1st RD vs NINA BOHM
ANDREA JAEGER was ecstatic Tuesday night. Several dozen of her Stevenson High School classmates had come all the way to International Amphitheatre to cheer her in the $200,000 Avon Tennis Tournament and waive signs. “And I didn’t even buy their tickets,” said Pig-tailed Andrea, the world’s best 15-year-old emale tennis player, after her 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ann White.
Mandlikova lacked a formal cheering section, but fans appreciated her skills in a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Sweden’s Nina Bohra. , Hana constantly attacked, following her sharp serves to the net for volleys and drilling service returns for winners. “I TRIED TO KEEP the pressure on her,” said Mandlikova. “That’s the way I was taught: ‘attack with the serve, the volley, the passing shot.’ ” Mandlikova, finalist in last year’s U.S. Open, said, “My personality is different from Martina’s (Navratilova), but we play the same style of tennis. I’m happy to be compared to her. I like her style serve and volley.”
She learned the same style that Martina Navratilova uses and learned it at the same Prague club where Martina started her tennis career. If tournament seeds follow form, Navratilova and Mandlikova will compete Sunday for the $35,000 first prize in the $200,000 tournament, being played at the International Amphitheatre.
2d RD vs BETTINA BUNGE
In fornt of 7,000, Hana defeated in straight sets the talented German born Bettina Bunge 6-4 6-4.
QF vs SYLVIA HANIKA
HANA MANDLIKOVA HAD no trouble with translation this time. – A reporter-, noting that somewhere and at some time, the 18-year-old Czech has beaten each of the world’s great female tennis stars, asked her: “Do you think then, Hana, that you can beat anybody. . .” “Of course,” said the player many tennis experts have tabbed as a future No. 1 in the world. “. . .on a given day?” finished the reporter, who already had his answer.
Mandlikova made it clear, after Friday’s 6-2, 7-6 Avon tournament quarterfinal victory over Sylvia Hanika, that she expects a time to come when “on a given day” won’t have to be tacked on the end of that question.
Battling a cold and fortified by “about 20 cups of tea with lemon,” Mandlikova exhibited her aggressive serve-and-volley game in her victory.
“My style the serve and volley ‘ takes longer time to get to the top,” she said. “If my serve isn’t going in, I miss some volleys. Today I served well. “I need more consistency,” said Mandlikova, confident that with the help of her coach, Betty Stove, she will achieve it.
In the first set, Hanika won the first game but then fell behind 3-1 before rallying to win the fifth game. Mandlikova won the next game with a booming serve and then broke Hanika’s service In the seventh game with two excellent drop shots for a 5-2 advantage.
In the second set, the two battled to a 64 tie after Mandlikova erased a 40-15 deficit in the 12th game In the tie-breaker, the score was deadlocked 4-4 when the West German lost the advantage with an unforced error and Mandlikova wrapped up the match with two service winners.
” Mandlikova, finalist in last year’s U.S. Open, said, “My personality is different from Martina’s (Navratilova), but we play the same style of tennis. I’m happy to be compared to her. I like her style serve and volley.”
She learned the same style that Martina Navratilova uses and learned it at the same Prague club where Martina started her tennis career. If tournament seeds follow form, Navratilova and Mandlikova will compete Sunday for the $35,000 first prize in the $200,000 tournament, being played at the International Amphitheatre.
SF VS BARBARA POTTER
Second seed Hana Mandlikova beat Barbara Potter 6-4, 6-2 Saturday in the semifinals of the $200,000 Chicago Women’s Tennis Championships.
Mandlikova will meet the winner of the Martinia Navratilova-Wendy Turnbull match, which was set for Saturday night, for the top prize of $35,000.
Potter, from Woodbury; Conn., won the opening game in four straight points. With the set tied at 2-all, Mandlikova broke Potter and then held serve to take a 4-2 lead.
Each then held serve as Mandlikova took the first set.
In the final game of that set, Mandlikova trailed 30-love. Potter hit a return, which was caught on the fly by the ball girl, who was kneeling out of bounds next to the net. Potter protested that since the ball had not hit the court or net the point should be replayed : :”I knew the ball was out and I didn’t need to do that (protest) but I respect the rules of tennis and they state the point has to be replayed,” Potter said. ‘She woke up. Maybe she got angry at that.”
The point was replayed and Mandlikova won it as well as the next three for the set win.
Mandlikova acknowledged she didn’t see what had happened but the fact that Potter raised the issue made the 18-year-old playe “mad.”
She broke Potter the first game of the second set and held serve. After. Potter won the third game, Mandlikova held serve, broke and held again to race to a 5-1 lead.
Potter served the seventh game and won in four straight points.
The final game was tied 15-all when Mandlikova rattled off three straight points to win the match.
“She’s tough and I don’t like to play her. I know she’d like to beat me,” said Mandlikova, who has now recorded three triumphs in as many matches against Potter.
“I served very well today and I guessed correctly at times, when she was serving,” Potter added.
In the semi-final doubles match, Potter and Sharon Walsh defeated Mandlikova and Betty Stove 6-2, 7-5.
Finals vs MARTINA NAVRATILOVA
Navratilova won her fourth Chicago title (matching Houston) with a 54-minute victory over Mandlikova “my most difficult match” in the final. “I don’t know if I can play better than I did today,” was the champion’s assessment, avenging her last two losses to the younger Czech. The match turned with Hana serving at 4-all, 30-15 when she apparently strained her right knee. Navratilova broke and finished with the last five games of the match watched by 9,027 fans (the total setting an Circuit record of in excess of 71,000).
Each player lost her service and the set was deadlocked at 2-2 and 54 before Navratilova broke Mandlikova’s service in the seventh game. But Mandlikova fought back to tie the set in the eighth game, only to have her opponent win the next two games and the set.
Each player held her service in the first four games of the second set, but when Mandlikova double-faulted, it set the tone for Navratilova.
Navratilova preceded to win the next four games, going away utilizing several vicious forehand smashes and deadly placement shots just out of the reach of Mandlikova.
Sunday’s match was the fourth meeting between the two; Navratilova beat Mandlikova in the finals of the Amelia Island Fla tournament but lost to Mandlikova in semifinals of the Mahwah NJ tournament and in the round of 16 at the US Open all during I980.
“I was surprised after the second game (of the first set) that neither of us was having trouble returning the other’s serve” Navratilova said. “I decided I had better change my style instead of each of us blasting away at each other so I really mixed them up and it paid off because I think I outguessed her several times”
But she also noted a difference in the way Mandlikova moved during the second set; Mandlikova said she had been having trouble with her right knee late in the first set while the score was 4-4.
Navratilova said the turning point for her came in the ninth game of the first set when she fell behind 30-love : “I got two great passing shots and then forced Hana into making two errors” which enabled her to break her service and grab a 5-4 lead.
