At this point in her illustrious career, Chris was using/adapting to a more open stance forehand, allowing her to hit with more topspin, as well as pace, while adjusting to the graphite racquet power, that she switched too in 84 …
I always found it a little odd that Gabriella never won a major on clay. She never even made it to the final of the French open. Only to the semis. Clay was her best surface. Go figure
Very seldom does Chris up 5-2 in the third not serve it out for the match. Gabby was up 40-0 serving at 3-5. Had she held Chris would’ve had a tough game serving at 5-4. Gabby fought hard and Chris was lucky to pull it out similar to Chris score line vs Martina in the final. Chris plays so well and doesn’t play scared. Chris gave an identical performance in the final.
You can see at times here why Chris hated playing Gaby. Chris's game was from an era of wooden racquets when nobody hit with as much topspin, and her stroke mechanics weren't designed to deal with it. You can see her really backing off at times. Gabriela though not physically strong enough yet to outlast Chris.
Evert here is almost at the end of her career-knee problems and 20 years on the tour would end her career some 2 1/2 years later. However, Evert at her best had superior footwork, speed, anticipation, and killer instinct compared to Sabatini. I watched Evert, Navratilova, Graf, and Sabatini play live a few times and said Sabatini would own the French Open for sure, but the killer instinct just was not there as it was with Evert and the others. From all accounts Sabatini is a wonderful person, but her career should have had more GS titles than just one US Open. Virginia Wade on the ESPN's tape of this match, said Sabatini's style was exhausting, so with tough matches Sabatini's resolve was almost always suspect. Here, the French commentators, very pro-Sabatini, make some good points. They state early in the 2nd set the Evert herself is using topspin to push Sabatini, but Evert also hits an early flat ball to rob Sabatini of time and force her into errors. At 23:00, they point out that already Sabatini has fatigued herself and looks deflated so early in the match.
You point that out on many occasions. As a matter of fact Gaby needed another 1 and a half years to finally beat Chris for the first time in her career and it was Gaby, who did not like to play Chris at all due to her immaculate placement and anticipation. Gaby was on the run constantly and after a very shaky start this turns out to be a wonderful Match with tons of spectacular rallies! Chris prevailed and showed great from here and for the whole tournament of 1986. The way Chris hitting her shots in the third set was incredibly powerful and definitely at her physical peak before the knee injury destroyed the rest of her season and her movement in the final 3 years of her illustrious career. Gaby played sensational tennis and would have won against almost anybody else with her splendid hitting throughout this match. You really have to give Chris credit for stoping Gaby at this kind of form. The quality of play in the latter stages of this match is really high and both these ladies did a great job!
Creo que a Gaby la destruyó mentalmente haber perdido la SF del año siguiente con Graf estando 5-3 arriba en el tercer set...su carrera habría cambiado mucho si ganaba ese partidazo!
Gaby fue técnicamente perfecta, si no hubiese sufrido tanto la inestabilidad por sus altibajos, esa timidez que la doblegado por momentos, hubiese sido número 1 sin dudas, ese revés perfecto y que cuando estaba bien hacia estragos. Era la perfección verla jugar. Un ejemplo es con Marie Joe Fernandez, la estaba aplastando 6.1 / 5.1 y perdió increíblemente ese partido. Que más puede explicar eso más que su cabeza vaya a saber disparando negatividad e inseguridad en su juego. La querida Gaby fue su peor enemigo. Por eso creo que fue la más grande. ❤
No the calls were correct. Close calls yes but correct ones. Gabby learned here in her close match with Chris that she was improving against Evert. Gabby finally won against Chris the next year. Gabby topspin gave Chris fits
At this point in her illustrious career, Chris was using/adapting to a more open stance forehand, allowing her to hit with more topspin, as well as pace, while adjusting to the graphite racquet power, that she switched too in 84 …
I always found it a little odd that Gabriella never won a major on clay. She never even made it to the final of the French open. Only to the semis. Clay was her best surface. Go figure
Por favor Semis Rolang Garros 1985, partidazo
Very seldom does Chris up 5-2 in the third not serve it out for the match. Gabby was up 40-0 serving at 3-5. Had she held Chris would’ve had a tough game serving at 5-4. Gabby fought hard and Chris was lucky to pull it out similar to Chris score line vs Martina in the final. Chris plays so well and doesn’t play scared. Chris gave an identical performance in the final.
You can see at times here why Chris hated playing Gaby. Chris's game was from an era of wooden racquets when nobody hit with as much topspin, and her stroke mechanics weren't designed to deal with it. You can see her really backing off at times. Gabriela though not physically strong enough yet to outlast Chris.
Evert here is almost at the end of her career-knee problems and 20 years on the tour would end her career some 2 1/2 years later. However, Evert at her best had superior footwork, speed, anticipation, and killer instinct compared to Sabatini. I watched Evert, Navratilova, Graf, and Sabatini play live a few times and said Sabatini would own the French Open for sure, but the killer instinct just was not there as it was with Evert and the others. From all accounts Sabatini is a wonderful person, but her career should have had more GS titles than just one US Open. Virginia Wade on the ESPN's tape of this match, said Sabatini's style was exhausting, so with tough matches Sabatini's resolve was almost always suspect. Here, the French commentators, very pro-Sabatini, make some good points. They state early in the 2nd set the Evert herself is using topspin to push Sabatini, but Evert also hits an early flat ball to rob Sabatini of time and force her into errors. At 23:00, they point out that already Sabatini has fatigued herself and looks deflated so early in the match.
You point that out on many occasions.
As a matter of fact Gaby needed another 1 and a half years to finally beat Chris for the first time in her career and it was Gaby, who did not like to play Chris at all due to her immaculate placement and anticipation.
Gaby was on the run constantly and after a very shaky start this turns out to be a wonderful Match with tons of spectacular rallies!
Chris prevailed and showed great from here and for the whole tournament of 1986. The way Chris hitting her shots in the third set was incredibly powerful and definitely at her physical peak before the knee injury destroyed the rest of her season and her movement in the final 3 years of her illustrious career.
Gaby played sensational tennis and would have won against almost anybody else with her splendid hitting throughout this match.
You really have to give Chris credit for stoping Gaby at this kind of form.
The quality of play in the latter stages of this match is really high and both these ladies did a great job!
Creo que a Gaby la destruyó mentalmente haber perdido la SF del año siguiente con Graf estando 5-3 arriba en el tercer set...su carrera habría cambiado mucho si ganaba ese partidazo!
Gaby fue técnicamente perfecta, si no hubiese sufrido tanto la inestabilidad por sus altibajos, esa timidez que la doblegado por momentos, hubiese sido número 1 sin dudas, ese revés perfecto y que cuando estaba bien hacia estragos. Era la perfección verla jugar. Un ejemplo es con Marie Joe Fernandez, la estaba aplastando 6.1 / 5.1 y perdió increíblemente ese partido. Que más puede explicar eso más que su cabeza vaya a saber disparando negatividad e inseguridad en su juego. La querida Gaby fue su peor enemigo. Por eso creo que fue la más grande. ❤
Me parece o le robaron bastantes puntos a Gaby ???
No the calls were correct. Close calls yes but correct ones. Gabby learned here in her close match with Chris that she was improving against Evert. Gabby finally won against Chris the next year. Gabby topspin gave Chris fits