Chris Evert & Martina Navratilova's 2nd Graphite Racket match: 1984 Virginia Slims!

A lot of history is contained in this footage: Only Chrissie's 2nd tournament with a graphite racquet, and the first best 3 of 5 match for womens tennis in the Open era - the 1984 Virginia Slims Championships final.

Easy to see in comparison to the wood racket footage, the balls are hit harder, the rallies extended longer by the added stability of graphite, even very defensive positions could be turned into offensive winners. It was not as easy to recognize back then the difference, as Chris played a full 10 matches against Navratilova during which she used a wood racket while Martina was playing with graphite! But from this match on, there was no going back - we had entered a new era of the sport.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• chris
• evert
• martina
• navratilova
• ice
• maiden
• princess
• 1984
• virginia
• slims
• womens
• tennis
• championship
• wta

[LobOverTheBackhand]

What was their first match? 

[chrisevertdotnet]

@LobOverTheBackhand No, they played a week earlier in Livingston, NJ and while Chris lost the first set 6-2, she came back in the 2nd & brought the match to a tiebreaker. After the drubbing at the US Open in '83, Chris said the 6-2, 7-6 loss was very satisfying because she felt the new racket was helping her compete better against Martina's power, and added a lot of belief going into this MSG final.

[thadxxx]

Martina was at her peak here. She got to shots nobody could get to repeadetly. Chris wasn't playing badly at all but Martina was unbeatable at this stage of her career. Only Hana and Sukova beat her in'84

[tebtg1]

@peejes @peejes In her younger days, Martina used to be overweight. In early 1981 Martina decided to improve her fitness and her game and hired Renee Richards to coach her with tennis and former women's basketball star, Nancy Lieberman, to help her improve her fitness. Navratilova worked very hard to get into the shape she did even playing full-court basketball with Lieberman as part of the training. It's disheartening that someone would post such ignorant opinions in such a cavalier manner.

[BCNbananas]

WOW!!!

[theskipper1969]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I love those lobs, angled volleys and passing shots.

[kljMN2]

6:06 - WOW. What a rally!!

[assindiastignani]

@tebtg1 Youtube does seem to be the forum nec plus ultra for the expression intelligent, but often very ignorant and hateful opinions. As for Navratilova using steroids, I suppose we'll never know. I was always a fan of hers, but an honest one who also saw her faults. Somehow I can't imagine she did any doping or took steroids - it's just not her style.

[jsnauwaert]

Such a slow play! Like retired people. Women's tennis has gone a long way it seems.

[jondavwal]

@1414yanks The difference really is where Evert and Navratilova are hitting the ball, especially Evert. The angles she produces don't exist anymore in tennis (the last person who hit angles like this was Seles).

[neil663]

True greats both. Never seen this before in the UK thank you.

[timtim745tim]

safina,yelena,caroline,vera shud see dis match and mumble all d day..."I am a stupid, I am a stupid"...