Tennis: Navratilova made to work for win

MARTINA NAVRATILOVA, the Wimbledon record-holder, survived her hardest contest in 11 matches and three tournaments at the Edgbaston Priory Club yesterday, writes Richard Eaton.

Against Sweden's Maria Strandlund, ranked 168 in the world, Navratilova faced a deficit of 4-2 in the second set before recording a 7-5, 7-6 win in the DFS Classic. 'I wasn't upset, I was annoyed because I could have done better,' Navratilova said. 'Sometimes my second serve was like a disguised drop shot.' Today, Navratilova faces Australia's Kristine Radford, the conqueror in the qualifying competition of Strandlund.

Results, Sporting Digest, page 37