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Martina the marvel Navratilova's return to doubles tennis an inspiration
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- If there was one player the fans wanted to see go another match -- or even another set -- it would have been Martina Navratilova. The Hall of Famer and her partner Katarina Srebotnik were knocked out of the Pilot Pen on Friday by Julie Halard-Decugis and Ai Sugiyama. They lost in the semifinals 6-3, 6-2, but not before treating some fans to the rare thrill of seeing a legend in action. "I've always enjoyed watching her play," Bob Garofalo of Berlin said. "She's a great competitor. You can still see that today." The Pilot Pen is the first U.S. tournament for Navratilova, 43, in six years. She plans to play in next week's U.S. Open with Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario. Navratilova said the response from fans has been great. Some have told her she has inspired them to get in shape. "It's nice when you can just inspire people by being there." People in the crowd weren't the only ones in awe of Navratilova. Her partner, Srebotnik, a 19-year-old Slovenian, thanked Navratilova in a post-match news conference for the chance to play together. "I think I'll remember this for the rest of my life," said Srebotnik, who had asked Navratilova via e-mail to be her partner. "Because of playing with her, I'm a better person." Navratilova said she has no desire to return to singles competition. Navratilova, who racked up 167 singles titles and 165 doubles championships before retiring in 1994, said going solo would require more commitment and preparation than she is willing to give. "It's too hard," she said. "This is like an occasion. I can practice for a few weeks and get into it. This is half the court. Singles is the commitment. I don't want that anymore. I've moved on to other things."
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