Great Falls Tribune from Great Falls, Montana • Page 11

Electrics results The Baseball Page 3B Pro golf roundup 4B Tour de France Great Falls Tribune Saturday, July 7, 1990 LendPs Wimbledon hopes crash and burn mm Edberg wins in three sets; Becker reaches final again 7 9 Martina may get last laugh By STEPHEN WILSON AP Sports Writer WIMBLEDON, England When Martina Navratilova lost to Steffi Graf in last year's Wimbledon final, she laughed and said, 'Today; was fun." Had she taken defeat too lightly? Would she ever challenge for the title again? But the 33-year-old Navratilova may have the last laugh this year. "I'm here," she said after beating Gabriela Sabatini 6-3, 6-4, to reach the final for the 11th time. "That's what I've been working for." What Navratilova wants most is to come away from Saturday's final with a record ninth Wimbledon! singles title. She is currently tied with Helen Wills Moody at eight "I'm sweating already just; thinking about it," she said. This year, Graf is not standing in Navratilova's path.

The top-seeded West German was knocked out 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in the semifinals by No. 5 Zina Garrison. Garrison, a 26-year-old serve-and-volleyer from Houston, has never played in a Grand Slam final and has beaten Navratilova only once in 28 tries. No wonder London bookmakers have made Navratilova an overwhelming favorite even Graf predicted that "it's Martina's tournament." Garrison, the first black Wimb-' ledon women's finalist since Althea-Gibson won the title in 1957 and. 1958, doesn't appreciate being taken lightly.

"That just makes me work harder," she said. "I've played her close in a lot of situations. And when you get to a final, a final like this on grass, anything can happen." Navratilova, who is one of Garrison's best friends on the tour, agreed. "She has beaten Steffi, so she can certainly beat me," she said. "It's going to be a foot race to the net.

Whoever does it better will repertoire. He even won the Wimbledon warmup event at Queen's Club in London, beating Becker in the final. But once at Wimbledon, he again was betrayed by his lack of inventiveness and athleticism. While Edberg and Becker improved match by match (the Swede has won his last three in straight sets), Lendl got worse, struggling against low-ranked opponents in four of his first five outings, and rarely looking at ease at the net. "He played well at Queen's, but maybe he peaked too soon," Edberg said.

"Now I think it will be very difficult for him to win, more difficult each year." "Of course I am disappointed, but I was more disappointed last year," said Lendl, who was beating Becker in the 1989 semifinals when a rain delay destroyed his momentum. "Then I had a real chance. Today I didn't." Ivanisevic, ranked 38th and rising, brought out the best in Becker. The 18-year-old had blown him away in straight sets six weeks ago in the first round of the French Open, and after he won the first set and served for the second at 6-5, only Becker's best could save him. "I played one of my best grass court matches ever, and it was because of him," said the No.

2 seed, in the final for the fifth time in six years. "He made life difficult. During the match, I thought of somebody who was 17." Ivanisevic's day was ruined by one shot a forehand volley at deuce in the crucial 6-5 game. Instead of punching it he took a full, looping swing, pounding the ball into the net. Becker broke on the next point.

"I hit topspin volley was very bad," said Ivanisevic, who hoped to become the first unseeded finalist here since Becker in'85. "Then I am broken at 6-5. Bad time." From there it was almost all Becker. Finally finding a return groove against Ivanisevic's awesome serve, he came from 0-3 down to win the tiebreaker 7-4, dominated the third set (Ivanisevic seemed to let up after two early breaks), and won the fourth-set tiebreaker 7-5 when Ivanisevic netted a backhand volley at match point. By MIKE DAVIS Gannett News Service WIMBLEDON, England Ivan LendPs dream was shot down Friday in flames, crashing nose-first into the turf on Center Court.

