Martina News
(July - December 2003)



December 19, 2003: Martina has been named as spokesperson for two new Juiceman products by Salton, a Canadian gourmet appliance manufacturer. The press release which was available on the Business Wire website yesterday has now mysteriously disappeared. If I see anything on this in the coming days, I will post it here.

December 19, 2003: Martina was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the BBC in a ceremony for their Sports Personality of the Year show in London last Sunday. The presentation was made by none other than Leander himself, whose appearance took Martina totally by surprise! Leander told 'The Indian Express' afterwards that being there with Martina "was a moment to cherish." For an article from the BBC, click here. And for photos of a radiant Martina with her award, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two.

December 19, 2003: Last month, Martina was in Moscow for the Fed Cup semifinals & finals. Playing for her country for the first time since 1995, Martina won both her matches in straight sets. In the semifinals, Martina & Lisa defeated Elke Clijsters & Caroline Maes of Belgium 6-1 6-4. The USA won the tie overall, 4-1. In the finals, Martina & Lisa defeated Stephanie Cohen-Aloro & Emilie Loit 6-4 6-0. Unfortunately, it was the only US victory in the tie won by the French 4-1. For the transcripts of Martina's Fed Cup press conferences & an earlier teleconference, click on the following links: November 13, November 20, November 22. For small audio clips of interview with Martina, courtesy of the official Fed Cup website, click on the following links: November 20, November 23. You can find articles & photos on the Fed Cup website here.

December 19, 2003: Last month, Martina & Sveta qualified for the Bank of America WTA Tour Championships in Los Angeles as one of the top 4 doubles teams of 2003. They lost their opening semifinal match to Virginia Ruano Pascual & Paola Suarez 6-4 6-4. Nevertheless, it was an amazing effort for Martina to qualify for the Championships for the first time since 1994. Congratulations, Martina, on your spectacular year!

November 30, 2003: Martina & Lisa won the Advanta Championships in Philadelphia earlier this month on November 2. Congratulations, Martina & Lisa! In the first round, they defeated Angelika Bachmann & Sandra Kloesel 6-3 6-2. In the quarterfinals, they beat Dimana Krastevitch & Svetlana Krivencheva 7-5 6-2. In the semifinals, they beat the #4 seeds, Nicole Pratt & Meghann Shaughnessy 6-4 6-2. And in the finals, they beat the #3 seeds, Cara Black & Rennae Stubbs 6-3 6-4. Unfortunately, most of the photo links have expired since then. But here are a few links to various articles from that week: The Philadelphia Inquirer (1), The Philadelphia Inquirer (2), The Philadelphia Daily News, Associated Press (1), Associated Press (2), Main Line Life.

October 26, 2003: Martina has entered the Advanta Championships in Philadelphia, which begin tomorrow. She will be partnered by Lisa Raymond and they are the #1 seeds. They will take on Angelika Bachmann & Sandra Kloesel in their first round match, scheduled to open tomorrow's evening session at the Villanova Pavilion. For the complete draw, courtesy of the WTA Tour, click here. This will mark Martina's first participation at a tour event in Philadelphia since 1977.

October 26, 2003: Leander has had a change of plans regarding his return to tennis since my last update. On doctors advice, he now expects to be back only in January for the Australian hardcourt season. He did confirm that he expects to defend his Australian Open title with Martina in Melbourne: "During the last two and half months her support, character and courage has helped me a lot in tiding over the worst crisis of my career.".

October 19, 2003: Martina is briefly quoted in the latest issue of 'Tennis' magazine in an article on the current crop of Russian players on the WTA Tour. For the complete article, click here.

October 19, 2003: Martina is looking foward to playing Fed Cup for the USA next month. Said Martina, "The Fed Cup belongs in the U.S. It has been eight years since I’ve played Fed Cup, and I’m excited about the challenge." Team captain, Billie Jean King, made the team announcement last Monday, selecting Martina, Meghann Shaughnessy, Lisa Raymond & Alexandra Stevenson, as was expected. Said King, "This team is very excited about going to Moscow and we are going there to win. These four women are very experienced players and Martina brings additional power to our lineup and prestige to this international competition. We are all looking forward to going to Moscow and bringing the Fed Cup back to the United States." For the official USTA press release, click here.

October 19, 2003: Martina & Sveta have qualified for the season-ending Bank of America WTA Tour Championships in Los Angeles next month. Most of us already expected this but now it has been made official by the WTA Tour. For the press release, click here.

October 19, 2003: Here are a few photos of Martina in Filderstadt last week, during her semifinal with Cara against Nadia Petrova & Meghann Shaughnessy: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three. My special thanks go out to Tobias for the great photos.

October 19, 2003: More Leander news. He says he is now just two weeks away from being able to start practicing again. He has been off medication for the past three weeks. He hopes to play at the Tennis Masters Cup Doubles in Houston next month, where he has qualified with David Rikl. Leander is also looking forward to teaming up with Martina in Australia next month. Speaking to 'The Times of India,' he said, "We have won two of the four Grand Slams together. Our relationship has been special. She is all that a partner should be. I’m looking forward to playing with her again next year."

October 19, 2003: Martina is quoted some in an article from "Tennis Week" magazine on rivalries in women's tennis today. For the complete article, click here.

October 12, 2003: Martina is expected to be named to the U.S. Fed Cup team for the semifinal against Belgium in Moscow next month. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a USTA source disclosed that Martina will join Meghann Shaughnessy, Lisa Raymond & Alexandra Stevenson on the U.S. team. Team captain Billie Jean King is expected to make the announcement tomorrow. This will mark Martina's first appearance at the Fed Cup since 1995. For an 'Associated Press' article, click here.

October 12, 2003: Martina & Cara Black reached the finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Filderstadt this week, where they lost to the #2 seeds, Lisa Raymond & Rennae Stubbs 6-2 6-4. Earlier in the week, they had defeated Amélie Mauresmo & Mary Pierce 7-5 4-6 6-2 in the first round; Elena Bovina & Els Callens 6-4 6-3 in the quarterfinals; and the #4 seeds, Nadia Petrova & Meghann Shaughnessy 7-6(4) 6-4 in the semifinals. For a photo from the first round match, click here. On Thursday, Martina participated in an on-court ceremony, honoring Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and for photos, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two. Martina gets the next week off; I'm not sure where she's playing next. It could either be Linz next week or Philadelphia, the week after.

