@RaleighNC306 I agree Chris actually had some really good spells, I think for the 1st time in her career she was thinking about other things and Steffi won the big points mentally, it was so sad to see her go out on a double fault, but at least it was Centre Court against the World No1.
@evertchris But Evert won the 1st 6, it was only as Steffi got stronger and moved up the rankings as Chris was winding down that she beat her. Graff was stronger in the end, but it wasn't always the case.
@anebt It must have been SO intimidating to see her across the net anchored to that baseline knowing, she would grind you down, I'd love to know how many forced/unforced errors she induced just with her steely resolve. Her accuracy was unbelievable.
@kevin12061989 I think that you have overlooked the fact that Chris won 90% of the matches that she played in her career ! The depth was there.... far more so than it is today !
@kevin12061989 I think that you have overlooked the fact that Chris won 90% of the matches that she played in her career ! The depth was there.... far more so than it is today !
@Hoffenheim08 his is ridiculous, there is so much more depth today, in those days, you had what? Five great players, that's all now, everybody in the top 30 can beat anyone, the game is so much more physical now, we both know it, Evert wouldn't succeed today by playing that much, she'll get injured all the time, ask Clijsters or Jankovic
@zedlacredit This is ridiculous, there is so much more depth today, in those days, you had what? Five great players, that's all now, everybody in the top 30 can beat anyone, the game is so much more physical now, we both know it, Evert wouldn't succeed today by playing that much, she'll get injured all the time, ask Clijsters or Jankovic
Chris is one of the greatest Wimbledon champions of all time. Between 1972 and 1989, she reached the semis or better except for one year, 1983, when she had food poisoning. She beat Martina Navratilova TWICE at Wimbledon, as well as other great Wimbledon champions Margaret Court (1973), Billie Jean King (1977, 1982), Evonne Goolagong (1976) and Virginia Wade (1978). She won her first final 6-0 6-4 and her last final 6-2 6-2. She was in ten Wimbledon finals and that was in the era of Navratilova.
@sandrovic1970 Well said. Nobody else has ever played 18 consecutive Wimbledons, only once failing to reach the last 4 as you say due to illness. She never beat Martina in a final here but that's cos when she was winning it Martina was already out or not playing. Their head to head would've been very different if Martina had played more on clay, or if they'd met in the French more often. Chris still won 3 times+2 Oz Opens which is amazing for someone people say is not a grass court player.
Outside Wimbledon, Evert had a 5-5 head-to-head against Navratilova on grass!!! That is completely amazing. Brought up on clay, in her very first Grand Slam, as a 16-year-old unseeded player, she reached the semis, falling only to eventual winner expert BJ King. That was in 1971 and as late as 1987 she was the one who pushed Navratilova most at SW19, taking her to three sets (unlike Graf who lost in two). At AO in 1982 Evert thrashed Nav on grass - playing with a wooden racket against graphite!
@sandrovic1970 I know everyone always says Martina was invincible on grass but they forget the AO, where her record was patchy. I remember the 87 semi, Chris was No2 seed + Martina 1 so they ought to have met in the final, Martina just edged it. The 88 semi was worse tho, when Chris had saved 3 match points and everyone on Centre court including Martina thought she'd leveled to Deuce but it was called out,!Only time Chris never shook umpires hand.If only they'd had Hawk Eye then,it was in!
And unlike the Wiliams sisters, Evert supported the WTA tour with a FULL schedule and gave her opponents a lot of chances to try to beat her.
Evert never tanked a match, unlike the Wiliams' and always gave her best whether playing in a small tourney in Nowheresville, or on the world's stage at the Majors.
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@Lynz261 Are you 51 or what? sorry but you seem dumb, the women's game is much more plysical now and has MORE MORE depth. your ecxuse is so lame, ask that Evert to come and play 20 tournaments a year during 20 years and so, she'll be so burned that she'll stop.Before criticizing Serena, ask yourself why henin and clijsters retired at a young age, they had enough, hingis the same. i can't believe you even have the nerve to think that Evert will succeed even now bu playing that much. Ridiculous
@kevin12061989 Your the one that is ridiculous, there was far more depth and skill in the late 60's and in the 70's, then there was in any era of tennis, yes the game is more physical because the girls are much bigger and stronger. And the raquets make it a bashing contest, not a tennis match. Chris Evert didn't play 20 touraments a year for 20 years, she played 18 years on tour, and played the most touraments a year from 74 -76, from 20 to 22 years old, and only play over 20 tourmaments in 74.
