Chris Evert d. Billie Jean King - 1982 Wimbledon SF

[lukesilver5369]

That's the year where Chris looked best imo

[bqndc]

In this match, it appears that Chris disposes of her shots faster with the wood racket than she did with her graphite. It's almost like her swing speed with the wood racket was higher than with the graphite.

[RachelDavisMatthews]

My Tennis Club in So Cal. has a Wooden Racquet dubs tourney every year, and I cant believe the players from back then didn't all have wrist injuries. You get so little power with the wood racquets and to hit passing shots like Evert is so underated by critics, her angles, finness, and touch esp. when playing with a wooden racket is nothing short of phenominal. And I'll say the same of Martina re: her volleys and serve when playing w/wood.

[Ariamaluum]

@RachelDavisMatthews. I tell what is really hard is to create spin especially topspin with the same pace as a flat shot.

[sebbyknight]

This remind me of Seles Navratilova semi 1992. I may get a lot of trolly nonsense for that comment but I like the gentle ironies of matches echoing each other down the generations.

[XRedxxBull]

It makes me laugh how much tennis has changed. Then we saw alot of simple and percise serve and volley now we see more powerful shots that tend to lead to more double faults.

[copsondonuts]

neat to watch....these days the women's tennis is all AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH­HHHH OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHH­HHHHHHHHH AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH­HHHHHHHH OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH­HHHHHH

[y11971alex]

@copsondonuts Notice Mrs King also "mmm," and Mrs Lloyd goes "hhh."

[copsondonuts]

lol chirs every is cute in this.

[randoir]

Thanks for posting. These golden (not so oldie) matches are fantastic. Both ladies' shot making was incredible.

[theone225]

She's not my lover, but she is one heck of a player!

[shihlin1]

Interesting side note to BJK's "come back" at Wimbledon that year. She said she really didn't want to come back to tennis, but her lawsuit loss to her former lesbian lover, Marilyn Barnett, wiped her out financially. She lost all of her endorsements and sponsorship deals, so she had to play tenni. Shame on Marilyn !! What a dirty thing to do to a former lover. At least BJK can be proud.

[shihlin1]

This is very entertaining to watch, but I think this SF wore out Evert who would lose the final to Martina in 3 sets. Chris has said playing BJK is tough b/c she throws every shot in the book at you -- spins, dinks, drop shots, slices, which are effective on the grass at Wimbey. BJK ought to be commended for her inspiring play at age 38. Can you imagine that happening today? Doubt it.

[JimAsian1]

Why doesn't Tennis make an effort to bring back Serve and volley Tennis?????

[lolaman826]

what a great contrast in styles. Chris Evert had such good control. her ability to curve a passing shot right onto the line is remarkable

[sandrovic1970]

What an effort from BJK! If it had been anyone else but a player with the mind of Chris Evert, she would surely have won. But I think she would have had nothing left in the final! Amazing to think that these two women met 11 years previously in the US Open semi-finals on grass. And Chris was the defending Wimbledon champion and won the Australian Open that year on grass also. The following year, BJK also reached the semis when Evert was beaten in 3R, but lost tamely to Andrea Jaegar!!

[ABDUL0711]

Christ so beutiful and cool....ones of my favorite...

[kljMN2]

I love Chris' mental toughness Imagine if Ana Ivanovic had mental toughness like Evert's.. she could be unstoppable. And she'd definitely win more Slams!

[Chinesse]

Great match. Billie Jean was not in her prime but she still knew how to construct a point!

[kimskis]

Chrissie was an amazing baseliner...her BH passing shot was incredible anytime BJK came to the net. She was probably the first modern baseliner, playing against S&V dinosaurs.

[personify505]

does billy have a bh dtl?

also this match is too slow for me, alot of variation and craft but slow, wozniaki plays like this no? and she gets slated

[spacecolt]

@personify505 They have wood rackets. It takes more maturity to play with them, and it takes more maturity from the audience to watch it. Both are good things, in my opinion. :) We quickly get used to the pace of whatever we regularly watch. More interesting play would be a big plus for tennis.

[personify505]

@spacecolt billie hasn got a woden racket though, maybe her mentality was stll with the old ages

[personify505]

does billy have a bh dtl?

[BTURNER1961]

@personify505 Yes she could hit it with either slice or topspin. It was viewed as her better wing from the ground and on the volley. Forehand could get dodgy.

[mbblover]

the last few games, billie started coming in on anything and everything and 9 out of 10 times she was passed easily. why all of a sudden billie did this?

earlier she picked her spots to come in and this was usually after throwing chris off with off speed and tons of spin shots, then in the 3rd set king starts coming in on anything? did she forget what was working for her earlier? long rain delay so she coudln't have been worn out and thinking "gee i have to get these points off asap?!

[mbblover]

i'm pretty sure billie jean's yonex was indeed graphite, not to mentioned the huge head surface. amazing how long evert waited and waited before she got rid of the wood racket! even though the wood she used in this match was the updated version from wilson of her "chris evert autograph" racket she used for many years. not sure though if this racket improved her play or not? it does look "sleeker" looking than her old autograph racket did.

