Tennis Roundup : Sukova Upsets Evert in Three Sets

Helena Sukova of Czechoslovakia overcame 16 double faults and a 5-2 deficit in the final set Friday to upset No. 2-seeded Chris Evert and reach the final of a $200,000 women’s grass-court tournament at Eastbourne, England.

Sukova, seeded No. 3, won, 4-6, 6-4, 8-6, and will meet either No. 1-seeded Martina Navratilova or No. 4-seeded Pam Shriver in the final today.

The Navratilova-Shriver match was suspended because of lighting and rain. Navratilova, the defending champion, was leading, 4-3, with a break of serve. They will resume play today.

Evert has lost her last two matches against Sukova after winning the previous 14. They are seeded to meet in the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon tournament, which starts Monday.

Evert said she was angry after squandering her chance of making the final.

“I have relied so much on my mental abilities and I really let the match slip for no reason,” she said. “I hope, if anything, this result will be a kick in the pants for me before next week.”

Navratilova won the first nine points against Shriver. But the next five games went comfortably with serve before the match was stopped.

Rain postponed play in a men’s tournament at Bristol, England, leaving officials with a logjam of matches on the final weekend before Wimbledon.

The tournament was to have ended today. Now, organizers said, the championship match won’t be held until Sunday.