October 12, 2003: Leander is back in India and he had some nice things to say about Martina. Said Leander, "It has been a wonderful relationship and I would like to nurture it for as many years as possible. She’s 47 and our relationship is 17-year-long and strong." And referring to Martina's decision to the skip the mixed doubles at the Open due to Leander's illness, he said, "She’s got a lot of character and it was quite a gesture. That’s a bond of understanding we share. She’s a top person." For the complete article from 'The Indian Express,' click here.

October 5, 2003: Martina is in Filderstadt this week for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. She is teaming up with Cara Black & they are the top seeds. They have a very difficult opening match ahead of them against Amélie Mauresmo & Mary Pierce. It appears Sveta is taking a break from the doubles this week to concentrate on singles alone. For the complete doubles draw, click here.

October 5, 2003: Martina & Sveta reached the semifinals of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow this week, where they were upset by Anastasia Myskina & Vera Zvonareva 6-7(8) 6-2 6-4. Earlier in the week, they beat Sonya Jeyaseelan & Magdalena Maleeva in the first round 6-4 6-1 and Alicia Molik & Magui Serna 6-4 7-5 in the quarterfinals. None of their matches were played on Centre Court. Only mens doubles matches were scheduled on that court by the sexist tournament organizers. There was no media coverage of Martina's participation in Moscow either.

October 5, 2003: And now for some good news on Leander's condition. The latest MRI revealed a 50% regression of the brain lesion and he is on his way home to India today. For news reports, click on the following links: Indo-Asian News Service, The Statesman. Per the latter article, it appears Martina was planning on visiting India later this year to play a series of mixed doubles matches with Leander; but those plans are now on the backburner.

September 29, 2003: Martina & Sveta have entered the Kremlin Cup in Moscow which begins this week. They are the #1 seeds and will take on Sonya Jeyaseelan & Magdalena Maleeva in their opening match. For the complete doubles draw, please check the tournament website here.

September 29, 2003: Martina has joined other celebrities in lending her voice to the "Celebrity Talking Dictionary," an online dictionary of 500 complex medical terms associated with breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. This project has been launched by breastcancer.org & Lifetime Television. Martina's words have not yet been added to the site but you can hear Martina's brief personal introduction on the "Celebrity Talking Dictionary" website here.

September 29, 2003: One of the greatest sportswomen in history, Althea Gibson, passed away yesterday. She was 76. Speaking at her post-match press conference in Leipzig, Martina praised Althea, saying "she was a great champion and great person. We had a good relationship - she was always there for me even when I was a nobody... Her life was very difficult, but she broke down a lot of barriers and doors and made it easier for a lot of us."

September 29, 2003: Martina & Sveta won the Sparkassen Cup in Leipzig yesterday, defeating the #2 seeds, Elena Likhovtseva & Nadia Petrova 3-6 6-1 6-3. Congratulations, Martina & Sveta! The ladies were up an early break in the first set but lost four straight games to go down a set. However, they got an early break in the second and from then on never looked back. This is our team's 5th tour title of the year together & Martina's 6th. It is also Martina's first tournament victory in Germany since she won the singles title at the Porsche Grand Prix in Filderstadt in 1992. For photos from after the match, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six, Photo Seven, Photo Eight, Photo Nine, Photo Ten, Photo Eleven, Photo Twelve, Photo Thirteen, Photo Fourteen, Photo Fifteen, Photo Sixteen, Photo Seventeen, Photo Eighteen, Photo Nineteen. For an article from the tournament website in the German, click here. Martina & Sveta next head to Moscow for the Kremlin Cup which takes place this week.

September 27, 2003: Martina & Sveta have a very difficult final match ahead of them. They are scheduled to play the #2 seeds, Elena Likhovtseva & Nadia Petrova tomorrow, following the singles final, on Centre Court.

September 27, 2003: Martina & Sveta won their semifinal match today, defeating the #4 seeds, Marion Bartoli & Jelena Dokic 6-3 6-1. Martina dropped her opening service game today to go down 1-3 in the first set. From that point on, our team won 12 of the next 13 games for the straight sets victory. For a photo from the match, click here and for an write-up (in German) from the tournament website, click here. For an earlier report from the tournament website & a picture of Martina with the tournament directors, click here.

September 26, 2003: Martina & Sveta will play their semifinal match tomorrow against the #4 seeds, Marion Bartoli & Jelena Dokic. That match has been scheduled last on Centre Court.

September 26, 2003: Martina & Sveta won their quarterfinal match today, defeating Daniela Hantuchova & Barbara Schett 6-4 6-3. For photos from today, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three.

September 25, 2003: Martina & Sveta will play their quarterfinal match tomorrow, the last scheduled match on Centre Court. They have an extremely difficult match-up ahead of them in the always tough Daniela Hantuchova & Barbara Schett.

September 25, 2003: For the English translation of yesterday's write-up on the tournament website, click here. And now for a few more photos from yesterday, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six, Photo Seven, Photo Eight, Photo Nine, Photo Ten, Photo Eleven, Photo Twelve, Photo Thirteen, Photo Fourteen, Photo Fifteen. In photo fourteen, I think that is Martina greeting Gerda Petzsch, her opponent from her junior days. And here are some photos from Sunday's welcome party: Photo Sixteen, Photo Seventeen.

September 24, 2003: Martina & Sveta pulled a rabbit out of their hat today, coming back from match point down to defeat a pair of qualifiers, Aniko Kapros & Lydia Steinbach, 6-2 4-6 7-5. Our ladies were two breaks down at 2-5 in the final set. At 5-4 40-30, their opponents even held a match point. But somehow, the ladies found a way out, winning the last 5 straight games for the set & the match. For articles, click on the following links: Reuters, Associated Press, The Guardian. For a couple of articles in the German, click on the following links: Tournament website, DPA, Leipziger Volkszeitung. For photos from today, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six, Photo Seven. And here are a few photos from a practice session yesterday: Photo Eight, Photo Nine. And finally, for another photo from Sunday's welcome party, click here.