@jubbadupa All the male analysts have agreed that in those years there were only three or four players winning it all, you know that, i know that, stop denying the truth, the game has MUCH MORE depth now
@jubbadupa She played 18 consecutive Wimbledons only once not reaching the last 4 (+that was due to illness), that's an extraordinary record and she still has the highest win ratio of any player in the open era. Players today pick and choose their tournaments more because there are more of them and the yield is greater.
When a 40-year-old (!) Kimiko Date, who was a top-5 player in the mid-90s only for a few months has a 5-5 head-to-head record against top-15 players in 2010?
Do you think that would have been possible in Evert's era???
@Lynz261 Its true she never went out in the 1st round of any tournament and still holds the record for wins on clay. She won the AO + W'don on grass when everyone said she wasn't a grass specialist. 5 GS titles on your worst surface not bad. Martina picked her tournament more or their head to head could have been very different. The Williams sisters will never come close to emulating her. She has grace and tenacity.
@evertchris Evert's a better ball striker than Seles, and a better mover. Chris's movement is underrated not as swift as Graf, but who was, and Chris was great at anticipating her opponent's shots,reading where her opponent is going. Seles & Date Krumm were difficult to read, Seles had tendencies that Chris would have seen. 2handers off back sides like Seles are more difficult to read but the more matches they play the more apparent their tendencies become, and pros know that and use it.
@anebt Evert was more than a retriever though, she developed a great defensive game, one that Steffi said she incorporated into her Style. Steffi as a teen once said her goal with her game was to have Chris's defense, and Martina's N. offense. To take these styles and create a new style , and that is what Steffi did.
Evert as a GOAT no. Graf is a clear GOAT.But she is underrated in some ways. Evert's movement was textbook, very smooth, always balanced, great economy of motion.It is unfortunate that a lot of folks here never saw her play from courtside. Her ball striking very compact, clean.Great claycourter and a will as strong as steel. Always class on court. It is a great credit to her that on her weakest surface, grass, she took 3 titles. Consistency,consistency,her game & her career.
@saar144 True, I had forgotten about her AO titles. All the more impressive when one considers Serena Williams has only taken one major on her weakest surface and had the good luck to play her sister in the final doing so.
@Lynz261 She actually took 5 GS titles on grass, she took 2 AOs, when it was still grass. She also took other grass court titles like Eastbourne, but I know you mean 3 Wimbledon's. Most players would be happy with 5 Slams in a career but to do it on your 'weak surface' is testament to how good she was. Her baseline accuracy has never been emulated, it was deadly+she was the master of the lob and stop volley.
She was one of kind, and the great Virgina Wade has said , she'll be remembered with more fondness than probably anybody. A real statement of truth, and a great compliment to Chris.
@evertchris Actually as far as the WTA tour events go, they are really even, already mention is that the US Open 88, was a walk-over, and another of the wins was at Fed Cup in 87, which is not really part of the tour, Not that it is not a win, just sayin '
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@RaleighNC306 Dream on! You and a bunch of delusional Evert fans forget that Evert has a weak serve. And against Steffi? Please, Steffi will always beat Evert.
@zeeksgay Steffi is a rare athlete, the best in a hundred years as her husband says. Yes, her serve was attackable, but her serve like her game was on placement,and consistency. I am going to make the statement that a lot of people will disagree with, If you put Serena Williams and Chris Evert on Clay, with a racket that doesn't do the work for you, Chris would win easily. With power rackets , still Chris but closer. Against Steffi? Steffi would win but it would be a GREAT match to see.
@Lynz261 The 1st 6 times (I think) Chris played Steffi she beat her, Steffi just got too strong and Chris was in her twilight then as her mind was on having a family and she's an all or nothing lady, she was never gonna give 50%, so she rightly retired while still in the top 4 or 5, still reaching semis+finals. She went on to have 3 boys that she's deoted too it was sad her marriages failed but she is a 100% devoted mum/mom.
