Chris Evert vs Steffi Graf: The rivalry's greatest match - 1989 Boca Raton!

EDITED FOR EVERT FANS: Steffi was at her very best, having won 48 straight sets since Nov '88 and only dropped 10 games in 4 matches prior to the final. Chris was well past her prime at 34 but was ready for the battle on her home court in Boca Raton.

This is the only 3-set match they played, and is a much better representation of the Evert/Graf rivalry than their last confrontation at Wimbledon. Chris had played only 4 matches since April before that Wimbledon, so she was far from match tough & was not prepared to give Graf a fight worthy of their dynamics. But here's the match where fireworks were on display from both players. The crowd was chanting 'Steffi' or 'Chrissie' depending on where you sat, and many linecall dramas interrupted play. Chris went into her ONLY career 'Jimmy Connors storming the chair' style moment!! So this is required viewing for Chrissie fans, despite having to take a tough loss.

She didn't have the concentration, hunger, fearlessness, and undistractability of her younger years... but as this match shows, the Evert/Graf rivalry had absolutely stunning potential.

(This match was played on hard court...the brown color makes it look like clay)

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• chris
• evert
• steffi
• graf
• boca
• raton
• tennis
• ice
• maiden
• princess
• 1989

[chrisevertdotnet]

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[artisking1]

@Hoffenheim08

No, actually, it is not......obviously you didn't read the preamble or description of this video, and who put the effort to post it.

This match is about Chris Evert, at 34, competing against an in-form and at her peak Graf, and giving Steffi all she can handle.

Give credit where credit is due......after all, Evert never ducked the younger generations like Steffi did......Graf retired early, ducking the Williams sisters before they hit their prime.

Not Evert, she fought.

[kljMN2]

I wonder if there was literally anyone rooting for Steffi.... lol

[Meade3763]

@russianskatingfan

Quotes from only a few Graf retirement articles from August 1999:

"That, as much as her tennis, was what epitomised Steffi Graf - grace, dignity and style."

"Oncourt, with all her fluid movement and athletic grace, she was a lithe gazelle ... ."

"Steffi Graf, a woman of both talent and grace, bewitched us 13-years ago."

"Graf walks away from tennis with the same grace with which she played."

Ouch ...

[russianskatingfan]

@Meade3763 I dont know what you are smoking but graceful or elegant have never been words associated with Grafs game. Power, athleticsm, speed, big serving, physical, forehand.

[Meade3763]

@Gamereo

Bolt and Serena Williams are no dancers. Neither is Chris Evert.

Steffi Graf is. 

[Gamereo]

@Meade3763 I answer you with an example: Is Bolt a dancer? i don't think so. Bolt is a powerful runner as Graf in tennis.

about my opinion to be the unique to say that Evert is more elegant than Graf I think I'm not the unique probably you are the unique person (or one of a few) to say the contrary.

[Meade3763]

@Gamereo

You don't seem to have the slightest idea about the athletic abilities of top dancers.

And you are the first to say that Evert (!) was more elegant than Graf. Hilarious!!

Evert was a clever, very methodical player, with extremely good ball placement. But not in the same league as Graf when it comes to grace and elegance. Not even close.

[Gamereo]

@Meade3763 Please avoid to say nonsense... Graf "Ballerina or dancer" is a stupid comment. Graf can't be elegant with her movements only based on her athletic skills so fast running and quickly changing of directions so the opposite of a dancer. Evert knows always where the ball is going so she doesn't need to run as Graf did. Consequently she's most elegant than graf also in her movemements on the court.

[Meade3763]

@Gamereo

Watch both, Graf and Evert, in slow motion. Especially how they move on the court. How they change directions. The "Deutsche" is like a dancer, a ballerina. Evert was a methodical player, very efficient movements. But most certainly no dancer.

[Gamereo]

@Meade3763 Absolutely not. Please look carefully at the shots of graf and compare them with those of Evert. The deutsch is not elegant : she has the more powerful forehand in the history of tennis until that time. furtherly also her slice backhand is not so elegant. If you consider the "basic rules" of tennis the Evert style is perfect and elegant as well. Besides she also a great player from a tactical point of view while Steffi is stronger from an athletic point of view

[Meade3763]

@Gamereo

Evert's game always seemed a little bit mechanical to me. Very precise and thoughful, yes. But Graf with her fluid movements was far more graceful and elegant.