September 23, 2003: Martina & Sveta are expected to play their first round match on Centre Court tomorrow. They will take on Aniko Kapros & Lydia Steinbach in the opening match on that court.

September 22, 2003: For photos of Martina at the tournament's welcome party on Sunday, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four.

September 21, 2003: The draw for the Sparkassen Cup in Leipzig was announced today. Martina & Sveta are the #1 seeds and will take on a pair of qualifiers, Aniko Kapros & Lydia Steinbach in their opening match. For the complete draw, courtesy of the WTA Tour website, click here. The doubles draw is on Page 3. This marks the first time Martina has been seeded #1 at a tournament since the 1994 Bank of the West Classic in Oakland when she was the top seed in the doubles with Gigi Fernandez.

September 8, 2003: For the complete transcripts of Martina's & Sveta's press conference yesterday, click here. And for an article from the 'Newark Star-Ledger' featuring additional comments made by Martina at yesterday's presentation ceremony, click here.

September 7, 2003: Martina & Sveta lost their final match at the Open today, going down to the #2 seeds, Virginia Ruano Pascual & Paola Suarez 6-2 6-3. It is the first final that our team has lost together this year and also Martina's first finals loss at a Grand Slam women's doubles event since the 1985 U.S. Open. But nevertheless, it was an impressive effort for our team to make the finals of the U.S. Open, so well done ladies! For the transcripts of Martina's & Sveta's post-match press conference, click here. You will have to watch the video clip for the full interview because the transcripts are incomplete. Hopefully, ASAP Sports will have the complete transcripts available on their website tomorrow. For a brief 'Reuters' article featuring quotes from Martina from the presentation ceremony, click here. And for a report from the tournament website, click here. For photos, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six. Martina & Sveta now take a break for the next two weeks before kicking off their indoor season at the Sparkassen Cup in Leipzig, Germany in two weeks time. Leipzig will mark Martina's first tour event in a former Soviet Bloc country since Bratislava in 1973.

September 6, 2003: Martina & Sveta will play their final match at the Open tomorrow, the day's opening match on Arthur Ashe stadium. They have a very difficult match ahead of them against the defending champions and #2 seeds, Virginia Ruano Pascual & Paola Suarez.

September 6, 2003: Martina & Sveta won their semifinal match at the Open today, defeating Marion Bartoli & Myriam Casanova 6-4 7-6(0). This marks Martina's first Grand Slam women's doubles final since the 1990 U.S. Open.

September 6, 2003: For a photo of Martina & Tracy at the press conference yesterday, click here. For a photo of Martina during her quarterfinal match yesterday, click here.

September 5, 2003: Martina & Sveta will play their semifinal match on Louis Armstrong stadium tomorrow against Marion Bartoli & Myriam Casanova. That match has been scheduled third on that court.

September 5, 2003: Martina & Sveta won their quarterfinal match at the Open today, defeating the #8 seeds, Liezel Huber & Magdalena Maleeva 6-3 6-3. Martina & Sveta were broken in their opening service game and trailed 0-3 in the first set. From that point on, they went on an amazing run of 11 straight games to lead 6-3 5-0. Martina dropped serve when serving for the match at 5-1. They then wasted three match points in the following game. But Sveta finally served it out at 5-3 for the victory. This marks Martina's first Grand Slam women's doubles semifinal since Wimbledon 1994.

September 5, 2003: Martina & Tracy Austin spoke to the media today as part of a WTA Tour publicity campaign for their "Vote for the Best" contest. Basically, tour officials have selected 15 matches from the past 33 years and fans & members of the media will have a chance to vote for what they think is the greatest match. The results will be announced as the WTA Tour Championships in Los Angeles later this fall. For the WTA statement and a list of the matches, click here. For the transcripts from Martina's & Tracy's press conference, click here. Needless to say, while there are a few classic matches on the list, it is simply mind-boggling why many others made the list in the first place.

September 4, 2003: Martina & Sveta are scheduled to play their quarterfinal match tomorrow. That's slated to take place third on Court 11, a difficult encounter with the #8 seeds, Liezel Huber & Magdalena Maleeva.

September 4, 2003: Martina & Sveta won their third round match at the Open today, defeating Maja Matevzic & Henrietta Nagyova 6-2 6-3. The match was played on Court 11.

September 4, 2003: Yesterday, Martina also entertained the fans at Arthur Ashe stadium by hitting a few balls into the crowds. For photos, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two. And for a nice column on Martina by Johnette Howard of 'Newsday,' click here.

September 3, 2003: Rain postponed most play today as well. For an 'Agence France-Presse' article on Martina's comments regarding the scheduling of matches this Open, click here. Per tomorrow's schedule, Martina & Sveta are slated to play the third match on the Grandstand.

September 2, 2003: Martina's & Sveta's third round match has now twice been rained out. They were initially scheduled to open play on Arthur Ashe stadium yesterday & were later moved to the Grandstand. But after taking to the court on two separate occasions, they were forced right back to the lockerroom when it started raining again. For photos of Martina from yesterday, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two. Rain washed out most play today as well. Hopefully, Martina & Sveta will get to play their match tomorrow. For a few articles featuring quotes by Martina over the last 2 days, click on the following links: ESPN, The Newark Star-Ledger, Associated Press (1), Associated Press (2).

August 30, 2003: Martina & Sveta won their second round match at the Open today, defeating Lisa Raymond & Maria Sharapova 6-2 6-2. Sveta dropped serve in the very first game of the match but they recovered quickly, breaking right back and were never behind the rest of the match. For photos, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four.

August 30, 2003: Chris Evert recently spoke with 'The Denver Post' and Martina's name came up a number of times during that interview. For the complete transcripts, click here.

August 29, 2003: Martina & Sveta are scheduled to play their second round doubles match tomorrow against Lisa Raymond & Maria Sharapova. That match is expected to be played last on Arthur Ashe Stadium during the evening session.

August 29, 2003: Again, it appears the transcripts of Martina's press conference at the Open yesterday were incompletely posted on the tournament website. For the complete transcripts, courtesy of ASAP Sports, click here.

