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Steffi Graf Admiration Thread Vol 2

864K views 6K replies 140 participants last post by  Michael! 
#1 ·
This is a great idea to start this topic...
I shall dedicate this thread to the player who made me notice tennis and follow it eversince I saw her play.....

Steffi Graf!
:bounce: :bounce:
 
#4,376 ·
Steffi would remain undefeated in Zurich.

Injury-free Krickstein downs Steeb in final
Houston Chronicle
Monday, OCTOBER 23, 1989
Associated Press

The fourth-seeded Krickstein, ranked 10th in the world, trounced fifth-seeded Carl-Uwe Steeb of West Germany 6-2, 6-2 in the men's singles final on the indoor surface at Yoyogi National Stadium.

Krickstein received $100,000, and Steeb $50,000.

"I feel great. This was my biggest title ever," Krickstein said.

Krickstein became the first American to win the tournament since Jimmy Connors defeated Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia in 1984.

"Many great players have won this tournament. I am happy to be in that category," said the 22-year-old from Grosse Pointe, Mich. "I got off to a fast start. I was able to hit deep backhands and moved well."

Steeb said, "I couldn't play my best tennis. The reason was he did everything better than I was doing."

On his improvement this year and his return to the top 10, Krickstein said: "A large part of the reason has been due to getting rid of nagging injuries. Now I can improve as well as play."

Graf defeats Novotna

ZURICH, Switzerland - Steffi Graf defeated fifth-seeded Jana Novotna of Czechoslovakia 6-1, 7-6 (8-6) to capture the European Indoors women's tournament.

The world's top-ranked female player demonstrated her superb physical condition in the first set, sweeping her way to a 5-0 lead after only 14 minutes with a series of powerful serves and well-placed net shots.

But Novotna, who was lethargic and clearly in awe of her 20-year-old opponent at the start of the match, rallied in the second set with a display of the fine lobs and backhands that helped her to a surprise victory over Yugoslavia's Monica Seles in Saturday's semifinals.

The 21-year-old Czech, ranked 12th in the world, took advantage of a lapse in concentration to break Graf's service and take a 2-0 lead in the tie-break. But Graf quickly recovered and clinched the final after 72 minutes of play.

"I made too many mistakes in the second set and found it harder to concentrate," Graf said after the match.

She added that intensive coaching had improved her serve this year.

In 15 career matches in this tournament, Graf, who defeated Czechoslovakia's Helena Sukova in the semifinal, has won 30 sets and dropped two. Graf won the tournament in 1986 and '87.

Annacone whips Evernden

VIENNA, Austria - American Paul Annacone outlasted Kelly Evernden of New Zealand 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 to capture a Grand Prix tournament.

The match, which took 3 hours, 28 minutes, was characterized by changing fortunes and flashes of brilliance by both finalists.

Annacone played decisively and with confidence at the net. Evernden answered with deep cross-court backhands and perfectly timed passing shots which often left the American stranded. Both served confidently and both had their lapses of concentration.

Von Heintze wins Rice Quad

Rice sophomore Jesco von Heintze won the Flight One singles and teammed with sophomore Raimundo Riojas to capture the Doubles Flight in the final round of the Rice Quad at the Jake Hess Stadium.

In singles, von Heintze beat Ulf Borjeson of Southeast Louisiana 6-4, 6-0, and in doubles, the Rice team beat Borjeson and Hakan Bennhage 6-1, 6-4.

Erich Reich of Southeast Louisiana defeated Rice's Matt Berry 6-4, 6-2 in the finals of Flight Two.
 
#4,377 ·
Graf and Seles courting favour - Tennis
The Times
London, England
Tuesday, October 24, 1989
Andrew Longmore, Tennis Correspondent

Arriving hotfoot from Zurich, where she picked up her 11th title of the year on Sunday, Steffi Graf will begin the defence of her Midland Bank Championships title against the Italian, Laura Garrone, at Brighton today.

Graf arrived from Switzerland and was on the practice court not long after touching down, which says something about her extraordinary dedication to the duty of winning tennis matches. Her record this year is 74 wins to two losses and she has won three Grand Slam titles, seven out of the last eight.

Apart from losing a set to Lori McNeil, Graf was untroubled in winning last year's title and there is little in the sea air to suggest that history will not repeat itself. McNeil is in the ranks again, so is Manuela Maleeva, who is seeded to meet Graf in a repeat of last year's final.

There is no doubting the second attraction on the bill, Monica Seles, ranked seven and still a month short of her 16th birthday, was a bit of a novelty when she made her first appearance in this country at Wimbledon. Her reputation for throwing flowers to the crowd and for hitting hard and double-handed off both sides had preceded her across the Channel from the French Open, but no one had been quite prepared for the real thing, bobtail, giggle and all.

Seles caused a few flutters in the hearts of the organizers of these championships by announcing her withdrawal from the tournament a few weeks ago. Perhaps she was suffering from butterflies herself at the prospect of taking a maths exam next week.

Jo Durie, a finalist here in 1983, and Anne Hobbs were the certain British representatives in the first round, but they were joined yesterday by Clare Wood and Sarah Bentley, who both came through qualifying.

Bentley's progress is remarkable, first, because she is only 16 and second because six weeks ago she fractured her skull in a swimming pool accident in Portugal. Bentley, the British junior covered-court champion, beat the Austrian, Heidi Sprung, in two sets.

Whatever happens, The Midland Bank Championships, with Pounds 160,000 at stake, is set to make history. It is the last event to be held on the Virginia Slims tour in Europe. Next year, the tour becomes the Kraft General Foods tour (same company, different division) which does not have quite the same liberated ring to it somehow.
 
#4,378 ·
TOP-SEEDED GRAF BREEZES IN OPENER
The Gazette
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
October 25, 1989
Associated Press

BRIGHTON, England - Top-ranked Steffi Graf gave up just one point in the first five games and went on to beat Laura Garrone 6-0, 6-0 in first-round action yesterday of a women's tournament.

"My service is getting stronger and I'm going in far more. I'm also stepping in and trying to take the ball earlier," Graf said.

Graf allowed her Italian opponent only 15 points in the entire match, which lasted just 34 minutes. Garrone, ranked 83rd in the world, hit only one winner in the match, a cross-court backhand in the second game of the second set.

Afterward, Graf said she had been asked by Britain's Princess Diana to give tennis lessons to her older son, Prince William. Graf said she hoped to find a spot on her schedule to coach the 7-year-old.

Also in the Virginia Slims tour stop, Barbara Potter of the United States defeated 16-year-old Sarah Bentley of Britain 6-4, 6-2. Katrina Adams defeated Patty Fendick in a meeting of Americans, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2, and Monica Seles of Yugoslavia defeated Nathalie Herreman of France, 6-3, 6-4.

MECIR WINS

ANTWERP - Miloslav Mecir beat Martin Jaite and Henri Leconte of France edged Italy's Paolo Cane in opening-round matches yesterday at the $1-million U.S. European community tennis championship.

Andrei Chesnokov had the easiest time, as Anders Jarryd of Sweden retired with an injured lower back after losing the first set 6-3 to the Soviet player.

Leconte, who slumped to 37th in the world this year, needed more than two hours to beat Cane 6-3, 6-7, 6-3. Leconte, 26, is trying to regain his form after undergoing back surgery this summer.

His second-round opponent will be defending champion John McEnroe.

Mecir, also in the midst of a slump which dropped him to 25th in the rankings, had an easier time against Jaite, winning 6-4, 6-1.

The field includes eight of the world's best 12 players. Ivan Lendl is the No. 1 seed in the tourney.

BLOOM UPSETS VOLKOV IN FRANKFURT CUP

FRANKFURT, West Germany - Israel's Gilad Bloom upset seventh-seeded Alexander Volkov of the Soviet Union 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 yesterday in the first round of the Frankfurt Cup Grand Prix tournament.

Kelly Evernden of New Zealand, seeded sixth, made it into the second round with a 6-4, 6-2 win over American Martin Davis and eighth-seeded Eric Jelen of West Germany struggled through two sets before recovering to beat American Jonathan Canter 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1.

Top-seeded Boris Becker of West Germany enters the tournament tomorrow.
 
#4,379 ·
As per above, Garrone did hit one winner. Still kinda grim, though.

Bentley trades loss for profit - Tennis
The Times
London, England
Wednesday, October 25, 1989
Andrew Longmore, Tennis Correspondent

Sarah Bentley learned a little about the profit and loss of women's tennis at Brighton yesterday. The schoolgirl, from Lincoln, who had surpassed all expectations to reach the first round of the Midland Bank championships, was beaten by the old campaigner, Barbara Potter, 6-4, 6-2 but her bank balance will look healthier for the experience.

On Sunday she pocketed Pounds 500 for winning the Tate and Lyle tournament at Wimbledon. As a first-round loser yesterday, she picked up another Pounds 951, all of which will go some way towards meeting costs, estimated at Pounds 1,000 a term, for her London college plus Pounds 100 per week rent, travel and living expenses.

