Fuente : Wimbledon
http://www.wimbledon.org

WIMBLEDON: The Magic of Martina

/noticias.info/ Wednesday, 22 June, 2005

Contemplating the time when Martina Navratilova quits competitive tennis - absolutely, finally, and for good - is a little like suggesting that there will come a day when the sun fails to come up in the morning. It is unthinkable.

On Wednesday evening on No.1 Court the nine-times Wimbledon singles Champion embarked on her latest title challenge. In tandem with 20-year-old Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany, she saw off Japan's Rika Fujiwara and Saori Obata 6-3, 6-3. She has also entered the mixed doubles with Mike Bryan. In the splendid event that she succeeds in both competitions, it will bring her tally of Wimbledon titles to 22, and her career doubles titles to 175. The possibility of one or the other cannot be discounted. Only last month she reached the final at Roland Garros with Leander Paes, falling to Daniela Hantuchova and Fabrice Santoro at the final hurdle.

Now 48, she is of course already the oldest Wimbledon champion from her 2003 mixed doubles triumph with Paes. And lest the familiar statistics desert you momentarily, let it be remembered that she won 167 singles titles, more than any man or woman in history, along with 18 Grand Slam singles titles. She won at least one tour event every year for 21 consecutive years, won singles and doubles titles at the same event 84 times; and, with Pam Shriver, won 109 consecutive doubles matches between April 1983 and July 1985.

Mike Bryan's record may fall a tad short of such stratospheric heights but at least he has 25 career doubles titles on all four surfaces to his name, including Slam titles. But to Groenefeld this must all seem pretty rich stuff, given that she notched up her first and only Tour title of any kind when she won the Pattaya City doubles in February
with Marion Bartoli.

So what is it like to play alongside a legend? A word to the wise from Martina's frequent partner, Paes.

"It's magic," he explains simply. "Playing with Martina is a dream come true. Not only is she the epitome of what an athlete could or should be, but at the same time she does it with grace. On and off the tennis court, she's taught me a lot. Because of the camaraderie we share and the understanding we have, I call it magic."

Navratilova, as ever, is taking it all in her stride.

"I don't get very nostalgic about anything," she says. "I've been playing so many more years than I expected to. I think that's why I don't get so emotional about it. For me it's about playing the game everywhere, not just the US Open, not just Wimbledon. Those are very important events, but I give my best effort everywhere I go, whether it's Vienna or Eastbourne or the US Open.

"So each time I'm asked if this is my last Slam tournament, I say I don't know. I'm not worried about it. I'll be back. I'll be here one way or another."

Written by Kate Battersby notas_de_prensa_archivo