August 29, 2003: The Leander Paes Homepage and Fan Club posted the complete transcripts of his press conference in Orlando on Monday. We're already read snippets from that press conference in various articles, but here is Leander's complete response when asked if he had been in touch with Martina: "Martina has called me almost every second day, in showing her support and shock at what happened. Because we both were very, very looking forward to trying to covet our third Grand Slam title out of four in one year. On saying that, she had some wonderful advice for me, on looking at the bigger picture in life and even though we missed this year's U. S. Open, that she would wait for me to get back into great health which I assured her I would and then we would get back to playing again. I must say that I just heard Martina will not be playing in the U.S. Open mixed doubles because as she say's the special connection that we share cannot be replaced. I can assure you that, that admiration and mutual respect and that fondness that I have for Martina is incomparable. She is a fantastic human being and as you all know a legend of her game. She is not just a spokesperson for tennis, but for all of mankind, and to this I am blessed to have Martina as my partner. So I will be keenly following her doubles matches, and I really, really look forward to trying to defend my title with her not only at the Australian open this coming January, but also at Wimbledon next year." Awww...
J

August 28, 2003: Martina & Sveta won their first round match at the Open today, defeating Jill Craybas & Conchita Martinez Granados 7-5 6-2. Martina served for the match at 5-1 and had a match point but dropped serve. They closed it out in the next game, breaking their opponents at love. For the transcripts of Martina's post-match press conference, click here and for a brief write-up from the 'Associated Press,' click here. For photos, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three.

August 27, 2003: Martina & Sveta are scheduled to play their first round doubles match on the Grandstand tomorrow. They will take on Jill Craybas and Conchita Martinez Granados in the fourth match on that court.

August 27, 2003: Finally, here's some information on that charity event on Long Island (New York) that Martina participated in last week. Her spokeswoman, Linda Dozoretz and Sveta had both mentioned it. Leander was also supposed to have played here but couldn't because of his illness. It was the 19th Annual Huggy Bears Invitational Tennis Event held at the estate of billionaire financier Ted Forstmann in Water Mill, Long Island. It was an open doubles event with Kathy Rinaldi-Stunkel & Martina the only women participating. Martina was partnered by Graydon Oliver and they lost in the first round last Tuesday to Liviu Mancas & Paul Hanley 6-3 2-6 6-4. They entered the consolation event, and won two matches. In the first round, they defeated Byron Talbot & Pat Galbraith 3-6 7-6(4) 6-3 and in the quarterfinals, they defeated former U.S. Open champions, Jim Grabb & Richey Reneberg 6-4 6-3. In the semis on Friday, they lost to Tom Gullikson & Mark Knowles 6-3 6-4. Since they were still playing on Friday, that would explain Martina's no-show at the Tennis magazine event at Grand Central Terminal. The event raised funds for a variety of children's charities. You can find a few photos of Martina and more information on the official website here.

August 26, 2003: The women's doubles draw was announced today. Martina & Sveta are the #4 seeds and will take on Jill Craybas and Conchita Martinez Granados in their opening match. For the complete draw, courtesy of the tournament website, click here.

August 26, 2003: It appears the transcripts of Sveta's press conference on Sunday on the tournament website were incomplete. For the complete interview (a couple of extra questions at the end), check out the 'ASAP Sports' website here.

August 26, 2003: To read a nice interview with Martina from 'The New York Times Magazine,' click here. And Susan B. Adams, former editor of 'World Tennis' magazine, has written a short piece on Martina's 1981 U.S. Open finals appearance for 'The New York Times' here.

August 26, 2003: Leander had a news conference at the hospital in Orlando yesterday where he confirmed that his condition was caused by a parasitic infection and it is only a matter of time before he recovers. He does still experience occasional dizziness and needs to have 24-hour monitoring at the hospital. He says he will be off the tour for the next 2 to 3 months at the very least. He was appreciative of hopsital visits by his ex-doubles partner, Mahesh Bhupathi and his girlfriend, Mahima Chaudhary, a Bollywood actress. And Martina has been calling him often with advice & encouragement. To read more, click on the following links: Associated Press, Press Trust of India, The Times of India. Get well soon, Leander!

August 24, 2003: Sveta had a nice press conference at the U.S. Open today. There were a lot of questions about Martina! To read the transcripts, click here.

August 23, 2003: Good news on Leander's condition. Per his father, Dr. Vece Paes, the doctors at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Orlando have ruled out a possible brain tumor and the diagnosis instead is that his headaches were likely caused by a parasitic infection. A full recovery is expected in a matter of weeks! What excellent news!

August 23, 2003: Martina will not play mixed doubles at the U.S. Open next week now while Leander is hospitalized. She will only be playing the doubles with Sveta. This classy & noble act will undoubtedly shut the mouths of the detractors & naysayers who say she is only playing for the records. Martina said she could not wait to reteam with Leander as soon as he gets better. The earliest she would get to do that would be the Australian Open next year. Could it be that Martina is definitely going to be back for another season in 2004?? I really hope so!! For a related 'Associated Press' article with quotes, click here.

August 20, 2003: Martina's spokeswoman, Linda Dozoretz, said yesterday that Martina had known that Leander was unwell because he had withdrawn from a recent charity doubles appearance with her. But she was unaware of the exact nature of his ailment. Per today's reports, Leander is still suffering from headaches but is in stable condition. For more, click on the following links: Associated Press, Agence France-Presse.

August 19, 2003: Very sad news here. Leander has been admitted to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Orlando after he was diagnosed with a brain lesion. Further tests are being conducted and the possibility of a brain tumor has not been ruled out. He has withdrawn from the upcoming U.S. Open and will remain hospitalized for now. For articles, click on the following links: Hopsital press release, Associated Press. Please keep Leander & his family in your thoughts & prayers as they go through this difficult time.

August 18, 2003: Martina will headline the second annual Tennis Magazine Grand Slam this Friday, August 22, a special fan event in New York City open to the public. She will be joined by Chris Evert, Lindsay Davenport & Anna Kournikova. To be held at Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, the day's schedule will include matches, tennis clinics, a chance to meet the players & win prizes & giveaways as well.

