Navratilova Bids to Play for U.S. in Czechoslovakia

Martina Navratilova, who defected from Czechoslovakia 11 years ago, has accepted an invitation from U.S. tennis officials to play in this summer’s Federation Cup in her homeland.

In a dispatch from Dallas, where Navratilova is playing in a tournament, the London Daily Telegraph said in its Wednesday editions that the world’s top-ranked women’s player still must obtain a visa to enter Czechoslovakia.

JoAnn Cella, women’s tennis director of the United States Tennis Assn., said the organization has not yet applied for any visas, including Navratilova’s, for the Federation Cup, the women’s equivalent of the Davis Cup. It is scheduled to be held July 21-24.

In Prague, an official said Navratilova “will definitely not have a visa problem. In fact, she is expected to come.”

Also on Wednesday, Marty Riessen of Santa Barbara was named captain of the U.S. Federation Cup and Wightman Cup teams by J. Randolph Gregson, president of the USTA.