year's final major will radically change doubles formats, including playing sets up to just five games, in order to get more singles players entered.
Already, the mixed doubles matches here automatically go to a super tiebreaker if the teams split the first two sets, with the first team to win 10 points by at least two claiming the match.
"I think they're just trying to get rid of doubles and they're doing it slowly," she said. "It started with the mixed doubles third-set tiebreak, which is total (garbage). I've been talking to the USTA people about that a couple years ago, and they said, 'Oh, the fans like it.' That is such (garbage). I have never heard bigger (garbage) in my life. Every time there's a third set, people are yelling, 'Play it out, play it out.' "It started with the mixed doubles; now they're doing it with the doubles. I think it's a mistake. If the tournaments are losing, or they're saying they need to make more money, they're losing money on the doubles, they don't bring fans in and all this stuff, OK, get rid of all the outfielders in baseball. There's a place for everybody."
Navratilova and Groenefeld, who started playing together earlier this year and won the Rogers Cup in Toronto last month, next face 14th seeds Elena Dementieva of Russia and Flavia Pennetta of Italy.
Even if she and Groenefeld, 20, were to lose, Navratilova certainly will not hang up her racquet anytime soon, even though she will turn 49 on October 18.
"It's never been about the trophies," she said. "I always said that. You guys don't believe me, though. I mean, winning is great. Certainly you have to play well to win. But sometimes you can play lousy and still win because the opponent played worse. Today, we put it together when we had to.
"But it's always been about getting the most out of myself, out of my game, and see how that matches up with the other guys."
As Kuznetsova and Molik can attest, Navratilova still matches up well.
09-07-05 17:56 ET
SportsTicker
By Aaron Rennie SportsTicker Tennis Editor FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) - Martina Navratilova is 48 years old, but one wouldn't know it based on her play Wednesday at the U.S. Open.
The best player on the court, Navratilova and partner Anna-Lena Groenefeld rallied past second seeds Svetlana Kuznetsova and Alicia Molik, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 7-5, at Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach the semifinals of the women's doubles draw.
A winner of a record 167 singles titles, including 18 Grand Slams, Navratilova saved two break points on her serve in the seventh game of the third set.
With Kuznetsova - her former partner - serving on match point, the lefthanded Navratilova lunged to her right to get a racquet on a serve up the T, and Molik netted an overhead smash, ending contest after 2 hours, 24 minutes.
The Czechoslovakian-born American shouted in joy and greeted her German partner, then carried her enthusiasm into the seventh seeds' postmatch media session.
"That was an unbelievable match, period," Navratilova said. "It was so tight the whole time. We could have won the first set, lost it. We could have lost the second set, won it. The third one was very, very tight. Some break points against them. They had some break points against us. Just nobody could get ahead. It was tight all the way through.
"So that was an exciting match to win, period. And to do it on this stadium in the quarterfinals, it's sweet."
During the session, Navratilova - five years older than Kuznetsova and Molik combined - was asked how she kept the excitement alive.
"Well, I am alive," she said. "I mean, that's what life is about. If you don't have passion for life, then you might as well not be living.
"I show it probably more than other people. I know Anna is feeling it as well, but she keeps it a little more under control. I've always worn my emotions."
One thing Navratilova always has been passionate about is doubles, of which she has won a staggering 175 crowns in her career.
On Wednesday, she was asked about a lawsuit filed last week by men's players against the ATP Tour, which after the year's final major will radically change doubles formats, including playing sets up to just five games, in order to get more singles players entered.
Already, the mixed doubles matches here automatically go to a super tiebreaker if the teams split the first two sets, with the first team to win 10 points by at least two claiming the match.
"I think they're just trying to get rid of doubles and they're doing it slowly," she said. "It started with the mixed doubles third-set tiebreak, which is total (garbage). I've been talking to the USTA people about that a couple years ago, and they said, 'Oh, the fans like it.' That is such (garbage). I have never heard bigger (garbage) in my life. Every time there's a third set, people are yelling, 'Play it out, play it out.' "It started with the mixed doubles; now they're doing it with the doubles. I think it's a mistake. If the tournaments are losing, or they're saying they need to make more money, they're losing money on the doubles, they don't bring fans in and all this stuff, OK, get rid of all the outfielders in baseball. There's a place for everybody."
Navratilova and Groenefeld, who started playing together earlier this year and won the Rogers Cup in Toronto last month, next face 14th seeds Elena Dementieva of Russia and Flavia Pennetta of Italy.
Even if she and Groenefeld, 20, were to lose, Navratilova certainly will not hang up her racquet anytime soon, even though she will turn 49 on October 18.
"It's never been about the trophies," she said. "I always said that. You guys don't believe me, though. I mean, winning is great. Certainly you have to play well to win. But sometimes you can play lousy and still win because the opponent played worse. Today, we put it together when we had to.
"But it's always been about getting the most out of myself, out of my game, and see how that matches up with the other guys."
As Kuznetsova and Molik can attest, Navratilova still matches up well.
09-07-05 17:56 ET