August 18, 2003: Here are a few more links to articles on yesterday's great win: Tournament website, The Toronto Sun.

August 17, 2003: Martina & Sveta won the Rogers AT&T Cup in Toronto today with a 3-6 6-1 6-1 victory over Maria Vento-Kabchi & Angelique Widjaja. Congratulations, Martina & Sveta! This is their fourth title of the year together & Martina's fifth. After losing the first set, the ladies got off to a quick start in the second and never looked back. This marks Martina's first title at the event since 1989 and first doubles win here since 1985. For articles, click on the following links: Canadian Press, The Globe and Mail. The factchecker was asleep at the wheel in regards to that last article though. See how many errors you can spot! Martina & Sveta now head to New York for the U.S. Open which begins a week from Monday.

August 17, 2003: For earlier articles on Martina's & Sveta's semifinal victory yesterday, click on the following links: The Toronto Sun, The Toronto Star.

August 16, 2003: The doubles final tomorrow will follow the singles final on Centre Court. Martina & Sveta will have a difficult task on their plate against their old nemeses, Maria Vento-Kabchi & Angelique Widjaja.

August 16, 2003: Martina & Sveta reached the finals in Toronto today, defeating Nadia Petrova & Mary Pierce 7-6(5) 3-6 6-3. Last night, they won their quarterfinal match over the #7 seeds, Loit & Pratt 6-3 6-2. In today's match, the ladies were down 2-5 in the opening set but recovered to ultimately take the set on a tie-break. For a brief report & photo from the tournament website, click here. This marks Martina's first final in Toronto since 1989 when she won the singles but lost the doubles final with Larisa Savchenko to Gigi Fernandez & Robin White 6-1 7-5. Thirty years ago, in 1973, Martina reached the doubles final in Toronto on her debut appearance with Helga Masthoff, losing to Evonne Goolagong & Peggy Michel 6-3 6-2. In the interim years, she won 3 singles (1982, 1983 & 1989) & 3 doubles titles (1981 with Pam Shriver, 1982 with Candy Reynolds & 1985 with Gigi Fernandez) at the event.

August 16, 2003: For a photo & brief report on Martina's tennis game with the winners of Sunday's auction, click here. For an earlier article from 'The Toronto Star,' click here.

August 14, 2003: Martina & Sveta are scheduled to play their quarterfinal match against the #7 seeds, Emilie Loit & Nicole Pratt tomorrow in the last match of the evening session on Centre Court. Our teams' previous two losses in the last two weeks were both evening matches so let's keep our fingers crossed for better luck for the ladies tomorrow.

August 14, 2003: For a nice article on Martina from 'The National Post,' click here. For an earlier tabloid-style article from the Post covering the reception at the Hilton on Sunday, click here. And for Martina's thoughts on the recent gay rights victories in Canada & free speech issues in the USA, click here for an interesting 'Canadian Press' article. Today, Martina joined Liezel Huber & Sonya Jeyaseelan at the Rogers AT&T Wireless Pro-Am event. For more on that, click here. Martina later gave a tennis clinic and for a photo from that session, click here.

August 14, 2003: Martina & Sveta won their second round match yesterday, defeating Eleni Daniilidou & Rita Grande 6-1 6-2. They will next play the #7 seeds, Emilie Loit & Nicole Pratt in the quarterfinals.

August 12, 2003: Martina & Sveta are scheduled to play their second round doubles match in Toronto tomorrow against Eleni Daniilidou & Rita Grande. The match is slated to take place fourth on Court 1.

August 12, 2003: Some more news on Sunday's reception at the Hilton in Toronto. It was the "Aces Are Wild" Fundraising Gala and it raised $110,000 for the new stadium being built for next year's tournament. One of the hottest live auctions of the night was the chance to play 30 minutes of tennis with none other than Martina herself! For more on that and a photo of Martina at the reception, click here. My special thanks go out to Andee for alerting me to this link.

August 12, 2003: In her first press conference since reaching the #1 ranking in singles on Monday, Kim Clijsters had this to say about Martina: "And also, you know, getting to know... Martina while she's still playing... was just an incredible experience for me, too."

August 11, 2003: Martina arrived in Toronto yesterday and was honored with a special sculpture at the Toronto Hilton for her career accomplishments. For a nice article from 'The Toronto Star,' click here.

August 11, 2003: For additional quotes from Martina on the injury-prone top players, click on the following links: Reuters, The Toronto Star.

August 11, 2003: Here's what Martina had to say about Serena Williams at one of her press conferences in Carson last week: "We all wish Serena was playing more... [She] has the goods to be the greatest of all time but will her body hold up? You never know but let's hope so."

August 10, 2003: The draw for the Rogers AT&T Cup was announced today. Martina & Sveta are the #4 seeds and receive a first round bye. For the complete draw, courtesy of the tournament website, click here.

August 10, 2003: Martina & Sveta reached the semifinals of the JPMorgan Chase Open in Carson, Calif. this week before losing to Mary Pierce & Rennae Stubbs 6-4 6-1. Earlier, they had defeated Tina Krizan & Barbara Schett in the first round 1-6 7-5 6-2. And then, Nadia Petrova & Katarina Srebotnik 6-2 6-2 in the quarterfinals. For articles after their first round victory, click on the following links: The Long Beach Press-Telegram, The Torrance Daily Breeze. For a quote from the Press-Telegram after their quarterfinal win, click here. For a photo of Martina at her post-first round press conference, click here. And click here to see Martina at the Player Party. Martina & Sveta next head to Toronto for the Rogers AT&T Cup.

August 10, 2003: Sveta, who made the singles quarterfinal in Carson this week, was full of praise for Martina in her post-match press conferences. After her first round win, Sveta said of Martina, "She's the greatest player of all time." And about their partnership: "I'm very excited about it. When you play with somebody who's been playing 20 years, you listen." For a photo of Sveta with Martina's chihuahua Chloe at the Player Party in Carson, click here.

August 10, 2003: Martina was quoted in the following Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register articles on Kim Clijsters gaining the #1 ranking despite being Slamless. Clijsters credited Martina along with Pam Shriver & John McEnroe for advice & encouragement received while she was going through a rough patch last year. Said Clijsters, ""That's been another part where I've learned a lot even when I was not playing my best tennis. Without those things and without those things the people said, I probably wouldn't have been in the position I am right now."