Experience, however, cannot be measured in figures. "The last few days have been an important breakthrough," she said. "They've given me a lot of confidence. You tend to put the top players on a pedestal but she wasn't miles away."

It would seem harsh to point out that Potter has played very little competitive tennis since she aggravated a back injury so badly in a car crash in February that she is condemned to performing complicated stretching exercises on court and, more disconcertingly, during her interviews.

Bentley has had her problems as well. Not long ago, she fractured her skull as she slipped getting into a swimming pool during the World Youth Cup in Germany. For a day she lost her memory and she was out not literally for six weeks. "It was actually quite good for me. I missed tennis and had a good rest, so when I came back I felt fresh. It was a new start but there must be easier ways," she added.

Amid the aerobics, Potter was generous in her praise for the slender British junior. "She's the peppiest British player since Sue Barker," Potter said. "She lacks strength but she can make up for that with her heart and her mind. She has learned that she will have to really improve her game, but she's more on edge than all the British players I've seen."

Bentley, who never mastered Potter's service and lost her own once in the first and twice in the second set, will return to her business studies in London; Potter is also going back to school in a couple of years, at the age of 30. "I'm not going to weep about an ageing body much longer; I've got an active mind to attend to," she said.

Poor Laura Garrone failed to open her account against Steffi Graf. The defending champion took 34 minutes to win 6-0, 6-0 and the only point of debate afterwards was whether the Italian had actually hit an outright winner in the whole match. The consensus suggested not.

Monica Seles, the No.3 seed, made slightly harder work of beating Nathalie Herreman but Bentley will surely be happiest with the day's business. Quite apart from the money, she won another prize: a bright pink alarm clock. Apparently she is not the most punctual of players.

RESULTS: First round: C Kohde-Kilsch (WG) bt K Quentrec (Fr), 6-4, 6-1; S Cecchini (It) bt R McQuillan (Aus), 6-4, 7-5; L Golarsa (It) bt C Wood (GB), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; A Henricksson (US) bt E Pfaff (WG), 6-1, 6-1; B Potter (US) bt S Bentley (GB), 6-4, 6-2; E Reinach (SA) bt B Cordwell (NZ), 6-0, 7-6; K Adams (US) bt P Fendick (US), 6-7, 6-3, 6-2; M Seles (Yug) bt N Herreman (Fr), 6-3, 6-4; S Graf (WG) bt L Garrone (It), 6-0, 6-0; C Lindqvist (Swe) bt D van Rensburg (SA), 7-6, 6-2.
 
#4,380 ·
And 25 years later, the money is even more outrageous. If someone had won both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open this year, that probably would be USD 5 million right there. There will come a point when the sponsors will realize they are not getting a proportional return.

Graf directs volley at top players' earnings
The Ottawa Citizen
October 27, 1989
From Citizen news services

BRIGHTON, England -- World No. 1 Steffi Graf demolished another opponent on the way to another big cheque at the Brighton women's tournament Thursday, then said she believes the top players earn too much.

Graf, who has made more $5 million U.S. in prize money in seven years as a tennis professional, cruised into the last eight of the tourney beating fellow West German Claudia Kohde-Kilsch, 6-0, 6-3, in 52 minutes.

Commenting on the Grand Slam Cup, which will be staged in West Germany in December 1990, with the top eight men competing for $6 million, Graf said:

"It's a lot of money for that kind of tournament. The money is getting crazy now. It's just too much. There is already a Masters tournament so why should ATP and the Grand Slams compete against each other?"

"The top players are already making enough money as it is. It is just not necessary."

Graf said there should be more money for the lesser players.

"If the Grand Slams have all this money available why don't they share it out among all the players?"

When told that the Grand Slam committee were giving $2 million for junior development as well as putting up the prize money, she replied: "They are only doing that to make it sound better."

In other second-round action Thursday, Hana Mandlikova of Australia, the sixth seed, defeated unheralded Laura Golarsa of Italy, 7-5, 6-3, while fifth-seeded Jana Novotna of Czechoslovakia downed compatriot Jana Pospisilova, 6-3, 6-3.

Lendl ekes out win

ANTWERP, Belgium -- Top-seeded Ivan Lendl and Miloslav Mecir both struggled in tough three-set matches Thursday before reaching the quarterfinals of the $1 million U.S. European Community Championship.

Lendl scored a 7-5, 0-6, 6-2 victory over Soviet Andrei Chesnokov and Mecir escaped against American Aaron Krickstein, seeded seventh, 5-7, 7-6, 6-0.

In a spectacular two-hour match at the exhibition tournament, Lendl and Chesnokov produced great rallies but each time the Soviet had the opportunity to take over the match, he crumbled.

Lendl overcame problems with his deep ground strokes to produce brilliant shots when it counted.

"Chesnokov always gives me problems," said Lendl. "You produce three good shots and even then you're not sure of winning the point."
 
#4,381 ·
We also note that once again Steffi contradicts the "She says nothing and just plays tennis, we don't know what's in her mind or her heart" stereotype.

Graf makes rapid progress - Tennis
The Times
London, England
Friday, October 27, 1989
Andrew Longmore

Steffi Graf, the No.1 seed, took little pity on her Federation Cup colleague, Claudia Kohde-Kilsch, winning 6-0, 6-3 in 52 minutes to reach the quarter-finals of the Midland Bank Championships at Brighton yesterday. She then made rather shorter work of the International Tennis Federation's new $8 million (about Pounds 5 million) Grand Slam Cup, announced last week.

"It's crazy to put up that kind of prize-money," she said. "The money is getting too much and only the top players are able to compete for it. There should be more money available for the other players."

Graf felt that it would perhaps be "more interesting" if women had been included in the cup along with the men. "But," she added, "it is a different situation."

Graf, who has won over $4.6 million in her seven-year career, had a comfortable passage on her way to another $50,000 yesterday, winning her third straight set to love, but losing concentration fractionally midway through the second set. "When I needed to concentrate I did," she said. Elna Reinach's is the next head on the block.

Hana Mandlikova, the No.5 seed, further justified her position alongside Graf on the neon sign which pierces the autumnal gloom at the front of the Brighton Centre. She "found the groove," she said, in defeating Laura Golarsa 7-5, 6-3 in a match full of elegance and finesse.

Mandlikova will need to stay in it when she meets Monica Seles tonight. It will be their first meeting, but Mandlikova knows the young Yugoslav's reputation. "I was just a junior at the age of 15." Mandlikova said. "It's unbelievable how hard she hits the ball. She's a great competitor and has nothing to lose." Mandlikova, of course, has to defend her position on the seafront.

Quite apart from Mandlikova, born in Prague but an Australian citizen, there was a Czech flavour to the day's proceedings, Jana Novotna defeating Jana Pospisilova, two years her junior, 6-3 6-3. Novotna has hit a rich and consistent vein of form in recent weeks, culminating in Zurich last Sunday when she nearly took a set off Graf in the final and she was rarely troubled by her hard-hitting compatriot. Novotna is set for another rendezvous with Graf in the semi-finals.

RESULTS: Second round: H Mandlikova (Aus) bt L Golarsa (It), 7-5, 6-3; J Novotna (Cz) bt J Pospisilova (Cz), 6-3, 6-3; S Graf (WG) bt C Kohde-Kilsch (WG), 6-0, 6-3; M Maleeva (Bul) bt J Wiesner (Austria), 7-6, 6-1.
 
#4,382 ·
Again, it's not like she was a recluse. She did have to indefinitely Prince William's tennis lesson (maybe she will be able to work in one for Prince George of Cambridge), but it was not because she was hiding in a hotel room.

A leading lady who shuns the limelight - Steffi Graf
The Times
London, England
Friday, October 27, 1989
Andrew Longmore, Tennis Correspondent

If ever Steffi Graf decided to retire from tennis, there is a perfect film part waiting for her. Admittedly, it has already been played before by Greta Garbo, but Steffi, tall and blonde, is ideal for the remake. "I want to be alone." She could say it with feeling.

Graf has wanted to be alone for much of her week in Brighton. That is one reason why she comes. She can walk the back streets, buy some compact discs and the locals leave her in peace, a precious commodity in such a high-profile world.

"I do wish to be alone sometimes. There is so much attention from the press in mid-summer, it's nice to come and go out without being recognized and followed," she said, adding: "I do walk very fast though."

The Wimbledon champion has not dallied long on the tennis court either, disposing of her first two opponents in just under 90 minutes. Her performances on court, in matchplay and practise (and there is not that much difference between the two) inspire admiration from players and coaches alike. Sue Mappin, the British national women's team manager, has filmed Graf in practice just to show aspiring champions what levels of intensity they have to reach. "Most of our youngsters wouldn't last 15 minutes with her," she says.

But there is a price to pay for such single-mindedness, though it is probably not one which bothers Graf unduly at the age of 20. Admiration can quickly turn to envy which, when added to a touch of arrogance and aloofness in Graf's own make-up, can be heard as a whisper on the sea air. Steffi will not play after seven o'clock, Steffi has a practice court all to herself, Steffi is running the tournament. You bet. Steffi is the best.

