Tennis : Sukova Upsets Navratilova in New York

Second-seeded Martina Navratilova was upset by Helena Sukova, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3, Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Virginia Slims tennis championships in New York.

Sukova, seeded eighth, will meet No. 4-seeded Gabriela Sabatini in the semifinals. Sabatini beat sixth-seeded Natalia Zvereva, 6-1, 6-1.

Navratilova’s defeat, her first in 31 indoor matches this year, was the second major surprise in the $1-million tournament. Chris Evert, seeded third, was beaten by Pam Shriver Thursday night.

It was only Sukova’s third victory over Navratilova in 24 matches, but all have had major significance.

The 6-foot 2-inch Czechoslovakian halted Navratilova’s 74-match winning streak at the 1984 Australian Open and snapped her 69-match victory streak on English grass courts in 1987 at Eastbourne.

“This is the most important win for me because it’s the most recent one,” Sukova said.

Navratilova, who was once coached by Sukova’s mother, was angry at herself for blowing a one-set lead. “I’m ticked off,” she said. “It should have been a routine win, but I managed to lose it.”

Her main nemesis was Sukova’s booming serve, which produced 10 aces and 17 service winners.

“She hit some big serves,” Navratilova said. “And she attacked my second serve better than I did hers.”

John McEnroe was peppered verbally by Jim Courier before winning, 6-2, 6-4, in the quarterfinals of the Little Caesars tournament at Detroit.

McEnroe expressed dismay over Courier’s conduct. Courier, 18, swore to himself after losing several points, then uttered obscenities directly to McEnroe, who responded with one of his own and drew a $750 fine for verbal abuse.

“I think when you say things under your breath that’s bad enough, but when he started directing those comments at me, I couldn’t believe it,” said McEnroe, 29. “He was saying my shots were chintzy and lucky, as if it was lucky I was winning.

“I don’t need that from some 18-year-old. It’s really sad.”

In other quarterfinals, Kelly Evernden beat No.4-seeded Dan Goldie, 6-3, 7-5, and Leif Shiras downed Pete Sampras, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.