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@Marchjoy1963 Oh yeah? But Graf still had the upper end and would have whipped Evert more. Navratilova has a much better record against Graf. Evert is weak!
I was 12 years old when Chrissie retired and it was very sad to see her retire.
kljMN2 4 months ago
@RaleighNC306 I agree Chris actually had some really good spells, I think for the 1st time in her career she was thinking about other things and Steffi won the big points mentally, it was so sad to see her go out on a double fault, but at least it was Centre Court against the World No1.
katmac75 8 months ago
@evertchris But Evert won the 1st 6, it was only as Steffi got stronger and moved up the rankings as Chris was winding down that she beat her. Graff was stronger in the end, but it wasn't always the case.
katmac75 8 months ago
@anebt It must have been SO intimidating to see her across the net anchored to that baseline knowing, she would grind you down, I'd love to know how many forced/unforced errors she induced just with her steely resolve. Her accuracy was unbelievable.
katmac75 8 months ago
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@kevin12061989 I think that you have overlooked the fact that Chris won 90% of the matches that she played in her career ! The depth was there.... far more so than it is today !
zedlacredit 1 year ago
@kevin12061989 I think that you have overlooked the fact that Chris won 90% of the matches that she played in her career ! The depth was there.... far more so than it is today !
zedlacredit 1 year ago 8
@zedlacredit
Of course.
Evert played against King, Goolagong, Navratilova, Austin, Mandikova, Graf among others.
In her era the was no room for players like Jankovic, Ivanisevic, Safina or Wozniacki at the #1 spot.
Hoffenheim08 1 year ago
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@Hoffenheim08 his is ridiculous, there is so much more depth today, in those days, you had what? Five great players, that's all now, everybody in the top 30 can beat anyone, the game is so much more physical now, we both know it, Evert wouldn't succeed today by playing that much, she'll get injured all the time, ask Clijsters or Jankovic
kevin12061989 11 months ago
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@zedlacredit This is ridiculous, there is so much more depth today, in those days, you had what? Five great players, that's all now, everybody in the top 30 can beat anyone, the game is so much more physical now, we both know it, Evert wouldn't succeed today by playing that much, she'll get injured all the time, ask Clijsters or Jankovic
kevin12061989 11 months ago
Chris is one of the greatest Wimbledon champions of all time. Between 1972 and 1989, she reached the semis or better except for one year, 1983, when she had food poisoning. She beat Martina Navratilova TWICE at Wimbledon, as well as other great Wimbledon champions Margaret Court (1973), Billie Jean King (1977, 1982), Evonne Goolagong (1976) and Virginia Wade (1978). She won her first final 6-0 6-4 and her last final 6-2 6-2. She was in ten Wimbledon finals and that was in the era of Navratilova.
sandrovic1970 1 year ago 5
@sandrovic1970 Well said. Nobody else has ever played 18 consecutive Wimbledons, only once failing to reach the last 4 as you say due to illness. She never beat Martina in a final here but that's cos when she was winning it Martina was already out or not playing. Their head to head would've been very different if Martina had played more on clay, or if they'd met in the French more often. Chris still won 3 times+2 Oz Opens which is amazing for someone people say is not a grass court player.
katmac75 8 months ago
Outside Wimbledon, Evert had a 5-5 head-to-head against Navratilova on grass!!! That is completely amazing. Brought up on clay, in her very first Grand Slam, as a 16-year-old unseeded player, she reached the semis, falling only to eventual winner expert BJ King. That was in 1971 and as late as 1987 she was the one who pushed Navratilova most at SW19, taking her to three sets (unlike Graf who lost in two). At AO in 1982 Evert thrashed Nav on grass - playing with a wooden racket against graphite!
sandrovic1970 8 months ago
@sandrovic1970 I know everyone always says Martina was invincible on grass but they forget the AO, where her record was patchy. I remember the 87 semi, Chris was No2 seed + Martina 1 so they ought to have met in the final, Martina just edged it. The 88 semi was worse tho, when Chris had saved 3 match points and everyone on Centre court including Martina thought she'd leveled to Deuce but it was called out,!Only time Chris never shook umpires hand.If only they'd had Hawk Eye then,it was in!
katmac75 8 months ago
Jeez ..compare Mauresmo vs Evert - what do you prefer to watch??
rorikjunior 1 year ago
And unlike the Wiliams sisters, Evert supported the WTA tour with a FULL schedule and gave her opponents a lot of chances to try to beat her.