Barbara Potter, a shrewd player and observer of the women's tour for the past 10 years, has seen Evert and Navratilova at their best and knows what sacrifices have to be made.

"Steffi is all business," she says. "You wouldn't catch heads of state drinking tea down the cafe. It's the same with Steffi. The stakes are big and it's best to keep a respectful distance. That's what Steffi does." And it annoys the hell out of some of her shipmates.

Graf admits she does not seek out the company of her colleagues, but equally denies that she deliberately shuns them. "Off the courts, I try to keep away from tennis as much as possible, but I'm not someone who doesn't want to talk to other players. I just don't have a lot of girlfriends anyway," she says.

Graf might want to be alone, but she need never be lonely. Two red roses sent by unknown admirers to her hotel room provide colourful proof of that.
 
#4,383 ·
Lendl faces U.S. teen in semifinal
The Ottawa Citizen
October 28, 1989
From Citizen news services

ANTWERP -- Top-seeded Ivan Lendl and American teenager Michael Chang scored straight-set victories Friday to set up a semifinal match in the $1-million European community tennis championship.

Lendl defeated Austrian Horst Skoff 6-3, 6-3, and Chang ousted Alberto Mancini of Argentina 6-4, 6-3.

Their meeting in the semifinal will be their first since Chang defeated the world's No. 1 player on his way to the French Open title.

"It is going to be really tough," said Chang. "I know he wants this match."

Graf advances

BRIGHTON, England -- Steffi Graf, dismayed by her performance, defeated South Africa's Elna Reinach 6-3, 6-1 Friday to reach the semifinals of a $250,000 tournament.

"Today was just not the way I want to play at all," said Graf, the world's No. 1 woman player. "I should have taken more advantage of going for the shots. I didn't try to hit it; I didn't try to go for anything."

Graf took exactly one hour to defeat Reinach, who frustrated the West German by taking the pace off the ball and never venturing from the baseline.

The 20-year-old top seed captured the first four games, then dropped her service for the first time this week. She won the opening set in 37 minutes. She won the second set comfortably, dropping serve in the sixth game.

Third seed Monica Seles needed just 42 minutes to overpower veteran Hana Mandlikova 6-0, 6-1.

Second-seeded Manuela Maleeva of Bulgaria coasted to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Catarina Lindqvist of Sweden, while fourth seed Jana Novotna routed eighth-seeded Italian Raffaella Reggi 6-3, 6-1.

Seles, 15, a Yugoslav who lives in Bradenton, Fla., overwhelmed the 27-year-old Mandlikova, a former champion of the U.S., French and Australian Opens.

"She hits the ball as hard as Graf," Mandlikova said. "She is a very, very good player, and I think Graf should be worried."

Seles has risen to seventh in the world rankings this year, and Friday's victory assured her a place in her sixth semifinal this season. She will play Maleeva on Saturday, while Graf takes on Novotna.

Seles, who hits both her forehand and backhand with two hands, hit the ball so hard at times that Mandlikova seemed unable to react. The youngster conceded only seven points in the first five games of the match and only nine in the entire second set.

Mandlikova later complained of the loud grunts that accompanied every shot from Seles.

"To say I lost because of it would be rubbish," the Australian said. "But I have never heard such a noise before. It is very irritating."

Kelesi posts win

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Second-seeded Helen Kelesi of Thornhill, Ont., posted a 6-4, 6-0 victory over seventh-seeded Patricia Tarabini of Argentina on Friday to move into the semifinal of the $100,000 Puerto Rico Open tennis tournament.

Kelesi, ranked No. 15 in the world, was slated to play hometown favorite Gigi Fernandez in today's semifinal. No. 4 seed Laura Gildemeister advanced to the other semifinal match with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 win Friday over unseeded American Camille Benjamin.

Edging ahead

FRANKFURT, West Germany -- Kevin Curren edged fellow American Glenn Layendecker 7-6, 7-6 Friday to reach the semifinals of the Frankfurt Cup tennis tournament.

The South African-born Curren, the No. 3 seed, was the only seeded player to reach the last four.

Petr Korda of Czechoslovakia ousted Michael Stich of West Germany 6-4, 6-4, while Tim Nijssen of the Netherlands beat Eric Jelen, the eighth seed from West Germany, 6-0, 2-6, 7-5.
 
#4,384 ·
Of course, the grunt/shriek controversy would return -- and 25 years later it is an issue the WTA is trying to fix. If only everyone had complained then, and Seles had lost point after point, or they played let after let, because of the hindrance rule, she would have stopped grunting.

A biff and a grunt too much - Tennis
The Times
London, England
Saturday, October 28, 1989
Andrew Longmore, Tennis Correspondent

Hana Mandlikova had not played Monica Seles until last night but the introduction did not take long. With a biff and a grunt, Seles comprehensively outplayed the number five seed, dropping only one game to earn a meeting with Manuela Maleeva in the semi-finals of the Midland Bank Championships at Brighton today. Steffi Graf will meet Jana Novotna in the other semi-final.

But it was not so much the biff as the grunt which troubled Mandlikova. She said: "It is disturbing and very irritating. Other players say the same. Next time I'll complain. I'm not saying I lost because of the noise but it is distracting and it's against the rules." Only part of that is true.

Distracting it must be, especially when you are 6-0, 4-0 down and wanting to be anywhere else but on the tennis court; technically it is not against the rules unless, of course, it is deliberate and therefore a female version of 'ungentlemanly conduct.'

Other Seles habits must be far more irritating, however. Her penchant for driving winners to impeccable length and at a pace matched only by her quickfire chatter, for example.

The uncomfortable truth for Mandlikova, who has set her long sight on adding to her four Grand Slam singles titles, was that she played very badly. The even more uncomfortable thought must occur to her that she was not allowed to play any better. In her own words, she was 'overplayed' by Seles. It was a performance worthy of Graf who, unusually, was watching on the sidelines. "Steffi should be worried," Mandlikova said, curtly.

If Seles did a good impersonation of Happy, Graf herself was, by her own admission, Grumpy. She doesn't like playing Elna Reinach and it showed, though not in the result.

The South African is as tall and slender as a piece of straw and plays a game from a bygone age, full of lackadaisical gentility and female cunning. Her one concession to modernity is a two-handed backhand; her forehand is reminiscent of a carver at the joint. Both were used with a depth and efficiency which seemed to surprise the number one seed.

Not until the second game of the second set did Graf find rhythm on her serve and consistency on the ground. When she did, she played two near-perfect service games, racing into a 5-0 lead and leaving the 5ft 11in Reinach looking disconsolately at her distant shoelaces. After little over an hour, Graf was off the court and away, still muttering, while Reinach was chuntering about the influence Graf has over umpires. "When Steffi talks they listen." she said.

Perhaps she should grunt a little more.
 
#4,385 ·
Graf in final, but loses set
The San Diego Union
Sunday, October 29, 1989
From Union News Services

Steffi Graf, continuing to find fault with her performance in the $250,000 Virginia Slims tournament in Brighton, England, yesterday termed her 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 semifinal triumph over Czech Jana Novotna one of her hardest matches this year.

"I know I can play much better, and I know (today) is going to be totally different," said Graf, after the top seed from West Germany beat fourth-seeded Novotna. "I may not have played very well, but I won and that's what matters."

In today's final, Graf, who lost her first set in 10 matches, meets third-seeded Yugoslavian Monica Seles, 15, who beat No. 2 Manuela Maleeva of Bulgaria 6-3, 6-2.

Novotna seemed to surprise Graf with her powerful serve and sharp volleys in winning the opening set, breaking the West German's serve in the fifth game. It was Graf's first loss of a set since the final of the U.S. Open.

"I had my chances today," said Novotna, who had five first-set aces. "I started quite well, I didn't give her the chance, but I just couldn't hold her."

"In the first set, she served awfully well. I had one bad game and the set was gone. There was nothing I could do," Graf said. "In the second and third sets, she was not as strong and I had more chances."

Novotna won the first two games of the final set. But Graf then captured six of the last seven games.

Added Graf: "I knew it was going to be a harder match, but I was ready. I let her run quite a bit in the second set."

"I thought today was the day she was beatable," Novotna said. "I didn't think she was hitting as hard as normal. Perhaps it was my imagination."

Maleeva, a finalist against Graf in Brighton last year, took a 3-1 first-set lead. But Seles won seven consecutive games to take a 6-3, 2-0 lead.

Lendl Tops Chang, Will Face Mecir

ANTWERP, Belgium - Top-seeded Ivan Lendl topped Michael Chang 6-2, 6-3 and Miloslav Mecir defeated Brad Gilbert 6-4, 7-5 Saturday in the semifinals of the $1,050,000 European Community Championship.

Lendl used his forehand to chase Chang all over the court. Lendl avenged his French Open loss in his first rematch with Chang, 17.

Mecir, relying on his backcourt game, kept his composure while the third-seeded Gilbert lost his each time he was leading. Mecir moved into the final for the third time in four years.

Lendl has won the event four times, but Mecir still is seeking his first victory. One of Mecir's losses was against Lendl in the 1987 final.

"My record against Lendl is quite bad," said Mecir, the 1988 Olympic Champion. "I won maybe once against him."

