Navratilova, 37, playing in her 22nd and final Wimbledon, saved two set points in the second set to hold off her friend and practice partner in an entertaining match on Center Court.
"I wanted one more chance and I'm there," Navratilova said.
The fourth-seeded Navratilova looked sharp in all aspects of her grass-court game -- serve and volley, returns and passing shots -- as she beat Fernandez for the eighth time in eight matches.
"I played well enough, I didn't play great," said Navratilova, who hit 14 serve return winners. "I made the shots when I had to. I just hung in there."
So did Martinez, who needed two hours and 34 minutes to subdue McNeil. After Martinez broke for a 9-8 lead in the third set with an overhead, she served out the match at 15 -- ripping a cross-court backhand passing shot to end the contest.
In a late Thursday men's quarterfinal match, American Todd Martin notched his fourth five-set victory of the tournament, beating the unseeded South African Wayne Ferreira, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5.
Martin took a two-set lead and then held on as Ferreira nearly pulled off the improbable comeback. Now he gets Sampras. on Center Court.
"That's like my second-favorite dream come true," Martin said. "Maybe a couple days after that I'll have my first dream come true."
In Friday's other semifinal match Boris Becker faces Goran Ivanisevic.
(AP, LAT)
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