Rain May Force Navratilova, Turnbull to Play 4 Times Today

Martina Navratilova and Wendy Turnbull each may have to play four matches today, after rain postponed Friday’s session of the $175,000 women’s grass court championships at Eastbourne, England.

Navratilova, the defending singles champion, and Turnbull are in both the singles and doubles semifinals.

Navratilova will play Bulgarian Manuela Maleeva in one singles semifinal, while Turnbull will meet Czechoslovakia’s Helena Sukova in the other.

In the doubles, Navratilova and Pam Shriver will play Barbara Potter and Sharon Walsh-Pete. Turnbull, with Czech partner Hana Mandlikova, faces American Kathy Jordan and Australia’s Elizabeth Smylie.

Rain began during the evening and continued into Friday afternoon, forcing tournament officials to postpone play.

The semifinals are scheduled for this morning, but more rain is forecast.

“I am prepared to play all four games tomorrow,” Navratilova said Friday. “But there is a limit to my madness. If the courts are damp there is no way I will risk it.”

Rain also washed out play in the West of England grass court championships at Bristol, where Brian Teacher and Marty Davis were to meet in one semifinal, with Roger Knapp facing fellow qualifier Glenn Layendecker in the other. The semifinals and final are scheduled today.