TENNIS ROUNDUP : Navratilova Reaches Final in Pursuit of 164th Title

Top-seeded Martina Navratilova won her semifinal match Friday in a grass-court tournament at Eastbourne, England, and will try for the 164th title of her career today against a player who had never before reached a final.

Navratilova, a 10-time champion at Eastbourne, swept to a 6-1, 6-3 victory over fellow American Patty Fendick.

The nine-time Wimbledon champion will play Miriam Oremans of the Netherlands, who upset defending champion Lori McNeil, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-3).

Earlier Friday, McNeil beat Nathalie Tauziat, 6-1, 7-5, in the quarterfinals of the rain-plagued tournament.

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Unseeded Jonathan Stark moved into the semifinals of a tournament at Halle, Germany, by defeating 18-year-old Hendrik Dreekmann, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), and ending the German’s string of upsets.

Next opponent for Stark will be top-seeded Andrei Medvedev, playing only his second grass-court tournament. Medvedev outlasted Sweden’s Jonas Svensson, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

France’s Henri Leconte also gained the semifinals by fighting off two match points to slip past Richey Reneberg, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8). He will play second-seeded Petr Korda of the Czech Republic, who defeated Germany’s Karsten Braasch, 6-1, 6-2.

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Wally Masur and Jason Stoltenberg won semifinal matches in a grass-court tournament at Manchester, England, setting up an all-Australian final.