Chris does have the highest winning percentage of all tennis players, with 90% . Her Grand Slam winning percentage is equally impressive 88 %, her consistancey over her entire career and the high quality of performance, are really the trade marks of her greatness as a player. I think it is why she has remained so popular for so long !
I’ve always considered Evert to be the greatest player who played with a wooden racket. She had perfect controlled aggression which is what made you win back then. When rackets became more powerful, she lost her edge because players could overpower her. With this being said, she became more aggressive and stayed with the top right up until the end of her career. Such a great champion
This match might be the best I've ever seen Chris Evert play. And you're right- The wooden rackets of the 70's and early 80's are practically make it a different game with a completely different strategy.
Chris Evert is the epitomy of class, grace, and determination. A real champion who could come up with the goods under pressure. She has represented the US so well, and has been a true ambassador for the sport. The best ball striker in history!! What she lacked in power, she surely made up for with placement.
She didnt lack in power, the speed of her ball was exactly what was called for. She would also hit very hard very fast balls with a wooden racket. It's a misconception to say she lacked power.
I have always said that I consider Chris to be the GOAT because I would automatically take her against every other player on any surface at any time of the day. No other player was as consistently greater over as great a span of time as she was.
Everything changed once tennis rackets got bigger. It became about power and less about finesse and placement. Amazing that they hit so well with the small racquets that were used at the time.
My brother and I grew up with wood and the last ten years we went back to them here and there. Because of the 68 sq in head and tight pattern there is so much control. Combining modern technique is fun too - for example, an air forehand, the flex of the racquet will allow it to almost hinge back and then when it snaps back, look out! Pretty good power and so flat, it's hard to track down on faster hard courts. I have a couple of Chris E signature Wilson racquets but prefer the stiffer Jack Kramer Pro Staffs. The most important thing is to find a straight frame and don't store them in a moist garage or basement. Also, don't put them in those wood press frames; it's easy to torque unevenly and warp the frame.
@@oiooi6460 Martina ALWAYS had big veins .... if you google her photos from 1975 or 1977, she clearly has big veins in her arms and legs ... its nature, some women and men just have bigger vein compared to others. She started serious weight training during the 80s. Plenty of people are muscular without needing steroids and protein shakes. Go to rural China or any other countries, farmers, hard labourers etc can look really buff and veiny without taking steroids or protein shakes ....the accusations are ridiculous, muscle men and women existed in the old days too before steroids became a thing ....
In sports, the lesson is to never underestimate your opponent. Chris beat Martina into the clay dirt here in one of Martina's most humiliating losses. But who knew only a few months after this match, Martina would begin one of the most amazing transformations in all of sports, developing into an amazing athlete and tennis player and dominate an era in tennis history. It ain't Ova till it's Ova !
Evert really was the queen of clay, i did see Martina become quite a good clay court player later in her career but on this day Chris dominated her, amazing tennis.
True, but Martina grew up on clay too except that it was the red type of clay you see at Roland Garros. The clay in the US has always been very different. You don't really slide at much on it.
What I find most interesting in this video and many others of the previous era, is the good nature of the victor and the defeated towards each other when the game is over.
@MUFC I fell asleep watching a soccer game on TV when I was a kid. When I woke up the final score was 1 - 0. So I guess I didn't miss much. Haven't watched another soccer game in the 40+ years since then. And I probably didn't miss much either during those 40+ years.
@@rsone6945 Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 8-2 a few days back, but as they've taken the knee to a marxist ideology I'm quiting after supporting for 40 years. So we have taken diffent roads and ended up here 40 years later.
@MUFC is it really necessary to rave on about football in the comments section of a video with two Tennis greats? Football players are dumb as fuck and don't know what to do with their lives after their careers. And the fans are stupidly loyal to local clubs owned by Russian oligarchs. Ridiculous.
Chris Evert ist meine absolute Favoritin bis heute seit meiner Kindheit.Absolute Präzision und Ruhe gepaart mit überragender Technik und Übersicht machen bis heute ihre Überlegenheit zur damaligen Zeit verständlich.
After this match, Martina decided to stop eating "brownies and hamburgers" and to focus on getting fit instead. That decision would eventually result in her being the fittest tennis player in history.