Sunday's winner gets $220,000, the loser $150,000. Chang and Gilbert each earned $100,000.

Lendl, the world's top-ranked player, played nearly flawless tennis. He anticipated Chang's shots to set himself up for forehand winners. Chang, ranked sixth in the world, never generated any momentum of his own.

On the clay courts at the French Open, Chang was able to run down Lendl's shots, but on the faster Supreme Court surface, he could only watch and admire Lendl's strength.

"I just wanted to hit the ball hard, and under these conditions it is possible," Lendl said.

Mecir, recovering from a back injury, also had a great start, taking a 4-1 lead while Gilbert was cursing himself for numerous unforced errors. Gilbert, ranked fifth in the world, found his form to pull even at 4-4. But he lost the last two games and double-faulted on set point.
 
#4,386 ·
"[A] brain proofed against intimidated collapse" will not prove to be descriptive of Novotna. :lol:

It will also not be the last time the other players mutter under their breath about Steffi's amazing ability to get an entire court all to herself for practice, nor would it be the last time Steffi would respond along the lines of "Well, what would you do with it, anyway? Stand around and talk, that's all." :lol: Although to be fair, some of her "preferential" practice court assignments, especially at Wimbledon and the USO, were more because of security issues than any attempt to give her an advantage.

A cheer for the woman who frightened cross-patch Graf - Tennis
The Sunday Times
London, England
Sunday, October 29, 1989
Sue Mott

A COMMEMORATIVE bust must be commissioned without delay. Jana Novotna to be sculptured in bronze and set on a pedestal on the Brighton seafront in fond and grateful memory of the woman who gave Steffi Graf a contest.

"It was definitely one of my toughest matches this year," the West German world number one said after struggling rather traumatically to win the semi-final of the Midland Bank Championships in Brighton 4-6 6-3 6-3 against the Czech whose previous access to the record books had been via Wimbledon victories this year in the mixed and women's doubles.

Certainly in the opening set Novotna was in splendid sympathy with the storm-force south coast weather which turned the sea to a churning sepia and made somewhat redundant the bragging sign on the pier "Deckchairs free."

Graf did not weather the storm of Novotna's serving intact. She frowned impatiently at the ball-girls and gave vent to Germanic syllables of disgust when the forehand that usually sails as freely as Mrs Thatcher's handbag failed to connect full blast.

"I thought today was the day," Novotna said. "I felt in the warm-up that I had a chance. She usually hits much harder."

It has long been the fashionable wisdom in tennis that the woman best equipped to beat Graf will be an all-round performer with a game of great deftness at the net and a brain proofed against intimidated collapse.

Novotna played the role almost to perfection in the opening set. But in the second she hinted broadly that the sporting muse was beginning to fade with a double fault and a netted smash, and Graf duly stepped into the fray.

"Yes, I have an instinct for survival," Graf pounced on the words fed by a post-match inquisitor to explain why she has only lost two matches this year.

But as well as this well-developed instinct she also had an extremely grim expression and a slight altercation with the umpire before a net cord finally bequeathed her the match. At least, unlike so many of her conquests, this was a genuine contest. There was an element of courageousness in the way both women pursued the line, hoisted attacking lobs and slivered drop-shots within an inch of their life over the net.

The crowd warmed to the spectacle of an engrossing contest spiced with exorbitant skill. It certainly does no harm to Graf's grandeur to be occasionally treated to a struggle. Although her eminence had already been challenged last week by rebellious mutterings from her fellow professionals that she was unfairly favoured by practise times. Which is rather like Frank Sinatra being asked to stand downstage while the triangle player rehearses. Graf was not amused. "I need a work-out, I need space," she said dismissively.

But swatting her opponent in today's final may prove a more bothersome exercise. The sight of spindly-armed power-hitting Monica Seles, 15, has occasionally lured Graf away from exhaustive shopping missions and the cinema. The West German may have found the view disturbing.

Against the former French, US and Australian Open champion, Hana Mandlikova, in the quarter-finals Seles lost only one game. Velocity overwhelmed virtuosity. Against Manuela Maleeva, the second seed, in yesterday's second semi-final Seles achieved a competent straight sets victory 6-3 6-2 with her powerful ground strokes and her peculiar strain of grunt which accompanied each shot.

The audience could barely contain their hilarity as every shot was accompanied by a fascinating noise that has yet to be defined in the annals of world sport. Is it a grunt...a wail...a sigh....a screech....a moan? Answers on a post-card, please.
 
#4,387 ·
Lendl uses hammer forehand, feather touch to defeat Mecir
Houston Chronicle
Monday, OCTOBER 30, 1989
Associated Press

ANTWERP, Belgium - Ivan Lendl used his scorching forehand and some rare delicate touches to beat fellow Czechoslovak Miloslav Mecir 6-2, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 Sunday and win the European Community Championship for the fifth time in the tournament's eight-year history.

The world's top-ranked player earned the $220,000 first prize as he kept a sullen Mecir unsettled for most of the match.

Mecir, ranked 25th in the world, rallied only in the third set when Lendl lost concentration and almost gave the set away.

"Lendl played some of his best tennis in the first two sets," said Mecir.

As soon as Lendl trailed by two service breaks in the third set, Lendl said he "did not want to fight and still lose 7-5. I wanted to save energy," said Lendl, who had complained of fatigue.

For Lendl, it was his fifth title in six attempts here. He has never lost a final on the Supreme Court at the Sports Palace.

With his second victory in three years, he is again on target for the $750,000 Diamond Cup, which goes to the first player to win the event three times in a five-year span. He won his first gold-and-diamond racket in 1985.

Defending champion John McEnroe has won the three other editions of the event but is still in search of a Diamond Cup. He lost to Mecir earlier in the tournament.

Graf turns back Seles

BRIGHTON, England - Steffi Graf captured her 13th tournament title of the year by defeating Monica Seles 7-5, 6-4 in a seesaw final in which each player ran off impressive streaks.

Graf, the top women's tennis player in the world, claimed the championship of the Brighton indoor tournament for the second consecutive year.

The West German, who earned $50,000 with the victory, now has won 13 of the 15 tournaments in which she has played this year. Her only losses came in the final of the French Open in June to Arantxa Sanchez and to Gabriela Sabatini in April at Amelia Island, Fla.

"I was not happy with my form earlier in the week, but today was definitely better," Graf said. "But I still made some mistakes that are not so usual."

Graf took a 4-2 lead in the first set before the 15-year-old Seles won the next three games to take a 5-4 lead. However, Graf responded with a three-game winning streak of her own to claim the set 7-5.

The third-seeded Seles, a native of Yugoslavia who lives in Bradenton, Fla., was overpowered for the first six games of the second set as Graf moved in and started hitting her returns earlier.

Seles fell behind 5-1 in the second set, then won three games in a row to pull within 5-4. But after saving one match point on a ball that hit the net and fell onto Graf's side of the court, Seles hit a service return wide on the second match point she faced.

"Monica made the match very difficult for me," said Graf, who defeated Seles 6-0, 6-1 on the grass at Wimbledon this summer. "She is definitely a great player and I had a lot of work to do today."

Curren wins over Korda

FRANKFURT, West Germany - Kevin Curren of Austin defeated Petr Korda of Czechoslovakia 6-2, 7-5 to capture the Frankfurt Cup tennis tournament.

The third-seeded American dominated in the first set, relying on his powerful service and volleys to take command of the match.

But the unseeded 21-year-old Czechoslovak rallied in the second set, and the American needed all his experience to wrap up the match in one hour, 35 minutes.

Curren, 31, picked up $35,000 for his fifth Grand Prix victory, while Korda received $17,500.

Arraya stings Fernandez

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Peru's Laura Arraya captured the Puerto Rico Open championship title by defeating Gigi Fernandez 6-1, 6-2 in a easy match on the Hyatt Regency cement courts.

Arraya, fourth-seeded in the tournament, was dominant against the third-seeded Fernandez, controlling the match with a powerful backcourt game.
 
#4,388 ·
There's that wind again, but as it was an indoor tournament it didn't have any impact. Although if I were making a comedy-drama tennis movie, Steffi's visual leitmotif would be a fierce wind storm -- even indoors. Then the opponent would freak out and leave, and Steffi would wink at the camera and give a thumbs up to the special effects guys with large fans.

Also noted is Steffi's appraisal that Monica and the peripheral pressures and off-court demands of professional tennis might not be a harmonious match.

Graf overcomes her weariness to fulfil final expectations - Tennis
The Times
London, England
Monday, October 30, 1989
Andrew Longmore, Tennnis Correspondent

The final that everybody wanted produced the result that everybody expected at Brighton yesterday when Steffi Graf beat Monica Seles in two explosive sets to retain her Midland Bank championships title. But, the gale force winds apart, it was not quite the breezy weekend the Wimbledon champion might have anticipated.

