Tennis : Navratilova Struggles to Defeat Sanchez

Top-seeded Martina Navratilova fought off a challenge by 15-year-old Arantxa Sanchez of Spain Wednesday to join Chris Evert Lloyd, Yannick Noah and Jimmy Connors as first-round winners in the $1.8-million International Players Championships.

Hana Mandlikova, Pam Shriver and Helena Sukova--seeded fourth, fifth and sixth in the women’s draw--also advanced as the rain-delayed tournament resumed at the International Tennis Center.

Navratilova was playing for the first time since losing to Mandlikova in the final of the Australian Open a month ago. She beat Sanchez, 7-5, 6-4, but was visibly frustrated by her inability to take command.

“I hadn’t played in a while, and it’s always tough to play that first one,” she said. “Every match I’m going to play better, so I’m not worried.”

The meeting was the second between Navratilova and Sanchez. Navratilova won their Federation Cup match last year at Prague, 6-3, 6-0.

“I told her (Sanchez) if she improved her serve and makes it more of a weapon she’ll be very tough,” Navratilova said.

Lloyd, coming off a shocking third-round loss to Kate Gompert in last week’s Virginia Slims tournament in Florida, opened defense of her women’s title with a 6-0, 6-1 drubbing of South Africa’s Jennifer Mundel.

Noah, seeded No. 4, defeated Claudio Panatta of Italy, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3, while the No. 6-seeded Connors beat Ben Testerman, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.

Mandlikova, of Czechoslovakia, beat Helen Kelesi of Canada, 6-1, 7-5; Shriver won over Alexia Dechaume of France, 6-4, 6-3, and Sukova, of Czechoslovakia, defeated Jenny Byrne, 6-4, 6-3.