August 10, 2003: On Tuesday, Martina met with a couple of guys from the San Diego Chargers (American football team), including quaterback & old friend Doug Flutie & wideout Tim Dwight. The Chargers' new summer training camp site is the Home Depot Center in Carson, the same location for the JPMorgan Chase Open. Said Doug, "She wants to come out and run some routes [Thursday]. I'm sure she'll be good at it, too." Martina had an afternoon quarterfinal match Thursday, so I'm not sure if she was able to make it for that practice session! For a photo of Martina & Doug, click here.

August 10, 2003: For a brief DPA article, featuring Martina's recent comments on Serena & Venus Williams' abbreviated tour schedules, click here.

August 10, 2003: Martina & Sveta lost in the quarterfinals of the Acura Classic in Carlsbad, Calif. last week. They were beaten by the #4 seeds, Cara Black & Elena Likhovtseva 3-6 7-5 6-1. Martina & Sveta had led 6-3 4-1, with two breaks, before falling apart. They had numerous chances to capitalize on their lead and go up 5-1, then 5-2, and then 5-3, but missed each time. In the final point of the second set, Sveta accidentally struck Martina in the face with her racket and Martina had to leave the court for treatment. Obviously, this hurt their chances in the final set but fortunately, Martina was not hurt seriously enough to prevent her from competing in Carson the following week. Later that weekend, Martina was presented with the Corina Morariu Comeback award after the women's singles final. For a photo of Martina at the presentation with tournament directors Racquel Giscafre & Jane Stratton and the singles champion, Justine Henin-Hardenne, click here. For an earlier article from the 'North County Times,' on Martina's & Sveta's first round victory, click here.

July 30, 2003: Martina & Sveta won their first round match today, defeating Silvia Farina-Elia & Barbara Schett 6-2 6-0. Martina dropped her opening service game to go down 1-2 in the first set. But our team recovered to win the next 11 straight games as they rolled to victory. For a report from the tournament website, click here. For photos, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two. Martina & Sveta will next play the #4 seeds, Cara Black & Elena Likhovtseva in the quarterfinals tomorrow. That match is the final scheduled one on Stadium court to close out the evening session.

July 30, 2003: For an article from the 'Ardmore Main Line Times' on Martina's final home match for the Philadelphia Freedoms last week, click here. And for a match report with photos from the Cabrini College website, click here.

July 29, 2003: Martina & Sveta are scheduled to play their opening round match tomorrow in San Diego, a difficult encounter against Silvia Farina-Elia & Barbara Schett. The match is expected to be played fourth on Stadium court. For a photo of Martina with Rosie Casals at the tournament's 20th anniversary celebration, click here.

July 28, 2003: Martina is in San Diego this week for the Acura Classic, playing doubles with Sveta. They are unseeded and will take on a pair of qualifiers in first round. For the complete draw, courtesy of the tournament website, click here.

July 28, 2003: Martina is quoted in this ABC News article on older athletes.

July 28, 2003: Martina has entered the JPMorgan Chase Open in Manhattan Beach, Calif. which begins next week, August 4. She will be playing doubles with Sveta.

July 28, 2003: Here are the results of Martina’s three WTT ties last week. On Wednesday, July 23, Martina played her second & last home match for the Freedoms against the Springfield Lasers. Martina won both her matches. In the mixed doubles with Andrew Florent, they defeated Andrew Kratzmann & Nana Miyagi 5-2. And in the women’s doubles, Martina & Elena defeated Miyagi & Rosanna Neffa-de los Rios by an identical scoreline. The following day, July 24, Martina headed to St. Louis for the tie against the Lasers. Martina made her singles season debut here in style, defeating Brie Rippner 5-1. Earlier in the mixed doubles, Martina & Andrew Florent lost to John-Laffnie de Jager & Nicole Arendt 5-3. But she ended the night with victory in the women’s doubles, teaming up with Elena for a 5-4(1) victory over Arendt & Rippner. For articles from the ‘St. Louis Post-Dispatch,’ click on the following links: July 21, July 25. Martina’s final WTT match came against the Newport Beach Breakers on Saturday, July 26. In the singles, Martina lost to Maria Sharapova 5-2. In the doubles, Martina & Tina Pisnik lost to Sharapova & Eva Dyrberg 5-3. And in the mixed doubles, Martina & Andrew Florent lost to Josh Eagle & Sharapova 5-4(3). For article from the ‘Orange County Register,’ click on the following links: July 26, July 27. You need to be a registered user to read these articles. Registration is free.

July 28, 2003: Martina spoke to ‘The Washington Post’ recently and to read that very interesting interview, click here. My special thanks go out to Sam for informing me of this article.

July 28, 2003: Leander recently spoke with the Indian news site rediff.com and when asked about rediscovered love of the game, he gave Martina all the credit. Said Leander, "I must say 2002 was tough; the timing was very inappropriate. [referring to the breakup of his doubles partnership with Mahesh Bhupathi.] It took me time to bounce back, six months to find a new partner. My ranking dropped from number one in April 2002 to number 37 in December 2002. I almost lost my profession because of that. But I would attribute this passion returning thanks to my friendship with Martina Navratilova. For someone who is such a legend of the game to come out at 46, to come out each morning and be the best that she can be, there is something very special there. I am blessed to have Martina in my life. She inspires me on so many levels. At the last U.S. Open, when we started playing together, I asked her if she had any special book written which I could read. She said it was ‘Martina, Being Myself.’ I am reading it for the third time over now. Little things in her life that have made her what she is today is something that touched me." Like Leander, I hope all Martina fans have made sure to re-read our Holy Book
J

July 21, 2003: Yesterday, July 20, was officially declared Martina Navratilova Day in Connecticut by the state's Governor, John Rowland. The proclamation was read out by the Lieutenant Governor, M. Jodi Rell. However, Martina was not feeling well and was on antibiotics. She was likely not in any decent state to play but being the trooper that she is, she did not shy away from her WTT matches for the Freedoms against the Hartford FoxForce. In the doubles, Martina & Elena defeated Martina Muller & Milagros Sequera 5-4(4). But Martina & Nathan Healey lost the mixed doubles to Jeff Tarango & Sequera 5-1. For a match report from 'The Hartford Courant' with quotes, click here. And for another nice article from the Courant dealing with Martina & her friendship with Katharine Hepburn, click here. Martina's next WTT match is in Philadelphia on Wednesday against the Springfield Lasers.