If Graf is still a world apart in her athleticism, her concentrated power and her powers of concentration, others are coming into the same orbit. On Saturday, Jana Novotna, the young Czech, came wincingly close to recording her first victory against the Wimbledon champion and, yesterday, in a match where defence was as little considered as sunshine on a slate-grey afternoon, Seles too matched strokes with the best, losing 7-5, 6-4 in an hour and a quarter of wham-bam tennis.

But before you shut down the telescope, just a word of warning. Graf has not played anywhere near her best at Brighton over the last six days. She has looked unusually pale, been unusually frivolous in her attitude and unusually irritable on court. In short, Graf's mind has not always been entirely on the job. It has been a long hard season and even winning this was her 13th title of the year can lose its sheen after a time. Yet Graf's name will be engraved on the trophy (and written on the cheque for Pounds 33,000).

The match turned on five games at the end of the first set and the beginning of the second. Seles, hitting every ball as if her young life depended on it, had just broken Graf's service to level the match at 4-4 and held her own to lead 5-4. But she won only five points in the next five games as Graf took the first set and a 2-0 lead in the second.

It was the net-cord judge's fault really. She incurred the champion's wrath by failing to make a call and the young Yugoslav had to pay the price.

By the time Seles had stopped spinning, she was 5-1 down and anyone who had forgotten to put their watches back were in danger of missing the show.

That Seles recovered to 5-4 was a tribute to her courage and to her opponent's momentary loss of concentration. "I made so many mistakes at 5-1," Graf said shaking her head. "But I'm happy that I won." Surprisingly perhaps, given that two of their three matches this season, have been perilously close, Graf does not see Seles as a threat just yet. "She still has quite a way to go. She's come new onto the circuit and she's bigger and stronger even than two months ago but when she has to play 14 or so tournaments, there will be a lot of other pressures from sponsors and the press," Graf said.

It's true that Seles herself has come a long way in a very short time: in statistical terms from nowhere to No.7, in spiritual terms from a child to a young woman. There is still a lot of the former in her manner. That's what makes her so appealing. But, on court, she now has to temper her delightful instinct to attack with a little cautious defence. "I'm going for my shots a little too much," she acknowledged.

There is plenty of time to learn and as she sits her biology and history exams tomorrow, back home in Florida, she might just reflect that Graf will be back on the practice court and enjoy her freedom while she can.

RESULTS: Singles: Semi-finals: S Graf (WG) bt J Novotna (Cz), 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; M Seles (Yug) bt M Maleeva (Bul), 6-3, 6-2. Final: Graf bt Seles, 7-5, 6-4. Doubles: Semi-final: K Adams and L McNeil (US) bt N Tauziat (Fr) and J Wiesner (Austria), 7-5, 7-5; H Mandlikova (Aus) and Novotna bt J Pospisilova and R Rajchrtova (Cz), 6-1, 6-0. Final: Adams and McNeil bt Mandlikova and Novotna, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.
 
#4,389 ·
INSIDE NEW YORK
By Michael Fleming and Karen Freifeld and Linda Stasi
Newsday
November 8, 1989

[...]

Graf Skirts On-Air Match With Letterman

While Steffi Graf has no trouble exchanging blistering forehands with players like Martina Navratilova, she is reluctant to engage in a verbal volley with David Letterman. Letterman has long courted Graf for an appearance on his show, but she keeps begging off. Graf is in town to prepare for next week's Virginia Slims Championships at Madison Square Garden, and, according to sources, she will drop by the "Late Night" studios to sit in the audience today and do the get-to-know-you thing with Dave. Will it lead to the long-awaited chat match? "She will be in town, but I'm not going to talk about her schedule," said her agent, Phil DePicciotto. "She may or may not visit David Letterman, but it would be to enjoy David's humor and talent." He said Graf hasn't done the Letterman show because of scheduling problems.
 
#4,390 ·
INSIDE NEW YORK
By Michael Fleming, Karen Freifeld and Linda Stasi
Newsday
November 24, 1989

[...]

Chat Match Nixed

Looks like that eagerly awaited chat match is off between Steffi Graf, the No. 1-ranked female tennis player, and David Letterman, TV's top-ranked gap-toothed talk-show host. As reported, Letterman has long courted Graf for a verbal volley on "Late Night," but the shy teen has been reticent. She visited the set while in town for the Virginia Slims Championships tournament last week, and met backstage with Dave. But sources tell us she came away unimpressed and may forfeit the match. A spokeswoman for Graf said she's too busy to become a gab show staple, but the spokeswoman admitted Letterman's show "is not anything she's actively seeking." NBC wouldn't comment. We're left to speculate as to the real reason, and so the home office has come up with a list of Top Five reasons Graf won't appear on "Late Night": 5. Dave wouldn't let Steffi sing. 4. Steffi's schnauzer kept goofing up its stupid pet trick. 3. Dave mistakenly grilled Steffi on her marriage to skier Andy Mill. 2. Steffi's celeb doubles partner is Cher, who still equates Letterman with a best-concealed body part. 1. Arsenio Hall's parting gifts are better.


[...]
 
#4,391 ·
Graf finally grants Letterman request
USA TODAY
Tuesday, November 1, 1994
Doug Smith

Steffi Graf, No. 1 women's player in the world, exchanges verbal volleys with CBS talk show host David Letterman Friday night.

Graf, who declined other offers to appear on Letterman's show, agreed to do her first U.S. talk show to promote the Virginia Slims Championships Nov. 14-20 at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Martina Navratilova, 38, a past Letterman guest, ends her career at the Slims event. French Open champion Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez also will compete.

Graf, 25, out with a back injury since losing to Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the U.S. Open final, tunes up for the Slims finale by playing next week at the Virginia Slims of Philadelphia. The German pro owns a condo in Greenwich Village and has become a New York Knicks fan. Her favorite player: Patrick Ewing.

Jennifer Capriati, absent from the WTA TOUR since a 1993 U.S. Open first-round loss, might resume her pro career in Philadelphia, but just to play doubles.
 
#4,393 ·
She did, but I can't find it on Youtube. I have it on some DVD or other. They had some good banter, especially about how fast Steffi drove on the Autobahn (at the time, Letterman had a recent speeding ticket) and Dave's attempt at conversational German. Going from memory: "Haben Sie eine Krankenschwester?" -- "You just asked 'do you have a nurse?' " Which is why the 1995 one starts off with more conversational German from Dave and Steffi's comment that he learned a lot in a year.
 
#4,395 ·
Turning our attention to the tour championships of 1989 and 1994, both of them examples of Steffi in "against medical advice" form. Also both of them examples of self-deception tricks and/or psychological warfare tactics of the other top players. The Sabatini and Navratilova camps really would have had us believe that the only thing that set Steffi apart from everyone else was her "joyless" single-mindedness. Nothing to do with tennis talent or her ability to analyze and adapt on the fly or general athleticism or enjoying the competition or keeping the "pressure" in perspective. Her superiority was all just in everyone else's heads. You just keep telling yourselves that, girls.

MARTINA COULD CHALLENGE GRAF IN SLIMS FINAL
Sun-Sentinel
Sunday, November 12, 1989
By JIM SARNI, Tennis Writer

New York. Summer. Martina Navratilova is two games away from beating Steffi Graf in the U.S. Open. Navratilova can't do it. Graf wins again. Navratilova says she blew it.

''I just didn't tighten the screws enough.''

New York. Fall. Navratilova and Graf are the top two seeds at the Virginia Slims Championships this week at Madison Square Garden.

Will Navratilova be able to use the screwdriver again?

Graf and Navratilova have not met in the Slims final the past two years. Navratilova was upset by Helena Sukova in 1987. Graf, fighting the flu, lost to Pam Shriver in 1988, while Navratilova fell to Gabriela Sabatini.

Maybe this time, Graf and Navratilova will get through the draw and face off in the best-of-five set final, a format that could produce tantalizing drama. Navratilova defeated Graf in three sets in 1986, but that was before Graf was great.

Graf and Navratilova have played only three times in the last two years (twice at Wimbledon and this year's U.S. Open). This is a rivalry that is underplayed. Navratilova is not playing the Australian Open or the French Open in 1990. If Navratilova does not meet Graf in New York, she may not get another chance until Wimbledon, eight months away.

Graf has won the last three matches. Navratilova has not lost four in a row to the same player since Tracy Austin dominated in 1978.

Navratilova has won 17 titles in the last two years, but no majors.

Looking at the draw, Graf and Navratilova should meet:

Top half: Graf vs. Jana Novotna; Raffaella Reggi vs. Helena Sukova; Gabriela Sabatini vs. Gretchen Magers or Pam Shriver Helen Kelesi vs. Zina Garrison.

Bottom half: Manuela Maleeva vs. Hana Mandlikova; Catarina Lindqvist vs. Arantxa Sanchez; Monica Seles vs. Conchita Martinez; Mary Joe Fernandez vs. Navratilova.

This is a new-look Championships with players making their debuts: Novotna, Sanchez, Seles, Martinez and Fernandez.

Chris Evert qualified, but declined to play.

-- Domino's Pizza TeamTennis is investigating an allegation that Penny Barg did not receive a guaranteed salary of $12,500 from the Wellington Aces. Guaranteed contracts are against league policy.

