Martina Navratilova recalls Berlin tears

BERLIN, MAY 11: Martina Navratilova said she was having fun in Berlin despite her second round exit from the doubles competition of the German Open.

But it was not always that way.

Fifteen years ago at the same place she had tears in her eyes after the final, and it was not because she had lost to local hero Steffi Graf.

``I was crying, and everybody thought it was because I had lost to Steffi but it was not,'' she said yesterday. ``It was because my family were only a few hundred kilometer away in the Czech Republic and couldn't be with me.

``It was a depressing time with the Communist rule. I wasn't comfortable here. It's different today. Now I can really enjoy the city.''

Navratilova, who became a US citizen in 1981, was born 44 years ago in Prague, in what was then Communist Czechoslovakia.

After winning a record 167 titles, among them 18 Grand Slams including nine Wimbledon triumphs, she retired from singles competition in 1994.

Competitive singles:

Last year she was back on the tour after a four-year absence, playing doubles in seven events including Wimbledon and the French and US Opens.

Those three grand slams are again on her agenda this year. Now teaming up with Spain's Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, who was once her rival in singles, she came to Berlin to prepare for the French Open starting on May 28.

``I do it for fun but the ambition is to play as well as I possibly can,'' she said after a 6-3, 6-3 defeat to Bulgaria's Lubimora Bacheva and Swede Asa Carlsson.

``I know I can play well in practice and the challenge is to do it in matches as well. I wasn't able to do that today but I think we're among the top eight or top 10 pairs in the world. We were in the final in Amelia Island not long ago and I believe we can win tournaments.''

Insisting she would never get caught playing competitive singles again, the former world number one said she had improved in some areas since her glory days.

``I've lost pace on my serve but technically I'm a better player than I've ever been.''

Pleasing the crowds, she said, was one of the reasons why she kept on playing. ``The audience Enjoy watching doubles and Enjoy watching me,'' she said. ``I wish I could acknowledge them more by doing that Agassi thing and throwing kisses around but I can't do it.

``I would be embarrassed. It's just not me.''

- Reuters

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