[yasudab1]

Does anyone know if Billie Jean King is playing with a Graphite Racket?

Thanks.

I think a Yonex Racket

RF

[BeemerryNYC]

@yasudab1 One of the early R-series lightweights, the first isometric shaped composite rackets. The first full graphite rackets were heavy. Would have to guess it was mostly a light weight metal.

[yasudab1]

To see some of the top players now play with the Wood Rackets would totally be interesting. To see how they'd play differently. I would think that their games would change

RF

[mbblover]

commentators said how much respect evert and king have for each other. i felt having this entire match on dvd that throughout the match king did everything and anything to mess with chris, not just tactic wise either. more than a few times when billie would hit a winning volley she would stare down chris? what's that all about?! and notice everts' face at the net when she won? as they shook hands, chris accepted billie's it seems "begrunginly" congrats" in a strange look on evert's face?

[TheVerbalVolley]

I have the DVD of this match and know BJK.... She didn't stare Chris down after points. They had SO MUCH respect for each other as champions.The reason for the weird ending to the match (at the handshake) was that BJ thought the lob was out & turned her head back to the baseline judge to challenge the call, but realized that the call had already been made verbally & couldn't be reversed. Chris was initially apprehensive, but when she saw BJK accepted the call they had a friendly handshake.

[mbblover]

notice after the 8:00 minute mark on the change over how chrissie has her chair turned and facing away from king. i read that evert did this on purpose so she wouldn't have to see and hear king do her usual "talking outloud, making a commotion, psyche out of the other player schtick". king was tough on grass, her style suited for it. in 1980 at 36 she lost to martina in 3 very tough sets, and took out shriver earlier in the tourney, then in 1982 beat for the 1st time a subpar austin.

[mbblover]

2:25 to 2:50, thadxxx you pointed out that chris looked pissed after that point. i think she was pissed, because 'it looked like billie jean was trying to embarass her and make her look like a fool!' she could have won the point 3 times, but instead dropshot, then lobbed, dropshotted then lobbed, until she hit a drop volley winner, making chrissie run up and back again and again when she could/should have just put the ball away 8 strokes back! NO ONE DOES THIS TO EVERT AND LIVES TO TELL! LOL!

[suwanee4712]

I LOVE this match! BJK using her wits and court smarts to push Evert. I doubt any top player wanted to play BJK even though she was so far past her prime. Chris handled the situation beautifully and didn't allow the upset to happen. A less tougher player would have lost this match.

[1976reef]

chris is just mesmerising! Beauty, grace, sportmanship, she had it all! I remember watching all those classic encounters between her and martina, but what an entertaining match this was! The contrasting playing styles of these 2 players make an interesting match, unlike the power tennis of todays women. Billie Jean was at the end of her career but what a player!

[thadxxx]

Chris was so pissed after losing that point at 2:53, she got moved around on that point. Thanks for posting as always.

[spacecolt]

@thadxxx I agree lol ...her darting eyes said, 'ok, old lady....be careful, I can embarrass you back much worse.'

[hardsam68]

it was a lot better when it did have tradition, the new scoreboard sucks as does the roof,, why oh why did they have to change Wimbledon?

[craigferris1]

Billie Jean may have been 38 but she could still play! Not bad for a woman who's best years of tennis were behind her.

[livuali]

amazing match!!!! two classy players

[darrinbaker00]

The scoreboard read "Mrs. L.W. King v. Mrs. J.M. Lloyd." I'm glad the All-England Club hasn't held on to all its traditions.

[BTURNER1961]

BJK was cagey and clever as they get by her thirties, just as Evert became in her career. King's game was the perfect foil on grass for both Evert and Austin, with her offspeed underspin, variety of approaches, and use of angle and its lack It worked better vs Austin because she just did not have much experience . Evert was smart enough to know what was happening and adjusted in time. Austin tried to power through.

[bqndc]

Billie Jean eliminated Tracy Austin in the previous round, so Chris was definitely pumped up for this match. Great passing shots from Chris! Billie Jean sure planned to "junk" the ball as much to prevent Chris from getting into a groove. Glad to see that Chris was up for this match. Two empresses of the game!

[converse91970]

You cannot beat the Beeb's commentary.....and I certainly never want to hear transatlantic yakking during the rallies! Dan Maskell demonstrates perfectly how it should be done during this clip.

[MARKBPHARM]

BJK was never a heavy hitter - (except for her overhead smash which was a suberb shot) - but she manoeuvred and spun the ball all over the place. She was a really cunning tactician, just as Chris was too. I would guarantee there was a lot more thinking done by these two players in that match than you would see between most of those Amizon-grunters on the tour now.

[teelineshort]

@MARKBPHARM

Cunning tactician yes, but one who used gamesmanship to the nth degree. She used to 'talk to herself' in her early days but this was just to try and put off the opposition particularly when she was losing positions. She was far too cocky and decried other players superior records which were much, much better than hers!

