Tuesday’s U.S. Open Matches : Zvereva’s Loss Eases Pressure on Navratilova

Martina Navratilova, the deposed ruler of women’s tennis, arrived at Flushing Meadow given only a slight chance of winning her fifth U.S. Open singles title for three reasons.

--Steffi Graf.

--Natalia Zvereva.

--Martina Navratilova.

Let’s start with the last reason. Navratilova was last seen hobbling away from the Canadian Open earlier this month in Montreal because of a strained hip flexor. And her preparation for the U.S. Open was scant, having played just that one tournament since Wimbledon.

Zvereva knocked Navratilova out at Montreal, winning, 6-1, 6-4, in the quarterfinals. This was a continuation of the Soviet player’s surprising success against Navratilova. Earlier in 1988, she upset Navratilova in the fourth round at the French Open, 6-3, 7-6. This led the Navratilova--who defeated both Zvereva and countrywoman Larisa Savchenko at Wimbledon--to say her idea of glasnost was being on a mission to defeat Soviet players.

When the Open draw was made last week, it appeared as though Navratilova was nearly undertaking mission impossible. If Navratilova and Zvereva advanced according to form, they were set to meet in the quarterfinals. So, just to reach the final against the seemingly invincible Graf, who has lost only twice this year, Navratilova would probably have to get past this new threat, a Soviet nemesis.

“Zvereva has started to scare her,” CBS analyst Mary Carillo said. “Martina doesn’t like to play Russians. I think she attaches too much political significance to it.” Navratilova, who defected from Czechoslovakia to the United States, where she eventually became a citizen, has admitted she had problems playing against other Czechs and, now, Soviets. Two of her toughest losses in big events were to Czechs--Helena Sukova (Australian Open, 1984) and Hana Mandlikova (U.S. Open, 1985).

However, Tuesday, two of the reasons to doubt Navratilova’s chances for greater success at the National Tennis Center were erased.

Zvereva, the eighth-seeded player, looked shaky and erratic in losing to the No. 183rd-ranked Kim Steinmetz, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the only upset on the women’s side.

Second, Navratilova looked fit and so was her game as she beat Catarina Lindqvist, 6-1, 6-3.

As for Graf? There is no reason to doubt the top-seeded player, who will play her first match today.

Well, two out of three isn’t bad.

Navratilova, not surprisingly, wrapped herself in the American flag when asked about Zvereva’s defeat and what it meant to her.

“Hurray for the United States,” she said.

Steinmetz, who is from St. Louis, probably felt the same way. But the way the 30-year-old’s career has gone lately, she would be more apt to say, “Hurray for Kim Steinmetz.”

“I feel very, very good,” she said. “When I finish a match, it is very seldom that I am exuberant and smiling because I feel for my opponent and I don’t want to make them feel bad. But after this match today, and hearing the crowd cheer, I could not help but smile and feel as if I was walking on air.”

Steinmetz rallied from a 1-3, third-set deficit by keeping the ball deep and letting Zvereva try for the low-percentage shots.

It was Steinmetz’s first main-draw victory in any tournament since July and first Open main-draw victory since 1983.

In turn, the 17-year-old Zvereva had one of the major disappointments of her career. She didn’t say much in her brief press conference, choosing to use her coach Olga Morozova as an interpreter although she speaks English fairly well.

“I think she lost her concentration after 3-1 in the final set,” Morozova said, “and she wasn’t going for the shots, which she has to do.”

In men’s competition, Mats Wilander of Sweden defeated Greg Holmes, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4, in completion of a match that began Monday; Boris Becker of West Germany beat Todd Nelson, 6-3, 6-0, 7-6; Stefan Edberg of Sweden defeated Libor Pimek of Czechoslovakia, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4; Miloslav Mecir of Czechoslovakia beat Tomas Smid of Czechoslovakia, 7-5, 6-4, 6-0, and Brad Gilbert defeated Milan Srejber of Czechoslovakia, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.