Just champion - Paes and Navratilova.
NAVRATILOVA EQUALS TITLE RECORD
By Bill Pierce, PA Sport
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Martina Navratilova played two matches in a day at the age of 46 to equal
Billie-Jean King's record of 20 Wimbledon titles, winning the mixed doubles with
her Indian partner Leander Paes.
And she said: "I feel just as emotional as Roger Federer on Centre Court a
few hours ago."
Navratilova and her partner were winning a semi-final against Leos Friedl
(Czech Republic) and South Africa's Liezel Huber on number one court while
Federer was claiming the men's singles crown against Mark Philippoussis but she
later watched his tears of joy on television before going out to play her own
final.
Paes and Navratilova beat the partnership of Israel's Andy Ram and Russian
Anastassia Rodionova 6-3 6-3 in 61 minutes to clinch her latest crown which was
also her 237th career title.
She saluted an emotional Centre Court crowd and said: "It is always special
winning here and all the titles are special too.
"I'm going to take away another patch of grass like the one I took away six
years ago after my last singles final here nine years ago. I'll be back at
Wimbledon next year but I don't know yet whether I'll be playing."
Navratilova, whose Wimbledon debut came 30 years ago, lost that 1994 final to
Spain's Conchita Martinez, but she won nine other singles finals at the
All-England Club plus seven in women's doubles and now four in the mixed.
Having lost out with Russian partner Svetlana Kuznetsova in the women's doubles
on Friday after her 300th Wimbledon match, equalling King's record looked a
tough task in the same half of the draw as specialists Todd Woodbridge and
Kuznetsova plus number two seeds Mike Bryan and Lisa Raymond.
But Navratilova and Paes beat the American pair in straight sets on Friday to
reach the semi-finals where Friedl and Huber surprisingly knocked out Aussie Woodbridge
and his Russian partner in straight sets.
Friedl and Huber were no match for the Martina team, though, going down 7-5
6-4. And after barely two hours rest, Paes and Navratilova were back on court
again to claim their title which was also the 37th of the Indian player's
career.