Tennis Roundup : Navratilova Fights Off Fernandez to Advance

Top-seeded Martina Navratilova overcame Mary Joe Fernandez, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1, Thursday in the quarterfinals of a women’s grass-court tournament at Eastbourne, England.

Joining Navratilova in the semifinals were 14th-seeded Raffaella Reggi of Italy and unseeded Gigi Fernandez of Puerto Rico and Ros Fairbank of South Africa.

Reggi beat Akiko Kijimuta of Japan, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1; Fernandez beat Etsuko Inoue of Japan, 6-2, 6-4, and Fairbank defeated Betsy Nagelsen, 6-3, 6-0.

Chris Evert, who was forced to drop out of the Eastbourne tournament because of an ear infection, said she will make her 18th Wimbledon appearance when the grass-courts Grand Slam tournament begins next week.

“I’m feeling much better,” Evert said. “I shall be on medication for at least another three days, but I shall definitely be playing at Wimbledon next week.”

Michael Chang, the first American to win the French Open in 34 years, faces a tough test in his first match at Wimbledon.

Bill Scanlon, a solid grass-court player but a qualifier this year, was placed against Chang, 17, who won at Roland Garros two weeks ago.

Bryan Shelton will face two-time champion Boris Becker, seeded third, and Scott Warner will face Miloslav Mecir of Czechoslovakia, seeded seventh, in other first-round draws.

The top-seeded Becker defeated Italy’s Diego Nargiso, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5), to advance to the semifinals of a men’s grass-court tournament at Wirral, England.

Becker will play Dan Goldie in today’s semifinals. Goldie beat Jeremy Bates of Britain, 7-5, 7-6 (10-8).

The other semifinal pits Peter Lundgren of Sweden, a 6-4, 6-3, victor over Pete Sampras, against Carl-Uwe Steeb of West Germany, who beat Jim Pugh of Palos Verdes, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.

Michiel Schapers of the Netherlands upset top-seeded Derrick Rostagno of Brentwood, 6-4, 6-2, to reach the semifinals of a Grand Prix men’s grass-court tournament at Bristol, England.

Richard Matuszewski defeated Brad Drewett of Australia, 6-2, 7-6, to also advance.

Others in today’s semifinals are Eric Jelen of West Germany, who beat Kelly Evernden of New Zealand, 4-6, 6-4, 9-7, and Britain’s Nick Brown, who won when West German opponent Michael Stich retired with a hamstring injury. Brown led at the time, 6-4, 1-0.

Mats Wilander of Sweden beat Australian Darren Cahill, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, in a grass-court exhibition tournament at Wentworth, England.

Kevin Curren overpowered Jonas Svensson of Sweden, 6-3, 6-3, in another match n the round-robin tournament.

Claudio Mezzadri of Switzerland stunned top-seeded Javier Sanchez of Spain, 6-4, 6-4, in the second round of the $125,000 Puglia tournament at Bari, Italy.