Stefan Edberg, as elegant a grass-court player as walks the earth, qualified for his third consecutive Wimbledon final and quashed the top-seeded favorite with a 6-1, 7-6, 6- 3 eradication in the men's singles semifinals. The 24-year-old Swede's opponent in Sunday's title match, for the third straight year, will be Boris Becker, who survived the onslaught of 18-year-old Yugoslav Goran Ivanisevic and "the hardest serve of anyone I've ever played" to win 4-6, 7- It's a rubber match: Edberg beat Becker in four sets two years ago, and Becker won in straight sets last year. The 22-year-old West German has won three times here, Edberg once. And with each passing year, it grows more evident that the 30-year-old Lendl probably never will. He has won eight Grand Slam titles, but none here.

Always there is an opponent more comfortable, more confident and more adept on grass, and Friday it was Edberg, ranked No. 3. Every element in his game was working: The quickness and anticipation, the stiletto volleys, the arching, high-kick serve, the crisp, angled service returns. He committed only three volleying errors, and Lendl rarely could hit anything past him. "I could never get into the match," he said.

"Stefan didn't give me a chance." Lendl has had many chances here, reaching seven semifinals and two finals in 10 tries. But Becker and Edberg are years younger and likely to always block his path to the title. And Ivanisevic has the look of a future champion. This year was supposed to be different for Lendl. He came in as a sentimental favorite because of his all-out commitment (some called it obsession) to win Wimbledon.

He skipped the French Open for two extra months of grass-court preparation. He changed rackets to get more touch, aijded new shots to his r'fi j) -'vs- AP Photo West Germany's Boris Becker, the defending Wimbledon men's singles champion, tumbles to the grass as he returns a shot to Goran Ivanisevic of Yugoslavia in a semifinal match Friday. Becker will meet Stefan Edberg of Sweden in the final Sunday. Rematch West Germany takes another shot at Argentina in Cup final Comiskey faces final days Comiskey Park has hosted four World Series (including the Cubs' use of the park in 1918) and three All-Star games. In 1933, 47,595 fans packed Comiskey for the first All-Star Game.

On July 6, 1983 50 years to the day it hosted the golden anniversary of the event. Quick, now. Which league won the first AU-Star Game, and who hit the home run that provided the difference? The Yankees' Babe Ruth cracked a two-run dinger, giving the American League a 4-2 victory. And how about 50 years later? Who hit the grand slam that sparked the American League to a 13-3 victory in 1983? It was Fred Lynn, then a California Angel, belting the only grand slam in All-Star history off San Francisco's Atlee Hammaker. By MIKE TOWNE Tribune Sports Writer What a shame.

Comiskey Park, for 80 years a unique but often overlooked landmark on Chicago's south side, will come tumbling down shortly after the current season. A new stadium is going up right across the street, and old Comiskey home of the Chicago White Sox has to be razed for parking's sake. What a loss. "New Comiskey Park" will be state of the art, a palace scheduled to open next spring. But it probably won't come close to matching the looks and charm or history of old Comiskey.

True or false? Wrigley Field, which sits about 12 miles to the north of Comiskey Park, is the oldest existing major league sta By PAUL OBERJUERGE Gannett News Service ROME For the first time in World Cup history, finalists from the previous tournament are meeting again for the championship Argentina and West Germany. Argentina won 3-2 in 1986, but the Germans rate as favorites in the 1990 final, which begins at 12 noon MDT Sunday in Olympic Stadium. Argentina must play without four suspended players, and it would seem only a superhuman effort by superstar Diego Maradona, arguably the greatest soccer player since Pele, can keep the Germans from winning. "Argentina is strong, an expert team," West German coach Franz Beckenbauer said. "And no game in the final is easy.

"Of course, they're playing without four key players. It will be a win. good chance for us to beat Argent-'. ina." Maradona set up the game-' winning goal in Mexico City four; years ago, assisting Jorge Burr-uchaga in the 84th minute, barely three minutes after the Germans had erased a 2-0 deficit. But Maradona doesn't seem to have as many capable teammates around him this year as he prepares for what he said will be his final World Cup game.