Evert never tanked a match, unlike the Wiliams' and always gave her best whether playing in a small tourney in Nowheresville, or on the world's stage at the Majors.
Lynz261 1 year ago 4
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@Lynz261 Are you 51 or what? sorry but you seem dumb, the women's game is much more plysical now and has MORE MORE depth. your ecxuse is so lame, ask that Evert to come and play 20 tournaments a year during 20 years and so, she'll be so burned that she'll stop.Before criticizing Serena, ask yourself why henin and clijsters retired at a young age, they had enough, hingis the same. i can't believe you even have the nerve to think that Evert will succeed even now bu playing that much. Ridiculous
kevin12061989 1 year ago
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@kevin12061989
More depth?
Do you really think that in 1989 a 40-year-old player who had been in the top 5 for a few months in 1974 would have been able to beat top-10 players?
Absurd of course.
But Kimiko Date-Krumm did just that in 2010. So much about depth in today's women's tennis.
Hoffenheim08 1 year ago
@kevin12061989 Your the one that is ridiculous, there was far more depth and skill in the late 60's and in the 70's, then there was in any era of tennis, yes the game is more physical because the girls are much bigger and stronger. And the raquets make it a bashing contest, not a tennis match. Chris Evert didn't play 20 touraments a year for 20 years, she played 18 years on tour, and played the most touraments a year from 74 -76, from 20 to 22 years old, and only play over 20 tourmaments in 74.
jubbadupa 1 year ago 14
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@jubbadupa All the male analysts have agreed that in those years there were only three or four players winning it all, you know that, i know that, stop denying the truth, the game has MUCH MORE depth now
kevin12061989 11 months ago
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@jubbadupa "abashing contest, not a tennis match"
cry me river, build a bridge and get over it
your idols would get crushed by any top tenner right now :D
manyturk 10 months ago
@jubbadupa She played 18 consecutive Wimbledons only once not reaching the last 4 (+that was due to illness), that's an extraordinary record and she still has the highest win ratio of any player in the open era. Players today pick and choose their tournaments more because there are more of them and the yield is greater.
katmac75 8 months ago
@kevin12061989
Today more depth?
When a 40-year-old (!) Kimiko Date, who was a top-5 player in the mid-90s only for a few months has a 5-5 head-to-head record against top-15 players in 2010?
Do you think that would have been possible in Evert's era???
Hoffenheim08 1 year ago
@Lynz261 Its true she never went out in the 1st round of any tournament and still holds the record for wins on clay. She won the AO + W'don on grass when everyone said she wasn't a grass specialist. 5 GS titles on your worst surface not bad. Martina picked her tournament more or their head to head could have been very different. The Williams sisters will never come close to emulating her. She has grace and tenacity.
katmac75 8 months ago
@evertchris Evert's a better ball striker than Seles, and a better mover. Chris's movement is underrated not as swift as Graf, but who was, and Chris was great at anticipating her opponent's shots,reading where her opponent is going. Seles & Date Krumm were difficult to read, Seles had tendencies that Chris would have seen. 2handers off back sides like Seles are more difficult to read but the more matches they play the more apparent their tendencies become, and pros know that and use it.
Lynz261 1 year ago 3
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Lynz261 1 year ago
@anebt Evert was more than a retriever though, she developed a great defensive game, one that Steffi said she incorporated into her Style. Steffi as a teen once said her goal with her game was to have Chris's defense, and Martina's N. offense. To take these styles and create a new style , and that is what Steffi did.
