NEW YORK - To no one's surprise, Martina had tears in her eyes. The final match of Martina Navratilova's career ended in defeat, but it evoked tears of joy, not sadness. Gabriela Sabatini silenced one of the all-time greats in the first round of the Virginia Slims Championships Tuesday, defeating Navratilova 6-4, 6-2. "I got blown off the court by someone who was playing in another zone," Navratilova said. "If I had to lose to anybody, I'd rather it be Gaby, because she's a very nice human being as well as a hell of a tennis player." Navratilova stood silently as a 5-minute video recapped her marvelous 19-year pro career, posed on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle given to her by Virginia Slims and smiled as a red banner bearing her name was raised to the Madison Square Garden rafters. Could she play longer? "I certainly could," she said. "But I'm ready to give up the grind and the commitment. My heart's tired, but my body's OK. I thought my body gave out on me tonight, but I think that was nervousness. Now, I'm ready for my new life." -- Also Tuesday, top seed Steffi Graf and Jana Novotna advanced.
