Navratilova Pressured in 3-Set Victory

Top-seeded Martina Navratilova needed three sets to beat unseeded Australian Rachel McQuillan 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in a second round match at the Italian Open today.

No. 3 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain had an easier time in her second round debut, dispatching Australia’s Kristin Godridge 6-1, 6-1 in just under one hour.

Two seeds were ousted in the second round. Eighth-seeded Judith Wiesner of Austria was upset by qualifier Andrea Vieira of Brazil 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, and qualifier Mercedes Paz of Argentina eliminated No. 15 Leila Meskhi of the Soviet Union, 6-4, 7-5.

Playing with a bandaged left thigh which seemed to hamper her movement, Navratilova served and volleyed her way to a 5-0 lead in the first set before winning it 6-2.

McQuillan, ranked 36th in the world, began to keep Navratilova off the net with pinpoint passing shots in the second set. Leading 4-3 with the American serving, McQuillan drove a passing winner down the baseline to take a 40-15 lead, and forced a forehand error for the break.

Serving for the set at 5-3, McQuillan fought off four break points before taking the set when Martina shanked a return of serve on the Australian’s first set point.

In the third set, Navratilova broke McQuillan’s serve in game three to take a 2-1 lead. With the advantage, she never looked back, powering to a commanding 5-2 lead before sealing the 1:45 victory with a searing forehand winner on McQuillan’s serve.

In other matches, Catarina Lindqvist, seeded 13th, beat Argentine Patricia Tarabini 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Italy’s Sandra Cecchini, the 14th seed, downed Luxembourg’s Karin Kschwendt 6-1, 1-6, 6-3. And fellow Italian Cathy Caverzasio, seeded 16th, beat France’s Julie Halard 7-5, 6-2.

Jennifer Capriati, the 14-year-old American sensation, faced Susan Sloane in a night match.

With nearly 20 years between them, the No. 12 seed Capriati and No. 1 Navratilova are respectively the youngest and oldest players in the Rome tournament. The two could possibly meet in the semifinals.