July 20, 2003: Martina lost both her WTT matches in Mamaroneck, New York yesterday. In the doubles, Martina & Elena lost to Bea Bealik & Shuai Peng 5-4(4). In the mixed doubles, Martina & Nathan Healey lost to Bealik & John McEnroe 5-3. For an article from 'The Journal News,' click here.

July 20, 2003: For an article from 'The South Africa Times' on Martina's coach, Michael de Jongh, click here.

July 20, 2003: For an earlier article on Martina's first match for the Philadelphia Freedoms last week (with photos), click here. It's from the Cabrini College website.

July 15, 2003: Martina will be playing mixed doubles against John McEnroe this weekend when the Philadelphia Freedoms take on the New York Sportimes. McEnroe, who says he doesn't usually play mixed doubles, had this to say: ""When I saw Martina was coming to town, I decided I need to play mixed that night. I'm looking forward to it."

July 15, 2003: Martina was on Paula Zahn's "Live from the Headlines" show on CNN yesterday. If you missed it, you can read the transcripts here.

July 13, 2003: Boris Becker, who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame yesterday, was asked if he could forsee himself making a comeback like Martina at 46. Said Boris, "Martina is a once-in-a-lifetime player. By the time I'm 46 there won't be a pair of tennis shorts big enough to fit me!" Congratulations, Boris, on making the Hall of Fame!

July 13, 2003: Martina is quoted in this 'Washington Post' article talking about Billie Jean King's tyrannical hold on the U.S. Fed Cup captaincy
J Just kidding!

July 13, 2003: On Friday, Martina made a brief appearance on 'The Today Show.' She spoke with Katie Couric and they covered a few topics ranging from Martina's training regimen to the current women's game. Nothing revealing though. Martina did have a guest with her and that was her newest puppy, a chihuahua named Chloe. Said Martina, "This is her first appearance on a national TV show so she's very excited!"

July 13, 2003: Martina had mixed results in her 2003 World TeamTennis debut for the Philadelphia Freedoms on Thursday in Radnor, Penn against the Hartford FoxForce. In her first match, the mixed doubles, Nathan Healey & she lost to Jeff Tarango & Meghann Shaughnessy 5-3. But Martina did better in the doubles, teaming up with Elena Tatarkova to defeat Shaughnessy & Milagros Sequera 5-4(1). At the end of the day though, the Freedoms lost the tie 22-18. As of today, they have lost all five matches of the season so far. For articles, click on the following links: The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Hartford Courant. For photos of Martina in action, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two. Martina's next WTT appearance will be in Mamaroneck, NY on July 19 against the New York Sportimes which will be highlighted by her mixed doubles clash against John McEnroe. This tie will be broadcast on Comcast Sports Net & the Madison Square Garden Network. For dates & times, click here.

July 13, 2003: For another article from 'The Philadelphia Inquirer' featuring quotes from Martina's conference call on Wednesday, click here.

July 10, 2003: North American fans, Martina is expected to be on 'The Today Show' on NBC tomorrow. Sorry for posting this so late but I have only just received this information and my special thanks go out to Helen for alerting me to this. You can catch the Today Show from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m., Eastern time.

July 9, 2003: Martina spoke to the media today in a conference call to promote her 2003 World TeamTennis season. The WTT website has a few highlights here and there's more in this Reuters article and even more in this 'Tennis Week' report (including Martina's explanation of how her partnership with Todd Woodbridge ended last year).

July 8, 2003: The 2003 World TeamTennis season began yesterday. As I said earlier, Martina will make her debut for the 'Philadelphia Freedoms' on Thursday. In the meantime, you can keep track of the Freedoms' progress through the World TeamTennis website. The Freedoms are off to a disastrous start so far, losing their first two ties. And for North American fans, Fox Sports Net will be airing a one-hour highlights show called "World TeamTennis This Week" for three straight weeks, beginning this Saturday, July 12. Check your local listings for times in your area.

July 8, 2003: Perhaps the most insightful article from the Wimbledon fortnight appeared in 'The Times' on Sunday. Martina discussed a variety of subjects including an evaluation of her game, her Wimbledon schedule, her doubles partners (Leander & Sveta) and her post-Wimbledon plans. The article is only available to paid subscribers but thankfully, I had saved the article and have now posted it on the message boards. For more, click here.

July 8, 2003: Here are a few more links to articles on Sunday's victory: The Boston Globe, The New York Daily News.

July 8, 2003: North American fans, if you get the Discovery Health Channel, be sure to tune in on July 24 for "Secrets of Superstar Fitness." Martina will be featured in that episode, sharing her training tips & secrets. Other athletes featured include Jim Courier & Oscar de la Hoya. For times & a brief episode summary, click here.

July 8, 2003: The 'Rex Features' websites has a nice collection of recent photos of Martina. Unfortunately, they are all in thumbnail format but nevertheless, are a must-see for all Martina fans. They include photos of an elegant Martina at the Laureus Sports Awards and the ITF Champion's Dinner in Paris last month. Click here to visit the gallery. You can navigate through the photos by clicking on the "Next" button on the top-right corner.

