European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 3, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday july 3,1988 the stars and stripes Page 21 sports Graf slams Navratilova by Rick Warner a Tennis writer Wimbledon England Steffi Graf winning 12 of the last 13 games captured her third straight grand slam title an ended Martina Navratilova s bid for Wimbledon history with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 Triumph in the women s final saturday. Grass 21st straight Victory in grand slam matches this year avenged her loss to Navratilova in last year s final and kept alive her Hopes of becoming the first since Margaret court in 1970 to sweep Tennis four major tournaments the same year. It also ended Navratilova s drive to set Wimbledon records with a seventh straight singles title and ninth Overall. Graf who won nine straight games after falling behind 2-0 in the second set celebrated her first Wimbledon championship by throwing her Racket into the stands. I did t succumb to pressure. I succumbed to a better player today said Navratilova who had won 47 straight sin Gles matches at Wimbledon since losing to Hana Mandrikova in the 1981 semifinals. After a terrible first set Graf said she got really pumped up in the second set. The last two sets i played the Way should have from the beginning Graf said. Graf who turned 19 last month is the youngest woman singles Champion at Wimbledon since Maureen Connolly won in 1952 at age 17. Since that time four other 19-year-Olds have won the women championship but they were All born ear Lier in the year than Graf. Graf the first German woman to Winthe singles title since Cilly aussem in 1931, won the australian and French opens this year before Wimbledon. She can Complete the grand slam with a Victory at the  in september. Everybody s talking about it Graf said. But i m going to concentrate on every tournament. I m not going to  Navratilova shares the Wimbledon re Cord of eight singles titles with Helen wills Moody and the Mark for consecutive championships with Willie Renshaw who won six in a Row in the 1880s when the defending Champion automatically advanced to the final. But her bid to break the records fell Short against the rocket returns sizzling smashes and booming serve of Graf who replace Navratilova As the world s top ranked female player last August. She s amazing said Navratilova who the Bonscore Wimbledon England a the Bonscore saturday of no. 1 Steffi Graf s 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 Victory Over no. 2 Martina Navratilova for the women s singles championship at Wimbledon Graf Navratilova 1st serve pet 70 62 double faults 1 3 aces 4 1 Points 97 78 deuces. 2 11 service lost 4 8 love games 2 0 Points serving 44 48 failed to win a singles or doubles title at grand slam event for the first time since the 1983 French  was hitting Good volleys and she kept running them Down Navratilova  s just so fast other players would not even get to those balls and she was  in last year s two set final Navratilova took advantage of grass unsteady Back hand. This year there was no weakness to exploit. She s better than she was a year ago Navratilova said after losing a Wimbledon final for the first time. She s definitely improved her backhand return and she volleyed extremely Well i was surprised she came in so  Graf broke for a 3-2 Lead in the first set with a lob that Navratilova jumped for and missed. But after Graf held serve for a 5-3lead, Navratilova took the next four games to win the  made it six straight games when she broke Graf with a backhand vol Ley to make it 2-0 in the second set. But then the tall teen Ager caught fire winning nine straight games before Navratilova broke her with a backhand Winner to Clos within 3-1 in the final set. The match was then suspended for 44minutes by rain which fell sporadically throughout the  play resumed Graf quickly broke Navratilova to go up 4-1. Frustrated the31-year-old defending Champion slammed her Racket Down on her chair during the changeover. After holding at love Graf gained match Point with a blazing forehand return and then ended the contest with a Cross court backhand that nicked the top of the net and skipped past  player last August. Cour e too. A photo shenet t. West Germany s Steffi Graf rips off wins in 12 of the last 13 games on saturday. Match Point no. 9 puts Becker into final by Andrew Warshaw Becker hit a backhand off the net Ord wide then a Wimbledon England a Boris Becker and forehand Down the line that was just Long to Send the Warsh advanced to his third Wimbledon men s final in four years saturday by beating Ivan Lendl in a match spread Over two Days. Becker Champion in 1985-86, completed a 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 10-86-4 Victory on his ninth match Point to gain a spot in sunday s title match against Stef Nedberg. Live on an to 3 . It comes Down to who is having the better nerve Sand who puts it together on break Point Becker said. It was not an easy night for either of  Becker held a two sets to one Lead when play was suspended by darkness Friday night. He blew three match Points in the third set tiebreaker and five More in the 10th game of the fourth set saturday before driving a forehand right at Lendl at the net. The top seeded Lendl had to Duck out of the  Ball struck just inside the Baseline and Becker thrust his fists overhead letting his head Flop Back i exhaustion the match finally won. More Tennis on Page 23 Becker said he should have won the match on Friday. You think the match is Over already and some How it is not. It was not easy at dinner last night. It was going through my mind All the time he said. When play resumed today Lendl appeared with heavy Bandage protecting torn muscle fibres in the upper part of his left thigh. He showed his usual Power producing service winners one after the other As he saved four break Points in the sixth game. After two rain delays totalling 71 minutes the Sun stayed out and the players stayed on serve. Becker took a 5-4 Lead at love then used two forehand vol Ley errors by Lendl to gain double match Point at 15 40 on the czechoslovak s serve. Beck Forehan the was to the game to Deuce. He got match Point no. 6 on a Back hand passing shot but Lendl saved that with a serv ice Winner. Lendl had his chances to hold service taking the advantage when Becker hit a forehand Long. But a service return by Becker took the game to Deuce an match Point no. 7 came on a netted backhand vol Ley. Becker promptly hit a backhand Volley into Tenet himself. He got match Point no. 8 on a backhand passing shot and walked Over to a line judge to ask advice on How to hold on. Umpire Richard Kaufman called let s play and Lendl promptly fired a Cannonball serve that just nipped Becker s Racket. Eight chances and eight chances missed. But no.9 did not get away. A running backing passing shot Down the line Gav Becker the ninth match Point and he put it away with his drive