Lynz261 1 year ago
Evert as a GOAT no. Graf is a clear GOAT.But she is underrated in some ways. Evert's movement was textbook, very smooth, always balanced, great economy of motion.It is unfortunate that a lot of folks here never saw her play from courtside. Her ball striking very compact, clean.Great claycourter and a will as strong as steel. Always class on court. It is a great credit to her that on her weakest surface, grass, she took 3 titles. Consistency,consistency,her game & her career.
Lynz261 1 year ago
@Lynz261
actually, she took 5 titles on grass. her to wins of the AO were won on grass (they changed the surface to rebound ace in 1988).
saar144 1 year ago
@saar144 True, I had forgotten about her AO titles. All the more impressive when one considers Serena Williams has only taken one major on her weakest surface and had the good luck to play her sister in the final doing so.
Lynz261 1 year ago
@Lynz261 She actually took 5 GS titles on grass, she took 2 AOs, when it was still grass. She also took other grass court titles like Eastbourne, but I know you mean 3 Wimbledon's. Most players would be happy with 5 Slams in a career but to do it on your 'weak surface' is testament to how good she was. Her baseline accuracy has never been emulated, it was deadly+she was the master of the lob and stop volley.
katmac75 8 months ago
She was one of kind, and the great Virgina Wade has said , she'll be remembered with more fondness than probably anybody. A real statement of truth, and a great compliment to Chris.
westfaner 1 year ago 14
@westfaner Very true. We still miss her, as does the game.
katmac75 8 months ago
@evertchris Actually as far as the WTA tour events go, they are really even, already mention is that the US Open 88, was a walk-over, and another of the wins was at Fed Cup in 87, which is not really part of the tour, Not that it is not a win, just sayin '
jubbadupa 1 year ago
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@jubbadupa
Graf beat Evert in 7 WTA tournaments and 1 FedCup match.
The 7 tournament wins were Hilton Head 86 (64 63) , Key Biscayne 87 (61 62), L.A. 87 (63 64), AO 88 (61 76), Key Biscayne 88 (64 64), Boca Raton 89 (46 62 63), Wim 89 (62 61).
Plus FedCup 87 (62 61).
8 wins with 16-1 sets and 101-49 games.
Hoffenheim08 1 year ago
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@RaleighNC306 Dream on! You and a bunch of delusional Evert fans forget that Evert has a weak serve. And against Steffi? Please, Steffi will always beat Evert.
zeeksgay 1 year ago
@zeeksgay Steffi is a rare athlete, the best in a hundred years as her husband says. Yes, her serve was attackable, but her serve like her game was on placement,and consistency. I am going to make the statement that a lot of people will disagree with, If you put Serena Williams and Chris Evert on Clay, with a racket that doesn't do the work for you, Chris would win easily. With power rackets , still Chris but closer. Against Steffi? Steffi would win but it would be a GREAT match to see.
Lynz261 1 year ago
@Lynz261 The 1st 6 times (I think) Chris played Steffi she beat her, Steffi just got too strong and Chris was in her twilight then as her mind was on having a family and she's an all or nothing lady, she was never gonna give 50%, so she rightly retired while still in the top 4 or 5, still reaching semis+finals. She went on to have 3 boys that she's deoted too it was sad her marriages failed but she is a 100% devoted mum/mom.
katmac75 8 months ago
@evertchris Actually the correct count ins 6-7, if you count the US Open walkover it is 6-8, but they actually never played that match.
Marchjoy1963 1 year ago 4
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@Marchjoy1963 Oh yeah? But Graf still had the upper end and would have whipped Evert more. Navratilova has a much better record against Graf. Evert is weak!
zeeksgay 1 year ago
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@Marchjoy1963
No, it is 6-8 even without the USO 88 walkover.
Hoffenheim08 1 year ago
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Hoffenheim08 1 year ago
she was such a nice and always up beat girl, not many left like that anymore in today's game
Mirren81 1 year ago
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blah blah....most overrated woman ever.. steffi and monica would kick her ass over and over
EmitFlestiKY 1 year ago
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kljMN2 1 year ago
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kljMN2 1 year ago
So sad watching Chrissie play her final two Slams. Class act all the way - especially in her farewell to the tour.
kljMN2 1 year ago