TENNIS ROUNDUP : Navratilova Wins, Passes Evert

Martina Navratilova became tennis’ all-time singles titles leader the hard way.

Navratilova beat Jana Novotna of Czechoslovakia, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-5, in the final of the Virginia Slims of Chicago Sunday.

“I was preparing my loser’s speech during the match,” Navratilova said. “I had to tell myself I could come back. I said, ‘If I can’t break the record in Chicago, where can I break it?’ ”

Navratilova won her 158th career singles championship and 12th title in Chicago. She and Chris Evert, who retired in 1989, were tied with 157 singles titles. Jimmy Connors is the men’s all-time leader with 109 singles championships.

Navratilova, who doesn’t plan to retire soon, said she expects her record to stand for a long time because of the tour is now more of a grind than it was she started playing.

“Physically and mentally, it’s tougher,” she said. “You can’t just go out and play tennis.”

It looked as if Novotna would pull off her second consecutive upset and in similar fashion, having lost the opening set to top-seeded Steffi Graf before winning Saturday night’s semifinal.

“It’s a credit to Martina for her comeback and her historic match,” Novotna said. “I don’t think she felt the pressure of the record so much as the pressure I put on her. I was the one who pushed her to the limit.”

Navratilova earned $70,000 and Novotna got $35,000.

On the other end of the spectrum, MaliVai Washington recorded his first professional singles title with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Wayne Ferreira at Memphis, Tenn.

Washington did not lose a set in his five matches, including his semifinal victory over Connors.