Martina confident of title

Press, 2 July 1983, Page 64

Martina confident of title

NZPA London The reigning Wimbledon tennis champion, Martina Navratilova and Andrea Jaeger will clash in the women’s singles final early tomorrow morning (N.Z. time). Both won their semi-final matches with ease with Miss Navratilova confident of winning the title again. “I have never felt this comfortable. I am a veteran here now and that makes it

easier for me to cope. Also I am playing better,” she said. Miss Navratilova said that the “big guns” had been knocked out before she had to play them, but this would not make another Wimbledon title any less sweet. “This is Wimbledon ... it does not matter who you beat. People do not remember who you beat,” she said. “I am not unbeatable,

but I am pretty difficult to beat. “It takes a good strategy and a very good execution to beat me these days.” But Miss Navratilova is not taking Miss Jaeger for granted in the final. “I am not going into the final expecting Andrea to roll over and die, because she will not do that,” she said. “She will have to pass me at the net to beat me.” Miss Jaeger looking

ahead to her first Wimbledon final summed up her feelings. “Martina has had a pretty easy run to the final and she is very confident and playing well,” said Miss Jaeger. “I will just go out there and do my best, but I certainly am not going out thinking I will lose.” Mrs Billie Jean King believed the only way Miss Jaeger could win was if Miss Navratilova did not serve well. “In the past, Andrea has never believed she can beat Martina. She does not put in that extra effort to beat her,” Mrs King said. In the semi-finals Miss Navratilova took a mere 36 minutes to dispose of Yvonne Vermaak 6-1, 6-1, while Miss Jaeger humbled veteran Billie Jean King 6-1, 6-1 in 56 minutes. “It does not matter to me whether I take 15 minutes or 50 minutes,” said Miss Navratilova. “I’m not making any fancy shots. If I make them look bad, I do not feel bad.” Miss Navratilova conceded only 11 points in the first set — four of them in losing her opening service — which took 16 minutes. Miss Vermaak held her opening service game in the second set but from that point on she played no active part in the match. Miss Navratilova has now been on court for a total of only 276 minutes in her five matches of the tournament.