Navratilova Is Trounced After Losing Tiebreaker

Martina Navratilova, who lost only two matches in 1984, lost her second of 1985 Friday night when Czechoslovakia’s Hana Mandlikova scored a stunning victory in the semifinals of the $150,000 U.S. National Women’s Indoor tennis championship at Princeton, N.J.

Mandlikova, ranked third in the world, shocked Navratilova by winning the second set at love in 18 minutes en route to a 7-6, 6-0 victory.

Last year, Mandlikova and countrywoman Helena Sukova were the only players to beat Navratilova in 80 matches. Until Friday, only Chris Evert Lloyd had beaten the No. 1-ranked women’s player this year.

“I just couldn’t believe I lost the first set after having so many chances,” Navratilova said. “Of the six games she won to get to the tiebreaker, five went to deuce and four I had game points in. And my heart was not there in the second set, and I certainly have some soul-searching to do because that’s not me.”

Mandlikova: “I was a bit lucky to win the first set. She broke me to go up, 5-4. I broke back. I played very good tennis, but usually she holds her serve and she didn’t do that and I hit some very good returns.”

Mandlikova will not be able to enjoy her victory for long. She meets Catarina Lindqvist of Sweden in today’s final. Lindqvist beat Catherine Tanvier of France, 6-1, 6-4.

Eliot Teltscher surrendered only three games in three sets, and Aaron Krickstein won in four sets to give the United States a 2-0 lead on the opening day of the U.S.-Japan Davis Cup matches at Kyoto, Japan.

Teltscher beat Kaoru Maruyama, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1. Krickstein defeated Shozo Shiraishi, 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.

Ken Flach and Robert Seguso could clinch the victory for the United States today when they meet Shigeyuki Nishio and Shinichi Sakamoto in doubles.

In other World Group matches, the biggest upset of the day occurred in Split, Yugoslavia, where Slobodan Zivojinovic defeated Australia’s No. 1 player, Pat Cash, 7-5, 5-7, 10-8, 6-4, to give the Yugoslavs a 1-1 tie with Australia. Elsewhere, Czechoslovakia led the Soviet Union, 2-0, and Ecuador led Argentina, 1-0, as Andres Gomez outlasted Jose-Luis Clerc, 4-6, 6-4, 13-11, 6-3.