Carl Foster, part-owner of the Aces, filed for bankruptcy with his company Grand Slam Communications Inc. last week. The bankruptcy does not affect his status with the league, but Barg's claim could.

''It's against league rules for players to be paid,'' said Ilana Kloss, the vice president of league operations. ''It would be silly to lose a team over Penny Barg.''

TeamTennis players are paid by performance out of a league pool of prize money. Each team contributes $50,000.

TeamTennis hopes to keep a franchise in South Florida, whether it belongs to Foster or not. The franchise deadline is Dec. 1.

-- The Women's International Tennis Association is expected to announce a replacement for departing executive director Merritt Stierheim this week. John Carroll, WITA business adviser, and Gerry Smith, former Newsweek publisher, are the leading candidates... The Association of Tennis Professionals is seeking a $27 million, three-year umbrella corporate sponsor, according to Sports, Inc. Talks have been held with Konica, Panasonic, American Express, Toshiba and IBM.

-- Brad Gilbert came within one point of a double-bagel victory over Pieter Aldrich at Wembley. Gilbert failed on a break point and settled for a 6-0, 6-1 triumph... Nick Bollettieri's next teen phenom prospects? Luciana Renares (13) of Argentina, Martina Crha (13) of West Germany and Emily Leonardi (15) of Venezuela are names to watch... Natalia Zvereva of the Soviet Union has a Massachusetts drivers' license... Andre Agassi continues to lose to nobodys: Magnus Gustafsson is the latest to beat Agassi in Stockholm... Under Virginia Slims trivia: Monica Seles' favorite actress is Marilyn Monroe.
 
#4,396 ·
Turning our attention to the tour championships of 1989 and 1994, both of them examples of Steffi in "against medical advice" form. Also both of them examples of self-deception tricks and/or psychological warfare tactics of the other top players. The Sabatini and Navratilova camps really would have had us believe that the only thing that set Steffi apart from everyone else was her "joyless" single-mindedness. Nothing to do with tennis talent or her ability to analyze and adapt on the fly or general athleticism or enjoying the competition or keeping the "pressure" in perspective. Her superiority was all just in everyone else's heads. You just keep telling yourselves that, girls.



MARTINA COULD CHALLENGE GRAF IN SLIMS FINAL

Sun-Sentinel

Sunday, November 12, 1989

By JIM SARNI, Tennis Writer



New York. Summer. Martina Navratilova is two games away from beating Steffi Graf in the U.S. Open. Navratilova can't do it. Graf wins again. Navratilova says she blew it.



''I just didn't tighten the screws enough.''



New York. Fall. Navratilova and Graf are the top two seeds at the Virginia Slims Championships this week at Madison Square Garden.



Will Navratilova be able to use the screwdriver again?



Graf and Navratilova have not met in the Slims final the past two years. Navratilova was upset by Helena Sukova in 1987. Graf, fighting the flu, lost to Pam Shriver in 1988, while Navratilova fell to Gabriela Sabatini.



Maybe this time, Graf and Navratilova will get through the draw and face off in the best-of-five set final, a format that could produce tantalizing drama. Navratilova defeated Graf in three sets in 1986, but that was before Graf was great.



Graf and Navratilova have played only three times in the last two years (twice at Wimbledon and this year's U.S. Open). This is a rivalry that is underplayed. Navratilova is not playing the Australian Open or the French Open in 1990. If Navratilova does not meet Graf in New York, she may not get another chance until Wimbledon, eight months away.



Graf has won the last three matches. Navratilova has not lost four in a row to the same player since Tracy Austin dominated in 1978.



Navratilova has won 17 titles in the last two years, but no majors.



Looking at the draw, Graf and Navratilova should meet:



Top half: Graf vs. Jana Novotna; Raffaella Reggi vs. Helena Sukova; Gabriela Sabatini vs. Gretchen Magers or Pam Shriver Helen Kelesi vs. Zina Garrison.



Bottom half: Manuela Maleeva vs. Hana Mandlikova; Catarina Lindqvist vs. Arantxa Sanchez; Monica Seles vs. Conchita Martinez; Mary Joe Fernandez vs. Navratilova.



This is a new-look Championships with players making their debuts: Novotna, Sanchez, Seles, Martinez and Fernandez.



Chris Evert qualified, but declined to play.



-- Domino's Pizza TeamTennis is investigating an allegation that Penny Barg did not receive a guaranteed salary of $12,500 from the Wellington Aces. Guaranteed contracts are against league policy.



Carl Foster, part-owner of the Aces, filed for bankruptcy with his company Grand Slam Communications Inc. last week. The bankruptcy does not affect his status with the league, but Barg's claim could.



''It's against league rules for players to be paid,'' said Ilana Kloss, the vice president of league operations. ''It would be silly to lose a team over Penny Barg.''



TeamTennis players are paid by performance out of a league pool of prize money. Each team contributes $50,000.



TeamTennis hopes to keep a franchise in South Florida, whether it belongs to Foster or not. The franchise deadline is Dec. 1.



-- The Women's International Tennis Association is expected to announce a replacement for departing executive director Merritt Stierheim this week. John Carroll, WITA business adviser, and Gerry Smith, former Newsweek publisher, are the leading candidates... The Association of Tennis Professionals is seeking a $27 million, three-year umbrella corporate sponsor, according to Sports, Inc. Talks have been held with Konica, Panasonic, American Express, Toshiba and IBM.



-- Brad Gilbert came within one point of a double-bagel victory over Pieter Aldrich at Wembley. Gilbert failed on a break point and settled for a 6-0, 6-1 triumph... Nick Bollettieri's next teen phenom prospects? Luciana Renares (13) of Argentina, Martina Crha (13) of West Germany and Emily Leonardi (15) of Venezuela are names to watch... Natalia Zvereva of the Soviet Union has a Massachusetts drivers' license... Andre Agassi continues to lose to nobodys: Magnus Gustafsson is the latest to beat Agassi in Stockholm... Under Virginia Slims trivia: Monica Seles' favorite actress is Marilyn Monroe.

Classic Stuff


Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App
 
#4,397 ·
Navratilova looks to recoup losses
Houston Chronicle
Sunday, NOVEMBER 12, 1989
BOB GREENE, Associated Press

NEW YORK - After two years without a Grand Slam title, Martina Navratilova wants to punctuate 1989 with a victory at the Virginia Slims Championships.

"I would like to win it,'' said the woman who has captured the season-ending singles crown four times, but not since 1986. "It would be a nice exclamation point to the year.''

For almost anyone else, Navratilova's last two years - top heavy with over 130 match victories and 17 tournament titles - would be satisfactory. But for the 33-year-old woman who has earned more money in her career than any other tennis player, male or female, and dominated the sport until Steffi Graf took over at the Virginia Slims Championships in 1987, the recent record has been disappointing.

Her last Grand Slam singles crown came at the U.S. Open in 1987, where she needed a first-set tiebreaker and, because of a rain delay, two days to outlast Graf. She also defeated Graf in the Wimbledon final the same year.

Since then, however, Graf has posted Navratilova-like won-loss records, capturing every major title except the French Open this year and the Virginia Slims Championships a year ago. That includes not only the Grand Slam sweep in 1988 - Wimbledon and the French, U.S. and Australian Opens - but also the Olympic gold medal at Seoul, South Korea.

"I won't be No. 1,'' even if she wins the Madison Square Garden tournament, which begins Monday, Navratilova said. "That's obvious.''

The weeklong, 16-player event culminates with a unique best-of-five-sets singles final on Sunday with the winner collecting $125,000. The runner-up pockets $60,000.

The top eight doubles teams will battle for the top purse of $45,000.

"I have to get there first,'' Navratilova said of a possible battle with Graf in the title match. "I haven't been in the final for three years.

"That was my mistake in the past. I was looking so hard to playing Steffi.

"I lost to her the last three times I've played her, and that was over a two-year period.''

As the world's No. 1 player, Graf is the top seed in the select field, with Navratilova seeded second.

Others qualifying for the indoor Championships include Gabriela Sabatini, French Open champion Arantxa Sanchez, Zina Garrison, Helena Sukova, Mary Joe Fernandez, Jana Novotna, Monica Seles, Manuela Maleeva, Catarina Lindqvist, Hana Mandlikova, Conchita Martinez, Helen Kelesi, Gretchen Magers and Raffaella Reggi.

Chris Evert qualified, but turned down an invitation to play after announcing in August that she would no longer play major events.

"After the Grand Slams, the Virginia Slims Championships is the biggest tournament we have,'' Navratilova said. "It is a major.''

Navratilova says that physically and mentally she is prepared for this tournament.

"I feel I have improved greatly since last year, although I didn't win a Grand Slam,'' she said. "I played better this year than last year. I played better at the U.S. Open than at Wimbledon.''

She said the problem with her game was more mental than physical. So she turned to 20-time Wimbledon champion Billie Jean King.

"Billie told me to get away from it all. She starting working on my head,'' Navratilova admitted. "I was without direction and without goals. I was burned out.''

