Six Matches Postponed by Rain in Women’s Tennis at Palm Springs

Rain washed out Martina Navratilova’s third-round match against Ginger Helgeson and forced postponement of five other singles matches Wednesday in the Virginia Slims of Palm Springs tennis tournament.

Three matches never got on the court at Bono’s Racket Club before play was canceled at 4 p.m., after three hours of heavy rain. Three other matches, including fourth-seeded Helena Sukova’s second-round match against Peanut Louie-Harper, were halted in progress.

Sukova and Harper were 2-2 in the third set after Louie-Harper won the first set, 7-6 (7-4), and Sukova evened the match by winning the second set, 6-3.

“Sometimes it rains,” Sukova said. “There’s nothing you can do about it. You don’t have a choice. You just wait to see who and when you can play.”

Navratilova and Helgeson, who were supposed to have played Wednesday night, have been reset as the fourth match on center court today, weather permitting; Monica Seles’ third-round match against Sabine Appelmans is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.