MADRID, Spain -- Martina Navratilova stumbled Thursday in her doubles
comeback as she and partner Mariaan de Swardt lost to Spaniards Gala Leon and
Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) in the quarterfinals of the Madrid
Open.
Navratilova, 43, playing professionally for the first time in since retiring
5½ years ago, played hard but appeared to lack physical conditioning as she
and Swardt fell to the Spaniards.
After dropping the first set, she and de Swardt managed to win three
straight games in the second set to take the score to 6-5. The duo, however,
failed to clinch the set before losing in the tiebreak.
The Madrid Open was Navratilova's first preparation for a return to
Wimbledon, where she has won 19 titles, one shy of the record. She also is
scheduled to play doubles at the French Open next week, then in a grass-court
tournament in Eastbourne, England.
In a career that began in 1973, Navratilova won 167 singles titles and 165
doubles crowns. She is being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of
Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, on July 15, one week after the women's singles
final at Wimbledon.
A victory in the doubles at Wimbledon this year would tie Navratilova with
Billie Jean King for most championships won at the All England Club.
In singles action at the Madrid Open, Virginia Ruano of Spain defeated
Nicole Pratt of Australia 6-3, 1-6 and 6-2, while Spaniard Gala Leon beat
fellow Spaniard Angeles Montolio 6-4, 6-3.
Croatia's Iva Majoli downed Germana DiNatale of Italy 6-1, 1-0 (forfeit) and
Fabiola Zuluaga of Colombia defeated Asa Carlsson of Sweden 6-2, 6-4.
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