@@63002roids don’t help in tennis. Roids develop slow twitch muscles. Tennis requires more fast twitch muscles. Roids only help with increasing endurance but not with touch and feel for the ball . Will help upper body strength but we don’t know if Martina used Roids. The body transformation from here a flabby Martina to the Open 81 are astounding . I doubt Martina would’ve used but then again I’m sure would’ve had access through Liebermans contacts. I really believe Martina has too much integrity than to use .
And lots of variety. If you approached the net against her, you didn't know if she was going cross court, down the line, right at you, or a lob. And she hit them all so well, and so consistently!
I remember that Chrissie (years later) stating that she should have tried new shots and to improve on her weaknesses during matches that she was absolutely dominating, but that she played it safe and relied on what she knew was necessary for her to win within then realm of her confidence. Players like BJK said that they would deliberately play from their weaknesses in order to work on shots that they were not 100% comfortable with, thereby winning by 2 and 3 and not 1 and 0. This cost Chrissie at the end of her rivalry with Martina because, while she stuck to the tried and true, Martina learned new avenues to victory with each match she played and with each coach she hired to better herself.
@@shihlin1 They were overpowered because Martina was obsessed with exercise and nutrition. In actuality, she and Chrissie were relatively the same height and actually wore the same dress size.
@@TheVerbalVolley Very true. Martina was nowhere as big as Pam Shriver or Betty Stove, and indeed, a number of lower ranked players. She would be almost dwarfed by the standards of today.
@mbblover - excellent comment - I think Chrissie has forgotten how devastating she was when she was in her prime and her game was on. I also think she is humble and that is why she down plays her ability a bit now. But, she also double bageled Tracy Austin as well! I do remember Bud Collins saying that he thought Chrissie double bageled more people than anyone. Obiviously, I'm not sure if this is true, but it would not surprise me.
These two women were the legend and aspiration for all girls in the whole world in all types of sport not only tennis and I remember many girls in many sports were always fans and inspired by them
I know this video doesn’t show every point played, but it didn’t look like Martina played that bad. The points seemed competitive for the most part. But Chris just gave her nothing and was very effective at thwarting every offensive maneuver by Martina with great passing shots and unbelievable lobs. This relegated Martina to the baseline which was certain death.
Martina said some years later, perhaps with too much information, later that her "relationship with Nancy Lieberman had started the night before" so she was somewhat distracted for this match.
@@zeddeka She frequently came up with interesting excuses. There was the infamous 1982 US Open “cat litter sickness” explanation and this “munch-munch” explanation long after-the-fact. To her credit, in later years, Navratilova matured notable and gave credit where it was due more often than not. But she did come up with some whoppers over the decades.
Best ever on clay. I believe at her best she was better than Martina. Esp on clay. Only steffi was better. By a little. I don't count the Williams chemistry players
When Chris beat Martina a year later in AUstralian open final chris was playing w a wood racquet and Martina had switched to the non wood frames. Was interesting to see the contrast.
Evert was the architect of her own demise with this win. This was the 41st time they met. The first 40 matches was 27 - 13 in Evert's favour. After this drubbing Martina redoubled her efforts in the gym and on the court. The result was the next 40 matches were heavily in her favour 30 - 10 including a streak of 13 in a row which included 2 straight set wins on clay (one of which was the '84 FO). Amazing.
Chris beat drugged Martina on clay in 85 and 86. Martina was the first cheater. At there best without cheating chris was way better. What are you a dope. Who in there right mind could prefer marcheata
I remember this match so well. This is probably the final time Martina played Chris with a regular racket. I hated the graphite rackets when they first came along, especially for how they changed the men's game. We went for a while in the 1990's when a men's match at Wimbledon was nothing but serves and no interesting points after the serve. Martina never would have beaten Chris consistently without the change, her ground strokes were not good enough.
Beating Martina Navratilova 6-0, 6-0....!!!! Chris Evert was a silent assassin with smooth game style. Her shots looked simple, but they were very accurate and she was very confident with her shots. I'm 1997 born, but I love old Tennis.... I wanna meet Chris Evert atleast once. Those Requests were not like today's ones & we should appreciate all those best shots played by these greats.
