Chris Evert d. Evonne Goolagong - 1976 Finals of the Big W

[mbblover]

this is how tennis is SUPPOSED TO BE! SO SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING, EXCITING, FUN, THAN THIS MINDLESS CLUELESS BASHING! HEY I WON WIMBLEDON IN THE 21ST CENTURY IN THE FINALS I HIT 60 UNFORCED ERRORS AND 30 WINNERS, BUT I WON BECAUSE MY OPPONENT HIT 70 UNFORCED ERRORS AND ONLY 20 WINNERS! GEEZ!

[etienne818]

Thanks for posting this - it's great to recall how incredibly great these two were. Such class! Yvonne, at this point in time, had a Wimbledon title under her belt (1971) and would win one more - four years after this, in another re-match with Chris. By 1980, Yvonne was a "mom" and had been away from the tennis tour for an extended period of time. Nevertheless, she stepped right back into the very top of her game to win yet another grand-slam event in her own fine style.

[BCNbananas]

Does anybody know if the Wimbledon Museum has and sells Suzanne Lenglen's matches? particularly her first Wimbledon victory in 1919...

[Jerome1965]

@BCNbananas There are only a few filmclips of Suzanne Lenglen at Wimbledon, not whole matches, and even if there would have been, I would not advise you to watch it. I 've seen footage of Lenglen and in the current days she would have problems winning the local clubchampionships. No serve, decent forehand, awful backhand... Not everything is better in the modern world, but tennis has taken an enormous flight in strokeplay since then...

[circuitdesign]

Nice hair reflecting the sunlight (spotted at 12:40).

[itsjonkuo]

4:35 Goolagong got lazy and cocky LMAO. Chris humiliated her :)

[DRKVideoProductions]

goolagong's serve looks like a foot fault every time

[preciousjey]

after seeing so much basline stuff nowadays, (even i tend to do it) it's nice to see perfect serve and volley

[JiminPalmSprings]

I got a kick out of the very old fashioned announcers calling Chris and Evonne "girls"--- don't think male announcers would do that today in 2011, it would seem way too patronzing...

[preciousjey]

good clip of both evonne and chrissy's winners

[robubc]

My two all-time favorite players. Chrissie had will and nerve to pull out a close, exciting match with wonderful, varied play. Evonne was breathtaking in her athletic, balletic very watchable grasscourt game. Great match too: one of the best in Wimbledon history. Those times!

[ChrisAmericaUSA]

I absolutely loved this rivalry----too bad it ended when it got really heated. Would have loved to have seen an Evert, Navratilova, Goolagong, Austin quartet

[racketlord64]

Both players are so classy and so graceful, something that's hard to come by in today's women's tennis

[nightmale1]

Although Evonne was always my favourite player ,i have great respect for both these women ,not only for their talent on court ,but for their great sense of sportsmanship.

[thadxxx]

Chris at 21 won her 2nd Wimbledon. I think at this point, we thought there would be at least 3 or 4 more titles but only one more in 1981.  Martina was right around the corner. 1976 was definitely the Chris/Evonne show. It's nice to see Evonne serving and volleying. How many woman serve and volley today?

[karrtt1234]

@thadxxx Yes I do think that many felt both Evonne and Chris would win more Wimbledons, for Chris I am sure the 78 and 80 titles are the ones that really got away from her. In 1980, because I so loved both of them; that you couldn't feel bad for one of them winning, it just would have been nice had Chris played better (it was not a good match for her, at all).

[sandrovic1970]

Would love to see a tape made consisting of all the most amazing strokes played by Evonne Goolagong! Some of the things she comes out with are absolutely incredible and rank among the best shots ever hit by man or woman on a tennis court.

[circuitdesign]

@sandrovic1970 This is the first time I saw her play. You are right about her (Goolagong's) shots. She is clearly a naturally gifted player. Very nice to watch her artistry!

[BTURNER1961]

I notice on two occasions Evert tries to get the linesmen to call one of her balls out - not Evonne's - but hers, when she feels unjustly rewarded or as though she is about to be unjustly rewarded. Those two always treated each other with great respect. As for Evonne, her backhand everything is great here, from her volleyy to her drive, from her pass to her overhead.

[bettybunge]

Goolagong's half-volley pick-up at 9:13 is something else. Can't teach that one.

[johnblacklovesmar]

No woman has ever hit a high backhand overhead as well as Goologong; Evert's anticipation is second to none.

[Nicklas4500]

Goolagong moves like the wind.