Now, with new direction, Navratilova says she will skip the first two Grand Slam tournaments next year: the Australian Open in January and the French Open in May. She will prepare for Wimbledon, where she has won a record-tying eight times, and the U.S. Open, which she has won four times.

Navratilova will also seek her fifth doubles title in six years, teaming with Pam Shriver for the last time. From June 23, 1983, to July 9, 1985, the two won 109 consecutive matches, and, going into this year, had earned $1.79 million in doubles prize money. They broke up earlier this year, yet still qualified for this elite field.

In singles, standing in Navratilova's way at every major stop will be Graf, who has captured 13 of the 15 tournaments she has played this year. Besides losing to Sanchez at the French Open, she lost to Sabatini at Amelia Island, Fla., in April.

And because of Graf, Navratilova knows she probably will never reclaim the No. 1 ranking she held from 1978 through 1986, with the exception of 1980 and 1981.

"No. 1 is hard,'' she said. "I'm not sure if I could be No. 1 even if I win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open next year. I'd rather win Wimbledon than be No. 1.

"And I'd rather enjoy tennis right now and be No. 2 than be No. 1 and not enjoy it.''
 
#4,398 ·
Maybe you don't see Steffi in the locker room talking to Martina and Chris in a social way because 1) Steffi just turned 20 and Martina and Chris are 30-somethings; and 2) Steffi and Martina and Chris didn't play a lot of the same tournaments due to the WTA's field commitments and/or Martina and Chris limiting/arranging their schedules due to age or preferences.

Women have come a long way in tennis
USA TODAY
Monday, November 13, 1989
Doug Smith

NEW YORK - In the early days of women's pro tennis, Billie Jean King and a small band of buddies spent as much time pleading for publicity and sponsorship as they did playing matches.

Behind King's determination and Chris Evert's emergence, interest in women's tennis grew steadily in the 1970s. Then, the athleticism and power of Martina Navratilova and her rivalry with Evert helped solidify the women's circuit in the 1980s.

What can fans expect in the 1990s? The answer is being played out this week at Madison Square Garden, where the tour completes its 19th year at the $1 million Virginia Slims Championships. Another legend in the making - Steffi Graf - and a group of young and veteran challengers begin play today in the best attended women's tournament (94,080 fans in 1988) for the biggest payoff. The winner earns $125,000.

The field of stars, which also includes defending champion Gabriela Sabatina and Martina Navratilova, is capable of pushing women's tennis to a higher level in the 1990s.

"With Graf, Martina, Sabatini, (Arantxa) Sanchez-Vicario and (Monica) Seles, we've reached a golden horizon,'' says Ted Tinling, 80, the Virginia Slims international liaison.

This week's championship could very well be the last one without Jennifer Capriati, 13, who will turn pro early next year.

"When Capriati joins the tour next year, that'll make it even better. We never had it so good,'' Tingling says.

No. 1 seed Graf, 20, a grand slam winner in 1988, is undisputedly the game's dominant figure. Her 11 tournament titles this year includes three grand slam events - the Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open. The West German's bid for an unprecedented second consecutive grand slam ended at the French Open, where she lost to Sanchez-Vicario in the final. Graf's match record this year is 69-2.

"Steffi Graf is the reason the game is in such healthy shape,'' says Evert, 34, who retired after the U.S. Open. "She's caused the others to try to catch up to her level. And you have to include Capriati because she could be in the top 10 in the world next year.''

Sabatini, 19, and Sanchez-Vicario, 17, posted the only victories against Graf this year, and Seles, 15, pushed Graf to three sets in their first meeting in the French Open semifinals. Before playing Graf in the French Open final, Sanchez-Vicario proclaimed Graf beatable, then went out and proved it.

Sabatini, who could face Graf in the semifinals this week, handed Graf her first loss of the year in April at the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Fla.

"Steffi is very strong mentally,'' Sabatini says. "I think that's the only difference. I think I'm getting much better mentally.''

Sabatini has won four titles this year, including the Lipton International Players Championships. She and Graf play doubles together at grand slam events.

Sabatini has beaten Graf only three times in 20 matches but has no fear of the player dubbed Fraulein Forehand.

"These young players are not afraid of anyone,'' says Pam Shriver. "And they hit the ball so hard, consistently.''

Evert says Graf "hits the ball twice as hard as any player has ever hit the ball.''

Though Sabatini, Sanchez-Vicario and Seles have demonstrated the ability to beat Graf, No. 2 Navratilova is expected to be Graf's opponent in Sunday's best-of-five final. Evert, Shriver and King also see Navratilova as Graf's major threat for No. 1 next year.

"She's eager again,'' says King, who has helped coach Navratilova since Wimbledon. "Look at her scores, she's getting better. She came close (to beating Graf) at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. I think Martina finally realizes she can beat her again.''

Says Shriver: "Let's say Graf slips a fraction ... if anyone is going to beat her on this surface, it's going to be Martina.''

Navratilova, who has won two consecutive tournaments, withdrew from the Virginia Slims of Chicago last week because of a groin muscle injury suffered during an early match in the tournament. She hopes to take on Graf for the title but says she doesn't think she can replace Graf at No. 1 next year.

"The Slims championship takes on more importance since I sat out two grand slams (Australian and French opens),'' Navratilova says. "I'm really psyched about playing here. (Winning) would be a nice exclamation point to end the year and a good start for next year.''

Navratilova completes her 15th year on the circuit as the leading prize money-winner ($14.9 million) for men and women. Twenty four other women, including Evert ($8.9 million) and Graf ($4.7 million) also have earned more than $1 million in career prize money. Sabatini has earned $2.4 million and Sanchez-Vicario and Seles could have more than $1 million by the end of next year.

King and eight other players began the tour in Houston 19 years ago. Gladys Heldman provided the guidance; Joe Cullman III, chairman emeritus Philip Morris put up the $7,500 prize money. This year, the tour consisted of 63 tournaments offering $17 million prize money. Prize money in next year's Virginia Slims Championships will be raised from $1 million to $3 million.

Tournament director Ella Musolina was excited by last year's performance at the ticket office.

"We expect to do better this year,'' Musolina said. "The Virginia Slims Championships have become the richest and best-attended women's event in the world.''

King is proud of her role in developing the tour, but she's disturbed by the younger pros' lack of camaraderie and involvement in the Women's International Tennis Association, the player's organization.

"Everyone is so insulated,'' says King. "You don't see Steffi in the locker room talking to Martina and Chris in a social way. You just see all these little groups of parents with the player. They go out to practice, then leave and never socialize. Why do you think business people are socializing all the time? It makes everything better for everybody.

"Things are so good now, nobody really cares. I'm sure their actions would change if there wasn't so much money out there.''

Yugoslavian-born Seles, one of five teenagers who qualified for the championships, expects to be involved with the political aspects of the game later in her career. She plans to attend WITA-sponsored seminars designed to help acquaint young pros with relationships with sponsors and the media.

"The first couple of years, I'll go and just listen,'' Seles says. "When I get older I'll get more involved.''

Says King: "The WITA's No. 1 job is ... to get the players more unified, but I don't know how they're going to do it.''

Otherwise, King says the women's game "is just about where I thought we'd be. I hope we can get better.''
 
#4,399 ·
Hey, look, it's the Fall of Communism and the Autumn of Nations!

Graf distracted by ankle, Wall
USA TODAY
Monday, November 13, 1989
DOUG SMITH, Gannett News Service

NEW YORK - Steffi Graf is neither physically nor mentally prepared to play in the $1 million Virginia Slims Championships.

A twisted left ankle has hampered the West German's preparations for Wednesday's first-round match against Jana Novotna.

"It's not too good," Graf said. "I practiced for 45 minutes (Monday), and my ankle seemed okay."

A desire to be a part of the excitement at the crumbling Berlin Wall keeps her from focusing on the season finale title. More than two million East Berliners have crossed into West Berlin since the border was opened Thursday.

"What is happening in Berlin is something I would love to be apart of," Graf said. "I've never been to East Germany, but I know they want to see me play. One-third if not one-half of all my fan mail comes from East Germany."

A letter from a 6-year-old East German girl still haunts Graf.

"She said she wanted to be a tennis player and wanted to know if I could help her, but I couldn't," she said.

As a teenager growing up in Czechoslovakia, Martina Navratilova, the No. 2 seed, recalled how the Berlin Wall kept a talented East German player named Thomas Emmrich from realizing his potential.

Emmrich, now 36, won more than 45 men's singles and doubles and mixed doubles titles in East Germany before retiring from competition with a knee injury.

"He could have become a great player if he had the chance to go to the West and play," said Navratilova, who defected from Czechoslavakia in the mid-70s and became a U.S. citizen in 1981.

"Hopefully, Czechoslovakia will get caught up in the winds of change. I couldn't be more proud and happy for those people who're getting out of this giant prison they'd been in all their lives."

Graf injured her ankle while practicing Thursday on Ivan Lendl's court in Greenwich, Conn. Graf and Gabriela Sabatini withdrew from the doubles competition Monday because of the injury.

"The doctor said I will need 10 days rest," Graf said. "I'll wait to see how it feels tomorrow, and I look forward to playing."