Chris also beat Tracy Austin 6-0, 6-0 at the season ending Virginia Slims Championships in 1982. (This was when Tracy's sciatica was acting up, and would soon result in her departure from the tour).
I could watch this video over and over again. I remember all too well and all too frequently Chris coming up short against Martina over the years, especially from 1982 on.
(In Carrie Bradshaws voice) I couldn’t help but wonder, what if Hingis and evert were the same age and played each other in the same era? Who would’ve won?
I love the relationship that Chris and Martina have had...they are both such impressive people and haven't allowed their considerable talent to lead to any destructive ego. It's so obvious they've had a strong connection. I've watched quite a few of their interviews together...they are both very funny and obviously care for each other quite a bit.
this is the match that turned around Martina's career- in hindsight, Chris should have let her win a few games- Martina decided she had to change and this was the kick in the butt she needed.
@@iwantafennec9577 I wrote that 11 years ago- before Johnette Howard's book came out, so yes- it goes into how the relationship began the night before the match and how that- the loss to Chris then to Hanika at the French and Hana at Wimbledon set up the perfect storm that led Martina- along with hiring Renee Richards, led Martina to legendary status.
A brilliant and fascinating tennis clip, not least for the demonstration by both players of sportsmanship, mutual admiration and grace under fire. A salutary lesson for all today's screaming harpies, foul mouthed disputers and fist pumping misplaced aggression. This should be required watching for all WTA players. Many thanks for posting...
You say you have ordered Joanette book, well enjoy and the most comprehesive look at this rivalry ever, taking you inside their lives, she spent 4 yrs or more researching her book, talking to everyone you could possibly think of connect to tennis, and this rivalry. At the end of the book their 80 match h2h, and after what I have just spent time cross references, I say without doubt I believe Joanette Howards book to be the most acurate and concise breakdown of this rivarly.
Team tennis was at its height from 76-78 and all the top player's played and skipped the French Open in those years. Chris was notable as she it was during her 125 win streak on clay, and she was the clear favorite. Only the most zealous Marina fans would argue that she was an outside threat for the French title at the time.
I remember when the Christmas time schedule prevented nearly all the top players from competing in the Australian Open. That is how Barbara Jordan and Chris O'Neil (WHO?) won that Grand Slam event in different years in the late 70s. That was when the Australian changed its calendar date to January.
This was right before Martina underwent a massive transformation in both mental and physical fitness training as well as coaching staff to go on a winning rampage that would make her almost unbeatable for the next few years. I wonder how much this double bagel loss inspired her to undergo such changes.
everyone says martina....changed the game....no it was chrissie....LOOK what happened...martina HAD TO change to beat chrissie..............and the rest is history
Martina concedes the night before this final, she and Nancy Lieberman "got comfy" with each other which took the wind out of her sails in the final. I think it was Chris's match anyway, maybe not winning so convincingly double bageling Martina.
The queen of the base line rushing the net winning at the net and therefore obliterating her opponents key strength. Wowwwww that's a cool lethal opponent what an underestimated all court game.
I'm going to say this as many times as I can. I'm still shocked that Chrissie came in at #9 on the Tennis Channel's 100 Greatest list. Her accomplishments, consistency,and longevity were untouchable by anyone, male or female. She skipped playing (not because of injury) 14 Grand Slams at the height of her career, and still won 18, speaks volumes. Not to mention her results on ALL surfaces. How anyone can rank Sampras, Nadal, and Borg and maybe even Steffi, ahead of her is beyond me.
Chris Evert is the GOAT male or female accomplishments which will never be matched 52 of 56 semis in GS or better at the top of the list and delivering the worst defeat to Martina and Tracy both 6-0 6-0 the #2 and #3 in the world players
Navratilova dominated by winning 10 including five Wimbledon match-ups on grass, clearly a surface that suited the strong, serve and volley "swirling dervish". What is important to remember though, is that Navratilova only beat Chris Evert on clay 3 times in 20 years. Evert can be considered one of the most successful practitioners of clay but as soon as Navratilova was conscious of the fact, she chose to opt out of the European and American clay court season year after year (cont)
Navra's not pulling her face in defeat, she's joking and bantering with Evert despite a really bad loss ... I've seen her losing to her biggest rivals and she's always being so gracious in defeat, always applauding her opponent or just shrugging her shoulders rather than looking angry or cold .... Even today's big 3 (Federer, Nadal, Novak) cannot maintain such gracious composure in defeat .... they still sulk in defeat ...