July 7, 2003: They did it! Martina & Leander wrapped up a dream fortnight yesterday with victory in the mixed doubles championships, giving Martina her record-tying 20th Wimbledon title. Congratulations, Martina & Leander! This is Martina's 58th Grand Slam title and second of the year. In addition, Martina is now the oldest Grand Slam champion ever, breaking her own previous record set in Australia and also the Wimbledon record previously held by Margaret du Pont, who was 44 when she won the 1962 mixed doubles. It was not an easy day for our team. They started with the mixed doubles semifinals against the #10 seeds, Leos Fridel & Liezel. They had to save a set point, trailing 4-5 in the first set but gritted it out to score a 7-5 6-4 victory. Barely two hours later, they were back on Centre Court for the final against Andy Ram & Anastasia Rodionova. This win was a lot more comfortable, 6-3 6-3. There are so many links to articles & photos, but I will start with the all-important press conference transcripts, which you can read here. Now for the links. For a photo from the semifinal, click here & here for a short write-up. And now the final. First, for articles of interest, click on the following links: Tournament website, Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, BBC (includes video clip of Martina's & Leander's on-court interview with Sue Barker), ESPN, The New York Times, The Miami Herald, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, The Toronto Star, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, The International Herald Tribune, The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, The Scotsman, The Mirror, The Hindu, Ha'aretz. And now for the photos from yesterday: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six, Photo Seven, Photo Eight, Photo Nine, Photo Ten, Photo Eleven, Photo Twelve, Photo Thirteen, Photo Fourteen, Photo Fifteen, Photo Sixteen, Photo Seventeen, Photo Eighteen, Photo Nineteen, Photo Twenty, Photo Twenty-One, Photo Twenty-Two, Photo Twenty-Three, Photo Twenty-Four, Photo Twenty-Five, Photo Twenty-Six, Photo Twenty-Seven. Later in the evening, Martina attended the Champion's Dinner at The Savoy. Unfortunately, no pictures of Martina are available on the Internet as yet. Martina next turns her attention to the World TeamTennis season. She will be making her debut for the Philadelphia Freedoms this Thursday (July 10) at their home base in Radnor, Pennsylvania for their tie against Delaware.

July 7, 2003: To read Leander's latest syndicated column, an informative & engaging piece, click here. For a few quotes from Leander's father, per Indian wire reports, click here.

July 5, 2003: As was expected, Martina & Leander did not get to play their mixed doubles semifinal today. The match is scheduled to take place tomorrow on Court 1. Their opponents will either be the #4 seeds, Todd & Sveta or the #10 seeds, Leos Friedl & Liezel.

July 5, 2003: Sports journalist, Charles Bricker, who writes a weekly syndicated tennis column recently asked Billie Jean King why she did not choose Martina for her U.S. Fed Cup squad to play Italy later this month. All King said was, "I go by the rankings." When pressed further, she parroted the same reply. Actually, Martina is playing World TeamTennis matches that week in Mamaroneck, NY & Hartford, Conn. so I'm not sure why Billie Jean didn't mention that. Anyway, to read the complete column, click here. Billie Jean is in London this week to promote Berlei sports bras.

July 5, 2003: For an article from 'The Independent,' click here. There are a couple of quotes, which seem to be new, perhaps from today.

July 4, 2003: Martina & Leander are scheduled to play their mixed doubles semifinal tomorrow on a yet-to-be-announced court. However, I'm not sure about the chances of them at all tomorrow. They have to wait for the completion of the final mixed doubles quarterfinal between Todd Woodbridge & Sveta & Leos Friedl & Liezel. Todd has a men's doubles final to play before that. By the time the mixed quarterfinal is played, it might already be too late. We will see...

July 4, 2003: Martina & Leander upset the #2 seeds, Mike Bryan & Lisa Raymond in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon today, 5-7 7-6(3) 6-4. This marks Martina's first mixed doubles semifinal at Wimbledon since 1995. Unfortunately, Martina & Sveta were unable to close out their doubles quarterfinal, going down to the #2 seeds, Clijsters & Sugiyama 4-6 6-2 6-4. For articles from today, click on the following links: Tournament website, The Guardian. And here are the photos: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five.

July 4, 2003: To read Martina's latest column for 'The Guardian,' click here.

July 3, 2003: Martina & Sveta are scheduled to open tomorrow's proceedings on Court 2 to complete their doubles quarterfinal against Kim Clijsters & Ai Sugiyama. Per the tournament's 'order of play' for Friday, Martina might also have to play her mixed doubles quarterfinal tomorrow.

July 3, 2003: Martina & Leander won their third round mixed doubles match today, defeating Peter Luczak & Christina Wheeler 6-4 6-2 on Centre Court. This marks Martina's first quarterfinal in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon since 1996. It is also the first time Martina has reached both the doubles & mixed quarterfinals at a Grand Slam event since the 1988 Australian Open. However, Martina & Sveta were unable to complete the doubles quarterfinal against Clijsters & Sugiyama.

July 3, 2003: Leander has been writing a column this Wimbledon fortnight, syndicated to various Indian newspapers. In his latest column, he discusses his mixed doubles partnership with Martina. For more, click here.

July 3, 2003: Martina was among a group of 36 former players & journalists who signed a letter to ITF President Frencesco Ricci Bitti requesting a reduction in the size of tennis rackets to give players of all styles of play an equal advantage. For more, click on the following links: Ananova, The Scotsman, Associated Press.

July 2, 2003: Martina is scheduled to play two matches tomorrow - her unfinished doubles quarterfinal with Sveta and the mixed doubles third round with Leander. But the courts for the matches have not yet been decided. With Kim Clijsters - one of her doubles opponents - being scheduled to play her singles semifinal last on Centre Court, it is possible that Martina might not get to complete the doubles match tomorrow.

July 2, 2003: Martina & Sveta were unable to complete their doubles quarterfinal today due to rain interruptions. Their opponents, Kim Clijsters & Ai Sugiyama were leading 4-6 6-2 3-2 with Sveta serving at deuce when the final rain interruption caused play to be suspended for the day. For match reports, click on the following links: Tournament website, The Independent.

July 1, 2003: Martina has two matches scheduled for tomorrow. First, Sveta & she will take on the #2 seeds, Kim Clijsters & Ai Sugiyama in the second match on Court 2. Later in the day, Martina & Leander are expected to play their third round mixed doubles match against Peter Luczak & Christina Wheeler on Court 3, the final match scheduled there.

July 1, 2003: Martina & Sveta won their third round doubles match today, 6-3 6-1 over Daja Bedanova & Renata Voracova. Martina dropped serve once, in the fourth game of the first set. The win marks Martina's first women's doubles Grand Slam quarterfinal since the 2001 U.S. Open. To read a match report from the tournament website, click here.

July 1, 2003: For a match report on yesterday's mixed doubles second round, click here.



Back to the main page