Navratilova-Mandlikova Defeat Shriver-Fernandez in Doubles

Martina Navratilova, who won 19 Grand Slam doubles titles with Pam Shriver as a partner, teamed with Hana Mandlikova to take the U.S. Open women’s doubles title Sunday.

Navratilova and Mandlikova beat Shriver and Mary Jo Fernandez, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. Navratilova and Shriver split last month.

“We’ve had one of the greatest partnerships of all time together,” said Navratilova, who is expected to team with Shriver next month in the Federation Cup. “I don’t know if I’ll commit to anybody for a full year.

“I had a feeling that the crowd felt I had wronged Pam, that it was my fault. Everything I did was above board.”

Shriver and Fernandez never had played together and became a team just moments before the entry deadline.

“If this was a marriage, I’d call it a trial separation,” Navratilova said early last week. “I thought Pam needed time to sort out her career. She was so scattered.”

Said Shriver: “Our schedules didn’t work out well this year. It was also at a time I was questioning my dedication.

“I guess it was a time she thought she would give me a kick in my pants, three weeks before the Open. But I understand it because, besides friendship, it’s a business and a partnership.”

Navratilova and Mandlikova blew three match points before clinching the title on Navratilova’s overhead.

For Mandlikova, who has won four Grand Slam singles titles, it was her first major doubles victory.

“Winning with Martina is a great honor,” Mandlikova said. “I enjoyed it. As to the future, it is up to her, not me.

“I felt something was going on between Pam and Martina and that I needed to prove something. Then, on one of the changeovers, I said, ‘I don’t need to prove anything. Just win the match.’ ”