@cityhulltiger I thought that Nancy Liebermann, not Martina, was quoted from liberally in the Johnette Howard book, esepecially about this particular time (1981-82).
From '76 to '86 Navratilova never played more than 2 events the ENTIRE clay season (which includes the obligatory grand slam appearance) whereas Chris, who hated the indoor courts as her results showed, played plenty of those events in the winter & fall regardless, year after year. It's just a matter of integrity.
Termend "the Rivalry of theCentury' the battle for ascendancy in women's tennis lasted seven long years and although there were moments of plain hostility from Navratilova in particular,the 2 stellar performers ended their long and fruitful careers as friends. What is remarkable is that the 2 women met on 80 occasions, a h2h record that may never be matched, and 60 of these duels were finals, of which Navratilova won 43. They met an unprecedented 14 times in grand slam finals and again (con)
I don't think Martina played poorly. I think Chris just took the racquet out of her hand. The one thing I will say is that all the ladies back then didn't do enough on return of serve. With Chris serving that slowly, you would think Martina might try to take the ball five feet inside the baseline to get a better angle with more pace.
@MARKBPHARM I agree with you, I had heard Martina say that the graphite really help the ground strokers (like it didn't help the serve or volley), well it certainly help her ground strokes and the consitiency of her ground strokes. Chris's ground strokes did gain power, but did lose accuracy.
If you just look at their records, and try to be objective, it's Margaret, Martina, Chris, Steffi, and Serena in that order. Based on winning percentage, slams wins, slam finals, slam semifinals, total matches won, and total tournaments won. Chris won 90% of her matches over career! That's amazing. Margaret won MORE than 91%! Martina ad Steffi are at 88%, and Serena at 86%. (The top two male players, Rafa and Novak, are just over 83%). There is an argument for any of them as the top player, but think about this...Martina and Chris won almost twice as many matches as Serena....and almost twice as many tournaments.
shihlin1 I agree with you. McEnroe was extraordinary on the court. but his behavior was unacceptable. so regardless of color there is a way you're suppose to conduct yourselve at all times
Martina played the clay court season for the first 3 years on tour, in 1976 she played 1 clay court event, none in 77, 1 in 78,79 & 80. When she hooked up with Nancy Lieberman, Nancy told her if she wanted to be #1, she had to play on clay and win the French Open, it is true that Marina didn't like the clay and didn't play much on the surface between 76 - 81.
I think the big difference between these players came about when the large graphite racquets came in to use. Martina really did adapt well to the new technology. Had the wooden racquets stayed in vogue I think Chris would have maintained the edge over Martina, despite Martina's improvement in her fitness and strength. Just my thought.
I read a comment where someone said Martina dominated Chris the last half of their rivalry. Wrong! Chris dominated in the beginning...... Martina dominated for only 2 years. After that two year period, Chris actually briefly re-assumed the number 1 ranking. I can't remember the year but due to Chris being ranked #1 and Martina having won Wimbledon the prior year, they were seeded as co-#1's at Wimbledon that year. They split their final 10 matches at 5 wins each. So Smitchix1 needs to get the facts straight! Their rivalry has never been matched. What an awesome era. Oh, and someone also commented that the pace was very slow during their time. It started that way, but by the time they were done, they were hitting as fast as they do today. And no one, male or female, could ever match Chris' mental toughness. I've yet to see anyone as determined or tenacious as Chrissy was.
Through 1978 it was 23-6 in Chris's favor. In either case, I love them both because they were each very unique and made each other better. Without one or the other, neither would have become the player they were. But what I like best is this - they were friends. Martina always appreciated that Chris never fell for the media's attempt to get her to say something negative about Martina being gay. Chris was loyal to Martina and vice versa. Yes, there was a period of time their friendship became rocky through the influence of Nancy Lieberman. However, that didn't last. Friendship won in the end. I would love to have had them both as friends. They both have such awesome personalities!
