Helen Crook has lined up a second round ladies' doubles clash with Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon.

The Basildon player teamed up with Anna Hawkins to triumph in their first round match on court four yesterday.

The partnership defeated Austrian Barbara Schett and Switzerland's Patty Schynder 3-6 6-1 6-2.

It is the first time the British number eight has made it to the second round of the doubles at SW19 in seven attempts.

Crook will join 19-year-old Hawkins on court four again today when they face American Navratilova and Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, who beat Anastassia Rodionova and Marlene Weingartner 4-6 6-3 6-3.

Navratilova is contesting her 25th Wimbledon and has won the ladies' singles nine times and the doubles on seven occasions.

"I'm really looking forward to playing Martina and am delighted to have got through to the second round," said 31-year-old Crook.

"It was really great winning that game today. It was not an easy draw and I did not have very high expectations.

"That helped me to relax but I have also been playing well recently so that helped too."

Crook and Hawkins were broken early in the first set, which they went on to lose.

But they improved to comfortably win the second and third sets as they held their service and broke Schnyder and Schett.

Published Friday, June 27, 2003

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