Tennis

Martina is denied 59th Slam title

By wire services
Published January 30, 2005

MELBOURNE, Australia - Martina Navratilova will have to wait for another Grand Slam title.

The 48-year-old legend and Max Mirnyi lost their mixed doubles semifinal Saturday to Kevin Ullyett and Liezel Huber 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8).

Navratilova has 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 in doubles and nine in mixed doubles.

Mirnyi became Navratilova's mixed doubles partner when Leander Paes, who won the Australian and Wimbledon titles with her in 2003, injured his foot at the Sydney International two weeks ago.

Navratilova and Daniela Hantuchova lost their quarterfinal doubles match to eventual champions Svetlana Kuznetsova and Alicia Molik.

MORE U.S. MEN'S STRUGGLES: Wayne Black and Ullyet t won their second Grand Slam doubles title, defeating Americans Bob and Mike Bryan 6-4, 6-4.

Black and Ullyett, who teamed to win the 2001 U.S. Open, triumphed on their fifth match point under a closed roof at Rod Laver Arena after rain during the day.

The No. 5 team thought they had won on their third match point - with Ullyett serving at 40-0 in the final game - but an overrule on a forehand service return from Mike Bryan that had been called out stalled their celebration.

"I left the ball. It was called out. The umpire overruled it and said it was good. But the mark was there, there was a slight space there, I thought," Ullyett said.

SHOPPING, PERHAPS: It was her first Grand Slam singles win since Wimbledon 2003, and Serena Williams wasn't quite sure how to mark the occasion.

"I don't ever celebrate," Williams said after her 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over Lindsay Davenport.

"When I first won the U.S. Open (in 1999), I went to the movies. Maybe I'll go get something - I'm not heavy on alcohol, so that won't be part of the agenda. Like I said, I'm not big on celebrations. Maybe I should be."

She admitted she might go shopping.

"I'm addicted to coats," Williams said. "Even though I live in Florida and I don't need coats."

During the trophy presentations, Williams thanked her entourage, including her mother, Oracene. When the camera panned to Oracene, she rolled her eyes.

"She always does that," Williams said. "That's her way of saying she's really shy. That's her way of saying thank you. Plus we have, like, this inside joke, so that's all it was."

HIGH ON HEWITT: Marat Safin sounds as if he could be a card-carrying member of Lleyton Hewitt's fan club.

Safin, who played Hewitt in the men's final, said that while the Aussie often is underestimated by the public, the players believe otherwise.

"Everybody has so much respect for him," Safin said. "He's been two years in a row No. 1 in the world. He's a huge fighter. He has unbelievable anticipation."

[Last modified January 30, 2005, 00:11:11]