***** I always thought it was 2-1, learn something new, everyday... I just look at the rivalry stats ...don't think I recall the Lions Cup....thought Brighton was the last match of 80.
Another myth if you will, is the fact that these 2 battled for the #1 spot for 14 years, we have all heard it several times, over and over again (from the media). Chris was either #1 or #2 for 14 years, but Martina wasn't a serious challanger until 1978 for the top spot so really that is 9 years, that they battled, not 14. Her highest year end ranking before 78, was 4th in 75.
Why do people keep comparing this era of tennis to Serena and today's era of tennis ? They were using wooden rackets back then which were nowhere near as powerful as today's graphite rackets and the racket heads were much smaller on the old wooden rackets giving them a far smaller sweet spot. Today's graphite rackets have a much bigger head on them and they are lighter and more powerful. Also the balls were not up to the standard that they are today. I am not saying that the balls were bad but they were not as good as they are now. Chrissie and Martina deserved every title they won in their era and Serena deserves every title she wins in her era. One thing that tennis fans didn't have to put up with back then was all that totally unnecessary screaming and shrieking that you hear today by some players every time the ball is hit.
Dave Wiseman exactly. People that incessantly try to compare eras of players....don’t really understand the vast differences in equipment and style of play. The wood rockets forced players to be far more accurate and have far more variety to their shotmaking than players of today
The big difference is that Serena wouldn't have won nearly as many matches having to play with a wood racquet with a small head. The tennis technology today has become a technical crutch that has resulted in tennis becoming a power game instead of the original game that was much more about technique, variety of shot finesse, and strategy. You give Serena a wood racquet and she wouldn't last an hour on court because it requires much more effort to swing a heavy wood racquet, and she'd frame half of the balls.
The one aspect of this match that determined the overall result of Chris drubbing Martina, is that she was relentlessly aggressive and more tellingly, she seized the moment to go to the net and finish off the points, with volleys.
On the many of the tennis forum's that I have been on, there have been many people complaining about the realiability of the wta stats on their site and wikipedia, they have confused many stats.. so I have heard that before !
It is interesting to note that 12 of Martina's Slam titles were won on grass, 4 on hard courts, 2 on Clay. Chris won 10 Slams on clay, 5 on grass, and 3 on hard courts.
Greenwolfe I totally agree with your opinion of Chrissie! She is ranked all time in top 5 but one can't compare eras even though I'd place my money on Evert on Clay against ANYONE!! Today's players look so great but racquets are much different and one thinks WOW they are Best of all time players. Serena in earlier era would maybe be in top 10 but certainly not the greatest. She can't move around the court they way Martina and Chris did because of her weight!! drop shot, lob her and make her come to the net and she would look awkward. Todays players slam the ball and little else!
@Nicklas4500 I thought I had made the last comment on their h2h, re: surfaces, etc. But if you mean slams, they met at Wimbledon far more than any other event & played the greater percentages of those after Chris' mental peak (before she was 28) since her game is founded on that above all else. She did skip Aussie along with Borg as a statement about no off-season; the Oz open is 1 she never failed to make the finals. So she wasnt avoiding it. But it was skipped by more than 50% of players then.
Had Evert played all the French and Australian Opens she skipped during her peak she probably would have wound up with 22-24 Grand Slam titles. Maybe 9 or 10 French and 3-5 Australians. Her overall record on all surfaces would put her in the top 2 or 3 greatest of all time. WTT robbed Evert of lots of grand slam titles she should have won. Martina played every Grand Slam during her peak. It's hard to really compare the two records. Since they wound up tied I think Evert was superior.