The Argentines sorely will miss, forward Claudio Caniggia, who has; two of their five goals in the tournament. He is out because he was hit with his second yellow (warning) card in Argentina's 4-3 shootout victory in the semifinals over Italy. Also suspended are midfielders See WORLD CUP, 4B Coach Red Schoendienst, the only man who won more games as Cardinals manager than Herzog replaced him on an interim basis' Herzog, in his 11th year as man See HERZOG, 4B The All-Star Game was also played at Comiskey Park in 1950, the National League winning 4-3 in 14 innings. Comiskey was also the sight of a world heavyweight championship fight. On June 22, 1937, Joe Louis defeated James J.

Braddock. Legislation enabling the construction of "New Comiskey Park" was passed on June 30, 1988. Ground breaking ceremonies were held on Mhy 7 of last year. AP Photo i 3 1 Dodgers pelt Trappers dium in America. If you said false, you're correct.

Comiskey was built in 1910, four years before Wrigley was constructed. Comiskey is known for several firsts, including the first freestanding scoreboard, built in 1950, and the first scoreboard with fireworks, an idea that the late Bill Veeck implemented in 1960. Veeck built a picnic area into the outfield walls, and for a short time the stadium featured the "Dugout Cafe," located under home plate. Artificial turf was laid in 1969, but was replaced with natural grass eight years later. In the early 1980s, under current owners Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn, new seats were installed along with modern dugouts, a Diamond Vision scoreboard, auxiliary scoreboards, and supersuites for corporate clients.

home run of the season, a shot over the left-center field fence. Great Falls added an insurance run in the ninth inning. Dan Andrews led off with a single and later scored on Farrish's sacrifice fly. The Dodgers grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning, Tim Griffin and Mike Busch both driving in runs. Salt Lake answered quickly, using four singles off Mike Mimbs in its half of the first to tie the game.

Farrish hit his first professional home run in the second inning, and a Maurer double followed by a Dan Gray single gave Great Falls a 4-2 lead in the third. The Trappers erupted for three runs in the bottom half of the third, the big blows a triple by Kevin McMullen and a double by Ken Briggs. The Dodgers tied the game at 5-5 in the fifth inning. Ingram walked, forcing the exit of starter Gary Steinkamp, took second on a single by Maurer and scored on a grounder by Griffin. A error by shortstop Brian Big-gers allowed Maurer to score the go-ahead run.

Herzog shocks Cards by quitting SALT LAKE CITY Ron Maurer belted a three-run home run to highlight a five-run seventh inning as the Great Falls Dodgers defeated the Salt Lake Trappers 12-6 Friday night. The victory gave the streaking Dodgers a sweep of the four-game series, which opened Tuesday at Dirkes Field. It was the team's fifth straight victory, matching its longest winning streak of the season. The Dodgers improved to 14-2, five games ahead of Billings and six games in front of Helena in the Northern Divison of the Pioneer League. Great Falls used four hits, a throwing error and an interference call to break a 6-6 deadlock in the seventh.

Lonnie Webb singled with one out, took second on an errant pick-off attempt by Troy Schultz and scored on a single by Keoki Farrish. Farrish advanced to third on a single by Eric Blackwell and later scored when Garey Ingram was awarded first base on catcher's interference. Both Blackwell and Ingram scored when Maurer hit his second By DAVID SEDENO Associated Press Writer SAN DIEGO The White Rat deserted the St. Louis Cardinals' sinking ship. Whitey Herzog, whose team won three pennants in the 1980s, couldn't stomach losing in the 1990s.

So he resigned as manager on Friday. "I made up my mind in San Francisco," he said. "I was totally embarrassed by the way our team played. I just feel very badly for the ballclub, the organization and the fans." The Cardinals lost a three-game series in San Francisco last weekend by scores of 3-2, 4-0 and 9-2. St.

Louis, in San Diego for a game Friday night, is 33-47 and in last place in the National League East, 14V4 games behind Pittsburgh. The Cardinals' Whitey Herzog wasnt having any fun..