June 18, 1999
By J. Fred Sidhu
July 1994 is a period of time that
will live forever in the mind of professional tennis player Conchita
Martinez.
Martinez, became the first Spanish woman to win Wimbledon as she shocked the tennis world by defeating Martina Navratilova in the final, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Navrati-lova was attempting to win her tenth Wimbledon singles title.
Last week, Martinez, who maintains a home in the North County community of Cardiff, prepared for Wimbledon on the grass courts at the La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad.
While taking a break during her workout, she met with reporters and spoke about her Wimbledon title and her preparation for this year's tournament.
"To win Wimbledon, you have to be really focused and have great concentration,'' Martinez said. "Wimbledon is the most difficult tournament to win. You have to have a positive mind.''
According to Martinez, Wimbledon is the most difficult of the four grand slams to win because there is so little time to prepare for it since the players only play in grass court tournaments for three weeks out of the entire year.
"You have to go there with a different frame of mind. You can lose to anybody there. If you face a good serve and volleyer you're going to have a difficult match,'' Martinez proclaimed. "It is an equalizer."
When asked what her 1994 Wimbledon title meant to her, she responded, "It means a great deal to me. To win a Grand Slam is the most important thing for me. There is no other championship that I would like to win than a Grand Slam. For me it's how you prove to people that you are a great champion. It takes seven matches to win and only those who are strong at the end, are going to win. There are a lot of factors you have to overcome during those two weeks. It's really difficult.''
What are the advantages of being a Wimbledon champion? "People remember who you are and you get a full membership to the club,'' she explained. "You can go and play at the club when others can't. They make you feel special. There is a lot of tradition.''
Martinez, who is currently ranked 20 in the world, added that since she is a Wimbledon champion, she has access to the royal box on centre court which is normally reserved for royalty and guests. "It's a privilege that I haven't used. I just go there and try to do my job,'' she admitted.
She left for England last Saturday and will play in a grass court tournament in Eastbourne which is considered a tune-up for Wimbledon.
Martinez, who is unseeded this year at Wimbledon, will face Rita Kuti Kis in the first round of the ladies singles at the All-England Club. Kuti Kis, a lefthander from Hungary, is currently ranked 78 in the Women's Tennis Association rankings.
If she wins her first round match, Martinez will face the winner of the Tara Snyder / Asa Carlsson match in the second round.
Martinez and Patricia Tara-bini of Argentina are seeded 11th in the ladies doubles. They will face Lenka Nemeckova of the Czech Republic and Alicia Ortuno of Spain.
NET NOTES
The TIG Tennis Classic, scheduled for July 31-August 8 at the La Costa Resort & Spa, will hold three `Opportunity Tournaments" throughout Southern California during July.
The tournaments are held to give all qualified female players a shot at ultimately matching their skills against some of the world's top professional women tennis players.
Winners of each Opportunity Tournament will receive a "Wild Card" into the qualifying draw of the TIG Tennis Classic.
"For the many gifted amateurs living in Southern California as well as lower-ranked professionals, our July tournaments are a great way to step up to the next level of competition and get a shot at playing top players,'' said Jane Stratton, co-promoter of the TIG Tennis Classic.
Each tournament requires a $35 entry fee. For applications, call (760) 438-9220.
The Opportunity Tournaments will be held as follows:
Date Location Contact
July 7-11, Industry Hills Tennis Center, Kim Carlson
City of Industry (310) 476-2291
July 14-18 Rancho San Clemente Tennis & Fitness Club, Ellie Compton
San Clemente (714) 492-1515
July 21-25 San Diego Tennis & Racquet Club, Lesley Guajardo
San Diego (619) 221-9000
Tickets are now on sale for the 1999 TIG Tennis Classic. In addition to Martinez, early entrants include, Martina Hingis; Monica Seles, defending champion Lindsay Davenport; Arantxa Sanchez Vicario; Venus Williams; Anna Kournikova and 1999 French Open champion Steffi Graf.
For ticket information, call (760) 438-5683.
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