This article appeared in the online edition of the Daily Gazette on July 18, 1999   



King: Tennis fans need to get behind Electrics 

By BILL BUELL
Gazette Sportswriter

SCHENECTADY - There were almost fewer fans than unforced errors Saturday at Central Park, 
but World TeamTennis founder and director Billie Jean King wasn't about to take the easy 
way out and blame it on the heat.

"We've got to fill up the stands here, that's our next goal," said King, who was at 
Central Park Saturday to watch the Springfield Lasers snap the Schenectady County 
Electrics' four-match winning streak, 21-19. "This is a beautiful court, and you have a
great team. But we have to get more people out to support it."

With the temperature climbing into the high 90s, the big turnout Electrics owner and 
general manager Nitty Singh was hoping for never materialized.

Martina Navratilova attracted the largest crowd of the season at Central Park Thursday 
night, filling the stadium to three-quarters of its capacity. Navratilova, who dropped 
both of her doubles sets Thursday, played better Saturday in her second stint with the 
Electrics, but unfortunately, only about 500 to 600 people braved the heat to witness it.

"Yeah, it was hot, but Schenectady has the lowest average attendance in the league right 
now," said King. "The fans who are here are great, but we need more of them. We want to 
be a bigger part of the community."                             

King feels Schenectady's history of top-level tournament tennis probably has hurt its 
WTT franchise.

"People used to come here and watch the OTB Open for free, and now they're spoiled," she 
said. "That's why we need new people in tennis, and we need them to pay up and support 
the team."

Singh, the former tournament director for the OTB Open, felt the heat did have a 
significant impact on Saturday's low numbers.

"We sold more than 600 tickets, so we had a lot of people missing," said Singh. "I know 
a lot of people told me if it got too hot, they were going to the lake. And it's not like 
today was the only day Martina was playing. We have her again on Wednesday, so hopefully, 
we'll get a bigger crowd then."

The lack of a large crowd and the heat didn't have a negative effect on Navratilova, who 
played superb tennis in her two sets.

"It's better with a big house, more exciting, but it's a team situation, so you better 
get up for it," said Navratilova. "I always play hard, and I've never lost a match 
because of the heat. I always figured I was in better shape than the other guy."

Navratilova and Great Britain's Samantha Smith opened Saturday's match by defeating 
Larisa Neiland and Elena Tatarkova in a tiebreaker, 5-3. The Lasers, however, took a 9-8 
lead when South African Grant Stafford defeated Geoff Grant in men's singles, 5-2.

Then Navratilova and Middleton, who lost their first mixed doubles set on Thursday in a 
tiebreaker, played a near-perfect set to defeat Neiland, the 1993 OTB Open champion, and 
David Macpherson in the mixed, 5-2.

"With one match under your belt, you always feel more comfortable," said Middleton. "We 
played well, and Martina's so solid, she seems to make all her shots. It's nice to play 
well with her."

From then on, it was all downhill for the Electrics, as Smith dropped her women's singles 
set to Tatarkova, 5-3, and Grant and Middleton lost the men's doubles to Stafford and 
Macpherson, 5-3.

"I actually play pretty well in the heat, and I thought Martina and I clicked pretty well 
in the doubles," said Smith. "I was a bit sharper today than Thursday. But I just wasn't 
on my game in the singles, and Elena is difficult to play. She's always there, and she 
makes you work very hard."

In the men's doubles set, Stafford, who won three doubles titles on the men's tour last 
year, hit a great return to break Grant's serve in the third game, as he and Macpherson 
closed out the set and match to improve the Lasers' record to 3-4. The loss dropped the 
Electrics to 4-3.

According to Middleton, it wasn't the heat that bothered the Electrics Saturday. It was 
Stafford.

"I'm from Atlanta, I'm used to this, and when you're only playing one set, I don't think 
the heat makes that much difference," said Middleton. "They're a good team, and I thought 
Grant played really well.

"He hit a return down the line I couldn't handle. I think he's in the top 30 in the world 
right now in doubles, and he's playing pretty well in singles. He was tough today."

During the Electrics' four-match winning streak, Grant and Middleton had enjoyed a lead 
heading into the final set. Saturday, the score was tied, 16-16.

"The ladies had always given us an edge, and I think we got a little spoiled," said 
Middleton. "We had a little pressure on us today. Usually, the ladies made it easy on us, 
and we would play well without any pressure. It didn't work that way today."

The Electrics concluded a five-game homestand with Saturday's defeat, and will head to 
Springfield, Mo., to play the Lasers again tonight at 8.

Australian Louise Pleming will take Navratilova's place in the Electrics lineup for one 
match, before Navratilova returns for a road match on Tuesday against Delaware and then 
the home finale Wednesday against Delaware.

"I'm dying to get out there and play again, but it's great having Martina on the team," 
said Pleming, who played in the Electrics' first five matches.

"It's great motivation for us to have her on the team and to be able to practice with 
her. It's great that she still has her energy and enthusiasm, even though her career is 
winding down. She's a great person."

Lasers 21, Electrics 19 Women's doubles: Martina Navratilova-Sam Smith (E) def. Elena 
Tatarkova-Larisa Neiland, 5-4 (5-1). Men's singles: Grant Stafford (S) def. Geoff Grant, 
5-3. Mixed doubles: Navratilova-T.J. Middleton (E) def. Neiland-David Macpherson, 5-2. 
Women's singles: Tatarkova (S) def. Smith, 5-3. Men's doubles: Stafford-Macpherson (S) 
def. Middleton-Grant, 5-3.

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