Graf retains U.S; crown

Press, 11 September 1989, Page 40

Graf retains U.S; crown

NZPA-Reuter New York Steffi Graf reaffirmed her status as the world number one by beating Martina Navratilova 3-6, 7-5, 61, on Saturday to retain her United States Open women’s tennis title. ; Graf, hobbled by cramps in the final games of her three-set triumph over teen-age rival, Gabriela Sabatini, on Friday,, showed no ill effects as she . surged to victory after a set down against a rejuvenated Navratilova. The win, which earned the 20-year-old West German SUS3OO,OOO ($508,474), gave Graf seven Grand Slam titles of the last eight played and increased her 1989 record to an awesome 69-2. Navratilova, who flashed her brilliant serve-and-volley form of old to win the opening set, failed to avenge three-set losses to Graf in the last two Wimbledon finals, which deprived her of capturing a record ninth crown. As in those disappointing results, Navratilova, aged 32, won the first set before fading under the weight of GraPs ferocious groundstrokes that wore the Czechoslovak-born American down by the end of the one-hour, 51 minute match. “She had it all going for her and after such a tough match yesterday, I just had to hapg in there and

give it everything I had,” said Graf, who hurled her racket in joy after ending the match with a secondserve ace. ’ ■- Navratilova, who enjoyed the vocal support of most of the £6,000 people in the sweltering heat of the Louis Armstrong Stadium,, threw her racquet in disgust after losing and then turned emotional when accepting the runner-up prize, i “It was just a matter of a couple points here and there and Tm going to keep trying until one of these days those points go my way,” said Navratilova, who had tears in her eyes as she thanked the crowd for their support The men’s top-seed, Ivan Lendl, beat Andre Agassi 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, |-1, on Saturday to set up a United States Open final showdown with the Wimbledon champion, Boris Becker.-; -M.. Lendl,this year’s Australian Open winner, was slow off the starting blocks but picked up his pace to reach a record-equalling eighth consecutive United States Open finaL j . The three-time champion raced back from 2-5 down in the first set to eliminate the sixth-seeded American and tie Bill Tilden’s record -.sf right. succsstlv-a ~jp«aEK. ances in the United Stages national

final from 1918-1925. Becker shook off a sluggish start of his own before beating the fourteenth-seeded American, Aaron Krickstein, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. Lendl is 7-6 in career meetings with Becker, but the West German has won the last three — a pair of Wimbledon semi-finals and last year’s Masters’ finaL .' The top. seed was unconcerned by his recent problems with Becker, especially since today’s showdown Will take place on Lendl’s favourite hardcourt arena. ?I’m trying to win the Open tomorrow. The past doesn’t mean anything. Everybody starts equal,” Lendl said. Agassi, who lost to Lendl at the same stage in 1988, represented the last chance this year to end a fiveyear United States drought here. John McEnroe in 1984 was the last American to win the United States Open. Becker, who reached his first grand slam final other than Wimbledon, ended an even longer drought for his country with his victory. The world number two will be the first German to play in the men’s final of the United States championships since 1937 when Baren Geitfried von Cramm lost to American Don Budge in