European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 2, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday july 2, 1994 shorts the stars and stripes Page 33 Martina comes through in bad week for heroes at the end of what has become a distressingly Tough week for heroes she lifted spirits everywhere simply by doing what she has almost always done in the fading Light of a late summer Day Martina Navratilova went out on the scruffy Centre court Lawn of the All England club and won a Tennis match. This is no Small accomplishment for anyone even for a 37-year-old Marvel like Martina whose 6-4, 7-6 8-6 Victory Over Gigi Fernandez in thursdays semifinal afforded her a last gasp Chance at an incredible 10th Wimbledon title. But it loomed larger still when viewed against the backdrop of How some of her contemporaries Are faring this week a a comparison that  be ignored by anyone who had a television set turned on for More than a few minutes during the afternoon. A. Throughout the Day from a los Angeles courtroom came live pictures of former footballs Reat . Simpson sitting Loci Ety by White his lawyer Robert Shapiro split Legal hairs in a double homicide Case. Sun to another Channel and you could find updates on the differing drug problems that threaten to put the Ball and Chain on the careers of soccer superstar Diego Maradona of Argentina and the new York Metsy Doc Gooden the smoke throwing right hander who for a Short while was baseball a King of the Hill. V. Surf again and you Learned that Tonya Harding whose career As a wrestling promoter now seems preordained will have to return the trophy she won at the . Nationals while Nancy Kerrigan was nursing the boo boo on her knee. Just wondering can the figure skating establishment demand that she turn Over her costumes As Well fortunately however on yet one More Channel Jim litre commentary squarely in the Middle of this strange video mix came Martina. Combative at one turn cerebral at the next awkward in some moments Graceful the next she Cate on just in time to remind us that sport Isnit the province of Only the tainted and tortured. At her age with her Fame and her Fortune Navratilova could be concentrating her resources on just about anything. That she chose to do so for one More run at Wimbledon turned out to be Pur stroke of Good Luck. While the problems of her contemporaries have spawned an endless Stream of psychologists sociologists and something or other ology its debating How athletics Mold or distort that elusive personality trait we Call character Navratilova went out and staged a clinic on that very topic. With the Early exits of top seeded Steffi Graf and no. 2 Arantha Sanchez Vicario a colleague said the draw at Wimbledon has a parted for Navratilova like the red sea before Charlton  but trailing 6-5 in the second set tiebreaker thursday with Fernandez serving the Gulf Between Martina and yet one More appearance in the finals still seemed immense. In Short order however Navratilova hit successive backhand return winners to take a 7-6 Lead then watched the next Point end As Fernandez watched her match winning Volley land just inches inside the Baseline. The match was anything but an artistic Success and the truth is that Martina has lost much of the serve and Volley Power that once set her game apart from opponents. But like Ali in the late stages of his boxing career she. Has Learned to rely on savvy instead of strength and she endures a and even better wins a because she still knows How to play the game a Little bit better than they do. The fact that Navratilova could marshal those resources at the moment of High drama Martina Navratilova gains Wimbledon final. Is As Clear a manifestation of character As  have asked. Like Simpson Maradona Gooden and Harding with whom she will have to share thursdays headlines Navratilova knows Only too Well this indescribable High that follows Success on the playing Field. And she also knows perhaps better than any of them the heavy Price such notoriety extracts. That she soldiers on unashamed drawing it he spotlight to her while at the same time candidly and responsibly balancing the demands of her celebrity is a wonderful and instructive thing it proves that not All our heroes come packaged with tragic flaws. Tha associated press a by Lucas l. Johnson ii Nashville Tenn. Apr Michael Jordan  answer any questions thursday about reports he a giving up baseball to return to the Chicago bulls. Jordan ignored a question shouted at him by a reporter As he went into the dugout for the class a Binning Ham Barons game with the Nashville press. Jim Ballweg a spokesman for the press told reporters later that Jordan said he did no to want to talk to them. A both a former College teammate and his current manager said the demise of Jordan a based fell career is just a Rumor. A i spent some time with Michael. Today and i asked what that stuff was All about a said Buzz Peterson teammate of Jordan sat North Caroli. A. A the simply said