[TheVerbalVolley]

@teelineshort Uhmmm...Billie never decried other players records....She always gave (and continues to give) credit where credit is due...She was known for saying that every generation of players is better than the one that preceded it...She has also said (on numerous occasions) that she is not even in the same league as Steffi Graf, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova or Margaret Court. I think that is a very objectve critique of ones career in comparisons to their contemporaries...

[teelineshort]

@TheVerbalVolley I still disagree. BJK did not always credit her rivals, Court in particular, and she used gamesmanship a great deal. Jones, Bueno, Wade and others have cited this. She most certainly did criticize Court's 11 Australian titles and bemoaned that she could have won more GS but she chose not to play in them! It is noticeable BJK increased her GS singles tally when Court was on maternity leave. I don't EVER remember Court mentioning or citing this but it is clearly a fact.

[justnatural]

Billy Jean was a great player but you can really notice her approach shots are floating around a bit, giving Chris plenty of time to set up for her great passing shots. Contrast this with Martina, her approach shots and ground shots for that matter had a lot of stick to them, Chris was hard pressed to come up with quality passing shots off them

[jokerwildest]

Wow, the great Billie Jean, she made the semi's in 83 as well. I'm sure the graphite over-sized raquet she is playing with, helped out; when playing against someone playing with wood, and I don't think she surprised Chris at all, I am sure Chris execpted a tough match out of Billie Jean here !

[thadxxx]

Wow. What a close match. I bet Chris was surprised at the quality of BJK's play. At 38, I can't believe how well she moved. Two legends. I love Chris's hair like this.

[Marchjoy1963]

I love the commentary from Ann Jones, I have always preferred the BBC coverage to NBC which is what we have in Canada now, but until the late 80's it was BBC. I wish CBC would go back to BBC !

[RaleighNC306]

@Marchjoy1963 I totally agree. What Ann Jones was saying is true. The spirit of the match was one I wish we could have more of today.

[Peteypooooo]

Billie Jean's backhand volley kicks ass!!

[yescanto]

I can't get over some of the shots that Chris is making with her wood raquet !

[RaleighNC306]

If only Chrissie could have won the Final over Martina!  Chrissie had a hugely difficult draw that year. Martina...not so much (It's on wikipedia...lol). You'd think Chrissie would have been primed for Martina's net play after BJK's intense attack.

[lovelyjoints]

@RaleighNC306 - But there was a slight difference between Martina and Billie Jean--AGE!!!!

[karrtt1234]

@RaleighNC306 Well, Billie didn't have Martina's serve, it was just awesome in the final. It was the one shot that really separated her and Chris.

[Vengeance509]

Billie Jean was unquestionably one of the gutsiest player EVER to sep on a tennis court, but she had to be. She was NOT a great striker-of-the-ball. Not by a long shot. The woman was fuelled by her sheer guts and confidence. Amazing. But her strokes (even her volleys!) were not classic at all. In someone like Evert, she met both an opposite in temperament and a picture-perfect technician. And Evert was even more of a killer than her, mentally. Amazing, great women. Athletes.

[Nicklas4500]

@Vengeance509 BJK not a great striker of the ball? You must be joking. She was a superbly technical player, with a huge variety of strokes and spins at her disposal. You don't win 6 Wimbledons on 'sheer guts'. Watch her outplay the young Chris in the '73 final with extraordinarily skillful shot-making. Even at the age of 38, after numerous knee surgeries and short of match practice, she struck the ball well enough to beat Tracy Austen and take Chris to 3 sets.

[lovelyjoints]

@Nicklas4500 - I think he meant that Billie Jean's form was not the greatest on some shots--serve and forehand in particular.

[Nicklas4500]

@lovelyjoints True, she does look a bit awkward on some of the forehands :) But then she's putting a lot of spin and junk on the ball, and I've yet to see a forehand slice that wasn't ugly. Chris is perhaps the most elegant and perfectly balanced striker of the ball ever - I love watching her play for that reason. But BJK is still a great shot-maker with huge variety in her game, imo.

[BTURNER1961]

Not a lot of people were smarter on a court than Evert. you are looking at one in this clip. Evert played better toward the end but she can thank her lucky stars, King could not sustain her brilliant attack consistently through all three sets.

[krtina455]

BJK had defeated Tracy Austin in a tough 3-set quarterfinal to reach this match.

[etienne818]

Thank you for posting this! I remember this match very well - Billie Jean (who, at 38, was still a great threat on grass) forced Chris to play her best tennis. It went three sets and I believe the score was 7-6,1-6, 6-3 (Evert won). The following year (1983) Billie Jean would again have an amazing run to the Wimbledon semis.

[rbasinge]

Oooh, good one! I love these clips in the '78-83 wooden Chrissie era. Would love to see some of the 1978 U.S. Open final!

[kljMN2]

THANK YOU for posting this!!! I have never had a chance to see any of these matches from the early '80s.

[spacecolt]

I love how Chris seems irritated after a few of her winners, like they were good winners...but not perfect enough!!! What admirable standards she had.