Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 3, 1994 TAG: 9407030089
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND LENGTH: Medium
Nine times, more than anyone in history, she had held the larger, more ornate silver salver, symbol of the Wimbledon championship, and she was as convinced as almost everyone else that she would grasp it again Saturday even at age 37.
Instead, Conchita Martinez clutched the winner's trophy after a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory in a final filled with drama and tension and a special sense of occasion as she became the first Spanish champion since women started playing at Wimbledon 110 years ago.
"When you write a script, you can make it any which way you want," Navratilova said. "If you want reality, you can't affect that. But no regrets. I'm sad that I didn't win, but I'm very proud about getting this far and having had the opportunity. That's all I asked for, and I got it. It didn't quite come through, but that's life.
"I've had enough, and this is a nice way to end. I've had a great run, better than anything I ever could have imagined. I'm sad, but I'm also very happy. This is a new beginning for me, and I'm looking forward to my life after tennis."
It was a day of smiles and tears, a time of reflection for Navratilova, elation for Martinez, enough emotion to make even U.S. Ambassador William Crowe cry when he consoled Navratilova. The crowd, including Princess Diana and her son Prince William, gave her a two-minute standing ovation that made Navratilova weep. Many fans had tears in their eyes, too.
"I'm not crying because I lost, I'm just crying because it's over," Navratilova said. "The ambassador to the United States shook my hand and he started crying. I said, `What are you crying for?' It was so sweet. You know, people feel what I feel, and it's nice that I can share that. I can bring people closer to Wimbledon through me. They can feel it, and then it will continue when I'm not around. That's cool that I can affect people that way."
She knew exactly what Martinez was feeling when they hugged at the awards ceremony.
"Her feet were going lower and lower," Navratilova said. "I was holding her up. She was thrilled and I was happy for her. She's a nice kid and she played great tennis. I remember how that first one felt. The first one is the best. It's such a pure feeling that first time. I hope she can feel it again."
In her first Grand Slam final, Martinez, 22, had to overcome more than the crowd rooting for Navratilova. In the second set, after Navratilova broke her service twice to lead 3-0, Martinez took a 3-minute injury timeout to have a trainer treat a strained left hip muscle.
As Martinez lay face down in front of her chair, Navratilova drew a smile from her and laughter from the crowd by standing over her with a large pink towel as a shield while the trainer massaged Martinez's buttock.
Martinez swallowed a couple of pain killers on the next changeover, but she didn't show any lack of mobility even as she lost the set.
Martinez had won the first set and would win the third with crisp, accurate baseline shots, often angled out of Navratilova's reach, or so hard down the line that Navratilova couldn't touch them.
For the history books, Navratilova's last shot in her 12th final came at 4:08 p.m. on a warm, humid and hazy afternoon, and Martinez celebrated by tossing her racket high into the air.
The winner's share, $410,844, put Martinez over the $3 million mark in earnings in seven years on the tour. Navratilova's $205,422 prize boosted her 22-year career winnings to $19,952,177. Only Ivan Lendl has won more money among tennis players, with just over $20 million.
As she strode off slowly, she turned abruptly and knelt inside the baseline, plucking one more memory from the grass court.
"It's like a love affair that grows," Navratilova said. "I loved Wimbledon from the first time I knew about it. I feel this place in my bones. I feel all those champions, dead and alive, when I'm out there. There's no place like it."
Keywords:
TENNIS
by CNB