Navratilova Rallies to Beat Savchenko in Opening-Round Match at New York

Martina Navratilova rallied after losing a first-set tiebreaker to beat last-minute replacement Larisa Savchenko in the opening round of the Virginia Slims tennis championships Tuesday night.

Navratilova, who has won the tournament four times, needed 2 hours to beat the Soviet Union’s Savchenko, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, at Madison Square Garden.

Navratilova had been scheduled to play Stephanie Rehe, but Rehe withdrew earlier in the day because of an ankle injury. Savchenko, ranked two spots below Rehe at No. 17, filled in because she was the alternate in the elite 16-player field.

Earlier Tuesday, seventh-seeded Manuela Maleeva breezed past Lori McNeil 6-1, 6-0, in 48 minutes.

Neither Navratilova or Savchenko could hold serve in the first 4 games of their match. There were four more service breaks before they reached the tiebreaker, which Savchenko won on her fourth set point.

Savchenko, who had never won a set from Navratilova in five previous matches, gained a 5-1 lead in the tiebreaker but then made three straight unforced errors.

Navratilova’s error on a backhand gave Savchenko two set points, but a long forehand by the Soviet and a Navratilova passing shot made it 6-6.

After blowing a third set point with a wide forehand, Savchenko won the next two points and closed out the 55-minute set with a cross-court backhand.