This article appeared in the online edition of the Daily Gazette on July 16, 1999 Navratilova still getting adjusted By BILL BUELL Gazette Sportswriter SCHENECTADY - The home team won and the crowd went away happy, but Martina Navratilova's debut with the Schenectady County Electrics Thursday night at Central Park wasn't an unqualified success. Nobody was complaining, however, and even Navratilova wasn't too hard on herself in the post-match press conference. "I haven't seen balls hit at me that hard in more than a year," said Navratilova, who lost both her doubles sets, but still played well enough to delight a crowd of 1,600 fans and help the Electrics remain unbeaten at home with a 22-16 win over the Kansas City Explorers. "I've been practicing on clay in Europe, so it's just a matter of getting the eyes back, more than anything. A little practice and I'll start seeing the ball a lot better." Navratilova and Great Britain's Samantha Smith dropped the opening set to the league's top doubles team, 5-3. Mariaan de Swardt reached the women's doubles final at Wimbledon this year, while her Kansas City teammate, Leizel Horn, playing with another partner, made it to the semis. Schenectady County's Geoff Grant captured the second set, defeating Allistair Hunt in men's singles, 5-2, sending Navratilova and her mixed partner, T.J. Middleton, onto the court with an 8-7 lead. In the most entertaining set of the night, de Swardt and Hunt hung on to edge Navratilova and Middleton in a tiebreaker, 5-3. "I think we were a little unlucky in the mixed," said Navratilova. "I've played against T.J. many times, so it was nice to play with him tonight. But Mariaan played great. She was hitting the ball harder than the guys." De Swardt's big serve even got past Middleton, on occasion. "Yeah, I think she might have aced me two or three times," he said. "She served as well as many men I've played against. It's too bad. I would have liked to have a clean record with Martina. She's probably the greatest player that ever lived. It's definitely a privilege to play with her." With the scored tied, 12-12, and women's singles coming up, Kansas City appeared ready to take the lead, based on de Swardt's superb play. But the South African, who's twice reached the fourth round in singles at Wimbledon, played two sloppy games on her serve while Smith was steady, winning the set, 5-2. Middleton and Grant then won the final set of men's doubles, 5-2. Explorers coach Paul Smith, a former nationally-ranked player in New Zealand, was forced to play with Hunt due to an injury to John-Laffnie de Jager. The victory improved the Electrics' record to 4-2, keeping them one match behind the Delaware Smash in the loss column. The Electrics will try to win their fifth straight at home Saturday at 2 p.m. against the Springfield Lasers. Navratilova will be there, and she'll be ready. "This was my first match, and it showed," said Navratilova, who drove up from Mahwah, N.J., Thursday afternoon after giving a junior clinic. "I hit with Sam in London; we got acquainted, so that helped. When you're playing with good doubles players, it's not that hard to get used to them. They know what they're doing. Sam hit the right shots, and T.J. certainly knows the right shots. But it does help to practice with them, so we'll get better." Middleton was expecting to play the ad court in the mixed, but defered to Navratilova and instead played the deuce court. "I've played most of my career on that side," said Navratilova. "T.J.'s been playing so it was easier for him to make the adjustment. I would have felt uncomfortable over there." If called upon, Navratilova said she'll be ready to play singles. "Singles is a little nerve-wracking, but if they need me I can step in and play," she said. "But the way Sam played tonight, there might not be a need. She did a great job against Mariaan." With Navratilova in town to begin her four-match stint with the Electrics, Australian Louise Pleming, who had been playing extremely well, was forced to the sidelines. The lineup change, however, was never a concern to Middleton. "No, not really, because Martina can add so much to any team," said Middleton. "She's so fantastic. She's still got great hands and I thought she looked pretty good tonight. I've played against her quite a bit, and I really like playing with her instead of against her." Playing the mixed with someone who's one eight Grand Slam mixed doubles titles and 157 doubles titles on the women's tour can get you thinking a little bit said Middleton. "She's such a great player, that you think, well, I have to play great," he said. "Every time you make a mistake it seems magnified. But I'm doing the best I can, and she knows that. She's a great person." After Saturday's match with Springfield, the Electrics will travel to Springfield, Mo., to play the Lasers on Sunday, without Navratilova. She will rejoin the team in Delaware against the Smash on Tuesday, and then return to Central Park for her final match of the season on Wednesday against the Smash. Electrics 22, Kansas City 16 Women's doubles: Mariaan de Swardt-Leizel Horn (KC) def. Martina Navratilova-Sam Smith, 5-3. Men's singles: Geoff Grant (E) def. Allistair Hunt, 5-2. Mixed doubles: De Swardt-Hunt (KC) def. Navratilova-T.J. Middleton, 5-4 (5-3). Women's singles: Smith (E) def. de Swardt, 5-2. Men's doubles: Grant-Middleton (E) def. Hunt-Paul Smith, 5-2. reply to Gazette Newspapers: gazette@dailygazette.com