This article appeared in the online edition of the Daily Gazette on July 17, 1999



If McEnroe needs partner, Navratilova will be ready 

By BILL BUELL
Gazette Sportswriter

SCHENECTADY - If John McEnroe is looking for a reliable doubles partner next year at Wimbledon, 
Martina Navratilova says she's available.

"I wish I would have been playing with John," said Navratilova, who will play her second World 
TeamTennis match with the Schenectady County Electrics today at 2 p.m. at Central Park against 
the Springfield Lasers. "At least we would have kept on playing."

McEnroe and Steffi Graf were forced to default their semifinal mixed doubles match at Wimbledon 
when Graf, trying to focus on her singles final, decided she wanted out of the mixed event. 
Navratilova wasn't about to trash Graf's decision the way McEnroe has publicly the past few 
weeks, but it was clear she was disappointed the way things worked out. 

"I did that once in my life," said Navratilova, referring to the 1989 Wimbledon Championships,
when she defaulted out of the mixed doubles competition. "I was in the singles final, I was 
playing women's doubles, it had rained and they wanted us back on the court at eight o'clock 
to finish our mixed match. I wanted to wait until the next day, but the other team wanted to 
play. So I defaulted, but those were unusual circumstances."

The winner of seven Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, Navratilova never hesitated to play in
three events at Wimbledon, and except for the 1989 season, never defaulted. In 1986, because 
of rain, she played two matches the first week and 17 the second week.

Navratilova, who did color commentary for Home Box Office during Wimbledon, said she wasn't 
surprised to see McEnroe and Graf do so well.

"John's been playing the legends tour, so his game is sharp, and Steffi can hold her own," 
she said. "John knows doubles, and while Steffi doesn't know doubles that well, she hits 
the ball well. Anyway, McEnroe and anyone is a great doubles team."

How about McEnroe and Navratilova?

"Maybe next year, who knows?" said Navratilova. "It was great to see them out there doing
so well. And yeah, I could play. I'd have to practice more. I'd have to get a few more 
matches under my belt, but I'm still fast enough to compete in doubles. I can still hold my 
own on the doubles court."

Navratilova, now 42, showed Thursday night at Central Park that, despite not having played 
competitive tennis since last year's WTT season, she is still a force to be reckoned with. 
She dropped both of her doubles sets, but both were close, hard-fought contests, and the 
opposition included South African Mariaan de Swardt, a doubles finalist at Wimbledon this year.

Navratilova said she'll continue to play WTT as long as Billie Jean King wants her.

"They keep asking me, so I said OK," said Navratilova. "It's nice to have a purpose for 
training and staying in shape. I still get a kick out of the competition, and this gives me my 
fix for the year."

Navratilova said she loves being a part of the team, is completely sold on the concept of 
World TeamTennis and would like to see more of the top men participate.

"Absolutely, that's why I'm playing," she said. "All it takes is more sponsorship money to 
bring in some of the men. Right now, they're getting $100,000 guarantees to play in 
tournaments, then they lose in the first round and go home and wait for their checks. This is 
hard work, but it's also a lot of fun. And I love team tennis. It's fun competition, and I 
think it's great for the spectators."

After Thursday's win, their fourth straight, the Electrics are 4-2 and tied for second place 
with the Sacramento Capitals, one game behind the Delaware Smash.

Navratilova will team up with Great Britian's Samantha Smith and Atlanta's T.J. Middleton for 
the doubles, while Smith and Geoff Grant will play singles.

Playing for Springfield this afternoon will be Larisa Neiland, Elena Tatarkova, Grant Stafford
and David Macpherson. The Lasers are 3-3.

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