it was a Rumor that somebody  a r Peterson said he played basketball with Jordan on thursday. The. Chicago Sun times citing an unidentified source said Jordan a has just about decided to leave the Barons when the season ends sept. 3 and rejoin the bulls in time for the Start of the Aba season in october. But Barons manager Terry Franco a said the statements Are false. �?o1 think its silly a Francona said. A a it a just a bad Story that a Way off base. 1 think Michael is making Good Progress As a baseball  the nine time Aba All stars numbers done to look Good though Jordan is hitting .197 with 26 Rols 29 walks and 73 strikeouts in 269 at bats this season. A. Bill Zwecker the Sun times reporter who wrote the Story said thursday he stands by the Story and his two sources a this has been difficult for Michael a the Sun times source said. A a he a been so frustrated that his hitting Hasni to clicked consistently. That. He a letting Down his  despite what anyone thinks Michael always thinks about his team a no matter what team it is a  despite his struggling baseball performance bulls Genera manager Jerry Krause said he doubts Jordan will leave the game to return to basketball. _ a Michael Jordan is not going to be Back a Krause said. A a White sox general Manger Ron Schueler said the team has not Given up on Jordan a efforts to play baseball. And he said he does no to intend to make a decision anytime soon on Jordan As a baseball player. Jordan considered announcing his intentions at. The class a All Star game in Binghamton n.y., on july 11, the Sun times reported citing an unidentified source involved with the All Star game. But Jordan declined an invitation from Southern league president Jimmy Bragan to play in the game. Bragan said he invited Jordan to play because Fie has boosted attendance across the league. Bragan said Jordan declined so he could spend More time with his family. At senior open by Bob Green Pinehurst . A a former club pro and a Man called scruffy had a share of the Lead and a retired firefighter had the most insightful comment thursday in the first round of the . Senior open. A a a a. A a a a a a a. A personally i have doubts that i can play with golfers of the Caliper you hive Here a mused Wayne Carey wha retired after 30 years As an Atlanta fire than and now is an assistant Green keeper at Honey Creek in Conyers a. Carey a pro for less than a month did More than play with them however. His opening-3-under-Par 68 on the famed no. 2 course at Pinehurst left him Only two strokes off the first round Lead and one ahead of a group composed of some of the greatest players the game has known a Jack Nicklaus Lee Trevino and Ray Floyd among them. Jim Albus who resigned his club Job after winning his first senior tour title three years ago and Simon Hobday a free spirited South african called scruffy by his fellow pros took advantage of Ideal morning conditions to set the first round Pace with 66s. A it was playing pretty soft. To Tell you the truth in a a Tittle surprised the scores Arentt even lower Quot Albus said after a 5-under-Par Effort. The Tough old course in the Carolina Sandhill country was made vulnerable by overnight rain. At least for the morning half of the 156-Man Field the greens were a soft and holding fairways were unusually generous for a . Open course and there was no wind. A a in a hate to think what it would be like if it was hard and fast and the wind was blowing and the balls kept running off those greens a Hobday said. As it was however a the fire was out of the Golf course this morning and we were Able to throw the Iron shots at the Flag a Graham Marsh a Globe trotting austra Liari Rookie on the Over-50 circuit said after an Early 68 that gave him a share of third w Ith Carey. In addition to Trevino Floyd. And Nicklaus the defending title Holder wh6 scored an Eagle-3, others at 69 included Tom Wargo who played without a bogey Isao Aoki of Japan Tom Shaw and club pro Jack Kiefer. Trevino a five time Winner on the senior Lour this year pronounced himself pleased with his Effort. A any time you play a round in a major in the 60s, it s a Good round. In a satisfied with it a he said. He was much More impressed and enthusiastic about the Effort of Albus who was in the same threesome. A the drove it right Down the Middle of the Fairway on every Hole. The Man shot 5-under and it could have been better. In a Here to Tell you that a Trevino said. Albus has been on a Streak for the last four weeks going a cumulative 51 under Par for four starts. Yet he Hasni to won in the stretch. A just unlucky a Trevino said. A a no not unlucky a Albus said. Quot i be been playing Well but somebody was Al ways playing  a a a Good portion of that time it was Dave Stockton who was a cumulative 51-under for his last three starts in which he finished first second and first. The time however Stockton made four bogeys in a Row Over one stretch and six for the Day a As Many As he had in four rounds last week a in a 74