Tennis Roundup : U.S. to Meet Czechoslovakia in Federation Cup Final

Martina Navratilova has earned the right to play against her homeland.

Winning in both singles and doubles Saturday, the No. 1 women’s player in the world lifted the United States to a 3-0 victory over West Germany, carrying the Americans into today’s Federation Cup final against Czechoslovakia, which defeated Argentina, 2-1.

In 1975, shortly before she defected to begin a new life in America, Navratilova won all nine of her matches to help Czechoslovakia earn its first-ever Federation Cup championship.

Navratilova’s opponent today, in Prague’s Stvanice Stadium, will be Hana Mandlikova, whom she defeated in the Wimbledon final earlier this month and against whom she is 19-6 lifetime.

“I’m glad we finally got to play the Czechs and to play some good matches,” Navratilova said. “This week has exceeded everything I hoped for, and if we win, that will be the icing on the cake.”

Navratilova has received tremendous support all week from what she called “the home crowd.” When asked who the fans will support today, she said: “I think they’ll appreciate good tennis. Whoever gets good shots will be applauded. But when push comes to shove they’ll be for Czechoslovakia.

“Whatever happens tomorrow, I’m ready for it,” she said.

Navratilova defeated Claudia Kohde-Kilsch, 6-1, 6-4, in the match that clinched the victory for the United States, then teamed with Pam Shriver to defeat Bettina Bunge and Claudia Porwik, 6-2, 6-3.

In the opening singles, Chris Evert Lloyd defeated Bunge, 6-3, 6-4.

Mandlikova and Helena Sukova propelled Czechoslovakia into the final by winning their singles matches from Argentina. Mandlikova, one day after her marriage, defeated Gabriela Sabatini, 6-2, 6-4, after Sukova had overcome Mercedes Paz, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.

In the doubles, Sabatini and Paz beat Regina Marsikova and Andrea Holikova, 6-7, 6-2, 6-2.

Former NCAA champion Mike Leach used a big serve and a strong volley game to defeat Wally Masur of Australia, 6-2, 6-4, and advance to the final of a $125,000 Volvo tournament at Livingston, N.J.

In the other semifinal, defending champion Brad Gilbert beat Christo van Rensburg of South Africa, 6-3, 6-4.

Today’s will be the first major final for Leach since he won the NCAA championship in 1982 while at the University of Michigan.

Oddly enough, Leach defeated Gilbert to win the NCAA title.

Top-seeded Andres Gomez of Ecuador beat the heat and sixth-seeded Kent Carlsson of Sweden in the semifinals of the U.S. Pro Championships at Brookline, Mass., posting a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory.

Today, Gomez will face Martin Jaite, who needed only 1 hour 14 minutes to beat his Argentine Davis Cup teammate, Horacio de la Pena, 6-2, 6-1.

At Bastad, Sweden, sixth-seeded Emilio Sanchez of Spain upset second-seeded Stefan Edberg of Sweden, 6-3, 6-3, to advance to the final of the $125,000 Swedish Open against top-seeded Mats Wilander of Sweden.

Wilander, the world’s second-ranked player, beat Miloslav Mecir of Czechoslovakia, 6-0, 5-7, 6-3.