Evert to Challenge Graf; Navratilova Faces Swede

In the Wimbledon women’s semifinals, Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova are chasing legends of different eras.

Graf’s opponent is Chris Evert, 34, who will probably be making her last appearance on the most famous grass courts in tennis.

Navratilova, who will play Catarina Lindqvist of Sweden, is only two victories away from a record ninth Wimbledon title. She is tied with Helen Wills Moody at eight.

Winning today would take a huge upset by Evert, who hasn’t beaten Graf in three years. Evert almost didn’t get to the semifinals, She needed to come back from 2-5 in the third set to defeat Laura Golarsa, a 21-year-old unseeded Italian.

Evert said her tactics against Graf will be pretty basic.

“Just hit my groundies, get a lot of first serves in, just play my basic game and hope to play well,” Evert said.

“I have reached the semifinals. Whatever happens now is icing on the cake for me.”

Graf has played a total of 251 minutes in five matches, an average of 50 minutes a match, to reach the semifinals.

Navratilova’s road to the final must pass Lindqvist, 26, the first unseeded player to reach the semifinals since 1983 and the first Swedish woman to get this far.

Navratilova is 11-0 lifetime against Lindqvist but she said she isn’t thinking about the final.

“Thinking about the Wimbledon record or winning Wimbledon again, that goes on when I am doing my working out, when I am out there four hours a day and running and lifting weights and killing myself on the court,” Navratilova said.

“Before I get here, that’s what I am thinking about--winning Wimbledon.”