Tennis Roundup : Navratilova and Evert Play, Risking Fines

Martina Navratilova defeated Chris Evert, 6-3, 7-6, Friday in their last warm-up for next week’s Australian Open.

Both players face $20,000 fines by the Women’s International Tennis Assn. for playing an exhibition in Gold Coast, Australia, but accepted the invitation because the court and tennis balls were identical to those to be used for the Open.

The long-time rivals thought it was important to get a feel for the new synthetic Rebound Ace courts and South Korean-made Nassau balls to be used for the first time in the $1.9-million tournament.

“This is great preparation for Melbourne--and we are getting paid a lot more than $20,000 to be here,” Navratilova said after her victory.

“I think the fine is excessive. It’s important to practice on the same court and with the same balls.”

WITA rules provide for a fine for any player playing an exhibition on the same continent as a WITA-endorsed event. The New South Wales Open currently is being played on grass in Sydney.

At Sydney, top-seeded Pam Shriver overcame a groin injury to advance to the semifinals of the $323,400 New South Wales Open.

Shriver defeated fifth-seeded Catarina Lindqvist of Sweden, 6-4, 6-1.

Today, Shriver will meet Claudia Kohde-Kilsch of West Germany, who beat Etsuko Inoue of Japan, 6-2, 6-3.

Second-seeded Helena Sukova of Czechoslovakia eliminated unseeded Hesther Witvoet of the Netherlands, 6-2, 6-2, and will face Patty Fendick in the other semifinal. Fendick defeated Brenda Schultz of the Netherlands, 6-3, 7-5.

Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia defeated Kelly Evernden of New Zealand, 6-0, 7-5, to move into the final of an exhibition at Gold Coast, Australia. He will face Wally Masur of Australia, who beat Yannick Noah of France, 7-6, 6-7, 6-1.

Wimbledon champion Pat Cash of Australia scored a 7-6, 6-4 victory over Sweden’s Mats Wilander in an exhibition at Adelaide, Australia.

In the other match of the round-robin tournament, Henri Leconte of France defeated Stefan Edberg of Sweden, 7-6, 6-4.

Unseeded Ramesh Krishnan of India upset top-seeded Peter Lundgren of Sweden, 6-3, 6-1, in the quarterfinals of a $93,400 tournament at Auckland, New Zealand.