Odds Stacked Against Sukova in Women’s Final

Steffi Graf’s last loss to Helena Sukova occurred in Brisbane. It was only Graf’s second tournament on grass. Graf lost in straight sets.

And she was 14 years old.

Since that day in 1983, Graf has beaten Sukova eight times and has lost only two sets to her.

Graf plays Sukova again in the final of the Australian Open as an overwhelming favorite to win her fifth consecutive Grand Slam event. There aren’t too many people giving Sukova any chance at all in Saturday’s match, but the 23-year-old Czech has not yet decided to concede.

“I’m not intimidated and I don’t know why I should be,” Sukova said. “I mean, she’s the No. 1 player, and as I said before (playing) Martina, it was good to play her; you get more experience and you always learn something from the match.

“So, I have nothing to lose,” she said. “I’ll try to do my best and see what happens.”

Sukova has never won a Grand Slam event, but she will be making her third appearance in a final. She lost to Chris Evert in the 1984 Australian Open and to Martina Navratilova in the 1986 U.S. Open.

But Sukova said she is a different player now.

“I’m more mature and I’m psychologically more ready for the matches,” she said. “I’m more consistent and my games are more consistent. But even more important is the mental part.”

Of course, Graf is a different player, too. Her singles record last year was 72-3, and she has begun 1989 by winning 6 matches, none longer than 63 minutes, in the year’s first Grand Slam event.

She reached the final by routing Gabriela Sabatini, 6-3, 6-0, in a 50-minute semifinal. Afterwards, she said the thrill is not gone.

“I’m still excited, the finals, definitely,” Graf said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been nervous. There’s no reason. But I’m sure looking forward to the match.”

Sukova had an extremely difficult time getting past unseeded Belinda Cordwell of New Zealand in her semifinal, 7-6, 4-6, 6-2.

Sukova had her serve broken five times in the first two sets and got out with split sets, then double-faulted on her sixth match point and got out of that when she smacked a backhand winner on the seventh match point.

It was not a particularly encouraging performance for Sukova going into her final with Graf, especially since it now seems that the gulf between Graf and her challengers is getting deeper.

Said Cordwell: “I won’t be surprised if Graf wins the tournament.”

Few would. Graf’s support group includes her father, Peter; her brother, Michael, and Michael’s girlfriend.

Sukova is being aided here by her boyfriend, Jaromiri Jirik, who is also serving as Sukova’s temporary coach until she gets back to Europe to work with Lada Travnicek.

Jirik, a motocross racer, can probably teach Sukova something about clearing large obstacles. Maybe that will help.