Navratilova withdrew from last week's Virginia Slims of Chicago because of a groin injury suffered when she slipped on ice while playing in the Virginia Slims of New England at Worcester, Mass., two weeks ago.

"I'm pain-free right now, but I just haven't been stretched," Navratilova said.

She plays Mary Joe Fernandez in Tuesday's second match. No. 5 Zina Garrison meets Helen Kelesi in the opening match, and No. 7 Helena Sukova plays Raffaela Reggi in the third match.
 
#4,400 ·
Another withdrawal.

BACK INJURY FORCES GRAF TO QUIT SLIMS
Philadelphia Daily News
Saturday, November 5, 1994
Bill Fleischman, Daily News Sports Writer

On Thursday, the Virginia Slims of Philadelphia gained an added attraction when Jennifer Capriati entered the tournament.

Yesterday, the tournament lost a featured player when top-ranked Steffi Graf withdrew. Graf said her ailing back isn't healthy enough for her to play in the $750,000 event, which begins Monday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Slims of Philadelphia tournament director Barbara Perry said Graf's withdrawal "didn't shock me."

"Obviously, she's been hurting for the last few months," she said. "She had made hotel and plane reservations to be here."

Perry wasn't sure if Graf would try to play in the Slims Championships Nov. 14 to 20 in New York City.

Graf's withdrawal leaves defending Philadelphia champion Conchita Martinez as the top seed. Mary Pierce is No. 2, Lindsay Davenport is third and Gabriela Sabatini is fourth.

Capriati, a wild-card entry who hasn't played in a tournament since the 1993 U.S. Open, has drawn a formidable first-round opponent in sixth-seeded Anke Huber. Perry indicated Capriati and Huber will play Tuesday or Wednesday night.

Huber, 19, of Germany, defeated Martina Navratilova and Pierce last month on the way to winning the Porsche Grand Prix in Germany.

Wayne's Lisa Raymond will face Sandra Cacic in the first round. Raymond, a two-time NCAA titlist, is ranked No. 46; Cacic is No. 51.

Monday's order of play will be decided tomorrow.

Other first-round matches will pit Martinez against Nathalie Tauziat, fifth-seeded Natalia Zvereva against Meredith McGrath, seventh-seeded Amy Frazier against Chanda Rubin and eighth-seeded Amanda Coetzer against Meilen Tu.

Pierce, Davenport and Sabatini will face winners of qualifying matches.
 
#4,401 ·
Arantxa tries the "I'm looking forward to it" line, but it will fall flat as both she and Steffi go home early. I also cannot help thinking that her comment about "needing" the Top 16 to be there came from the WTA party line du jour (and possibly the IMG/WTA Sorority Sisters public relations warfare playbook). While Arantxa herself did want to play and beat Steffi, it's laughable how at the beginning of 1994 the media and WTA hierarchy were acting like they wanted Steffi to go away, but then when she did, they wanted her to come back whether she was physically capable or not.

SANCHEZ VICARIO ROLLS ON
San Jose Mercury News
Saturday, November 5, 1994
JODY MEACHAM, Mercury News Staff Writer

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario is building her case slowly.

Her 6-3, 6-3 quarterfinal victory over Zina Garrison Jackson on Friday in the Bank of the West Classic at the Coliseum Arena marked the introduction of yet another bit of evidence.

It was the 19th consecutive match won by Sanchez Vicario, a 22-year-old native of Barcelona, Spain, whose goal has long been to claim the top-ranked position in tennis and whose performance this year has put her tantalizingly close.

Winning this tournament would put her even closer to overcoming the computer-calculated lead that Germany's Steffi Graf holds in the rankings.

There remains tonight's semifinal match against third-seeded Lindsay Davenport to get to Sunday's final, which will include the winner of the Martina Navratilova-Debbie Graham semifinal this afternoon, to achieve that goal.

Davenport, of Murietta, crushed No. 5 Anke Huber 6-2, 6-2 Friday. Davenport lost 6-2, 6-1 to Sanchez Vicario in the Federation Cup in their previous meeting this year and has never beaten the Spaniard.

Sanchez Vicario had a far easier time Friday against eighth-seeded Garrison Jackson, a two-time Oakland champion, than she did in her opening match Wednesday against 14-year-old Venus Williams.

Part of that was probably attributable to the revenge factor. At Wimbledon last summer, their previous meeting, Garrison Jackson eliminated Sanchez Vicario 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in the fourth round.

"This time, since the beginning, I know I have to be aggressive to beat her," Sanchez Vicario said. "Sometimes it's good to lose a match because it helps you the next time."

But part also must be attributed to Graf, whom Sanchez Vicario defeated for this year's U.S. Open championship.

Though Graf hasn't played since the Open because of a back injury that plagued her during the summer, she has kept a tenuous grip on the No. 1 ranking. That has been enormously frustrating to Sanchez Vicario, who has won two Grand Slam titles in 1994.

Graf, who withdrew from next week's tour stop in Philadelphia because of the injury, is scheduled to compete in the season-ending tour championship in New York beginning Nov. 14, which includes the tour's 16 highest-ranked players. That presents Sanchez Vicario with an opportunity to break their 3-3 series deadlock this year and claim the top ranking in the most convincing way possible.

"I've had a great year," said Sanchez Vicario, who beat Mary Pierce for the French Open title, her other Grand Slam victory. "We will see who will be the No. 1 player. Of course, (the tour championship) will be even better with Graf there. It's the last tournament of the year, and we need to have the best 16 players.

"I'm looking forward to seeing (Graf) there.
"

Garrison Jackson said the choice of No. 1 at this point is not "clear-cut . . . it has to be decided. The computer, like it or not, tells. I hope it comes down to the championship."

Davenport, 18, winner of two tournaments this year, had no trouble with Huber, who had a tournament victory of her own. It took Davenport only 51 minutes, primarily because her serve was so productive.

"Serving well was really the key," Davenport said. She got her first serve in 25 of 31 times, and won on 81 percent of them and 43 percent of her second serves.

Graham earned her spot opposite Navratilova with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Jolene Watanabe of La Puenta.

In doubles, Navratilova and Gigi Fernandez eliminated Jill Hetherington and Shaun Stafford 6-1, 6-4. That means Navratilova and Sanchez Vicario both have singles and doubles semifinal matches today.
 
#4,409 ·
Arantxa later would say that she felt an immense amount of pressure from the WTA hierarchs to play even when she felt tired that year, and then on top of that she felt like she was expected to do all the "PR" protocol as a duty to the tour, too, especially since Steffi was struggling with injury.

It is amazing that, while Arantxa went through that in 94 (and to a lesser extent 95, and even lesser 96), Steffi pretty much regularly went through that whirlwind of having to feel like you need to be the savior "it girl" of the tour.
 
#4,402 ·
And you can be sure Navratilova was piling on the "We need you to play. We don't care how much it hurts or how bad your form is, we need your name on that marquee. Take a loss for the team -- so we can use it against you and your 'legacy' at a later date. Oh, did I say that last part out loud?"

Navratilova to face Sabatini to start final tournament
USA TODAY
Friday, November 11, 1994
Doug Smith

Martina Navratilova might take her final swings as a tennis pro against Gabriela Sabatini at next week's Virginia Slims Championships in New York.

No. 6 seed Navratilova faces Sabatini Tuesday night in a first-round match that will precede a ceremony honoring Navratilova.

"I'm very excited about playing her," Sabatini said. "I'd feel bad about beating her, but I really want to win. When she's on, she's so tough to beat. She's coming in all the time, and she doesn't give you any rhythm."

The 38-year-old left-hander, an all-time great, attempts to add a final title to her record of 167 career titles, amassed during an illustrious 19-year career.

"Martina has meant so much to the game, on and off the court," Sabatini said. "I think it's her personality that we're going to miss most."

Navratilova, who leads the series 15-5, was beaten by Sabatini in the quarterfinals of the 1987 Virginia Slims Championships, their only meeting in the Slims finale.

The field consists of the top 16 singles players and top eight doubles teams on the WTA TOUR. Steffi Graf and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario are the top seeds.

Graf, who withdrew from this week's Virginia Slims of Philadelphia because of recurring back injury, plays Brenda Schultz; French and U.S. Open champion Sanchez meets Julie Halard.

Graf practiced with Navratilova Thursday in New York. They will work out again Friday in Philadelphia.

Other pairings:

Amanda Coetzer of South Africa vs. No. 5 Mary Pierce of France; No. 4 Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic vs. Iva Majoli of Croatia; Anke Huber of Germany vs. No. 7 Lindsay Davenport of the USA; No. 8 Kimiko Date of Japan vs. Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria; Natalia Zvereva of Belarus vs. No. 3 Conchita Martinez of Spain.

The pairings would change if Chanda Rubin wins the Virginia Slims of Philadelphia.

POTENTIAL CHAMPS: Qualifiers for the IBM/ATP Tour World Championships in Frankfurt, Germany, Nov. 15-20, include Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Sergi Bruguera, Goran Ivanisevic, Boris Becker, Michael Chang, Alberto Berasategui and Stefan Edberg.
 
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