Martina missed 11 Australians (when it was on grass) -and about 9 French Opens in her career. She could've most certainly ended up with 25-30 grand slam singles. What ifs right. She was the far superior player at her peak compared to anyone else's peak (male or female) in the Open Era
@RaleighNC306 I have to agree with you holeheartedly there, she was always full of excuses ! Never given any of her opponents credit, and she is still very much the same way. Hell she doesn't even give the many people who help her become the player she was credit.
to 77alena & Nicklas... If you DID know anything about Chris, you would know that she is gracious and never faves her accomplishments like a flag. She would NEVER say 'I was the best ever' and would always gladly give credit away. She always said HER TENNIS DOES THE TALKING. The interesting thing is ONLY that Martina never returns the compliments. This may just be a generational thing...today people are constantly waving their own flags. It is not Evert's way.
@karrtt1234 Yes and this is meeting number 7, the last time they met on clay was the French Open final 1975. They not meet again on clay until 84. When Martina annouced that she was ready to beat Chris on clay... being the number 1 player for 2-1/2 years.
Why isn't this event still in Amelia Island? I remember when it was the Bausch and Lomb Championships and I always liked watching it on ESPN every April.
In Johnette Howard's book about the Chris/Martina rivalry, Martina puts her loss down to spending the previous night with Nancy Lieberman. To put it delicately they didn't spend the whole night talking about tennis tactics..................
@Nicklas4500 That is a bit of a ridiculous comment " only 3 years later" , 3 years is a bit of time, during which period they never met on clay again,until the 84 final. Martina was quite stung by this loss. I remember the build up to final of the 1984 clash, and it was huge, because Martina had announced that she was now ready to beat Chris on clay. And she used her lefty serve wide in the ad court into Chris's two-fisted backhand, just like Rafa did to Novack in the US Open final.
No and I am checking them all right now, so here is what I am finding out..in the archives I am looking for the surface.. some I didn't find so I went to the tournament virgina slims history, to find out what the surface was take Arkon for instance they list 73 as carpet , and 75 as hard, in the tournament history it last from 73-76 and was always played on carptet. Take Los Angeles another listed as hard, it was Slims championships for 3 yr, then changed to indoor tour event, then changed..
Chris does have the highest winning percentage of all tennis players, with 90% . Her Grand Slam winning percentage is equally impressive 88 %, her consistancey over her entire career and the high quality of performance, are really the trade marks of her greatness as a player. I think it is why she has remained so popular for so long !
Margaret Court’s was the best at 92%
I’ve always considered Evert to be the greatest player who played with a wooden racket. She had perfect controlled aggression which is what made you win back then. When rackets became more powerful, she lost her edge because players could overpower her. With this being said, she became more aggressive and stayed with the top right up until the end of her career. Such a great champion
Absolutely Chrissie.. Margaret Court next.
This match might be the best I've ever seen Chris Evert play. And you're right- The wooden rackets of the 70's and early 80's are practically make it a different game with a completely different strategy.
Don’t forget Suzanne Lenglen - wasn’t she unbeatable?
I've been watching tennis for a long time and have yet to see anyone with such deadly passing accuracy. She was devastating on this day
Agreed, but I've never seen Martina so passive. She was just pushing her shots giving Evert easy passing opportunities.
All days she is the best...
In 8 years 169 out of 170 matches won on clay. Crazy statistics.
Unmatched on clay.
Chris Evert is the epitomy of class, grace, and determination. A real champion who could come up with the goods under pressure. She has represented the US so well, and has been a true ambassador for the sport. The best ball striker in history!! What she lacked in power, she surely made up for with placement.
She didnt lack in power, the speed of her ball was exactly what was called for. She would also hit very hard very fast balls with a wooden racket. It's a misconception to say she lacked power.
I have always said that I consider Chris to be the GOAT because I would automatically take her against every other player on any surface at any time of the day. No other player was as consistently greater over as great a span of time as she was.
Everything changed once tennis rackets got bigger. It became about power and less about finesse and placement. Amazing that they hit so well with the small racquets that were used at the time.
They were not small. They were what they were, normal
My brother and I grew up with wood and the last ten years we went back to them here and there. Because of the 68 sq in head and tight pattern there is so much control. Combining modern technique is fun too - for example, an air forehand, the flex of the racquet will allow it to almost hinge back and then when it snaps back, look out! Pretty good power and so flat, it's hard to track down on faster hard courts. I have a couple of Chris E signature Wilson racquets but prefer the stiffer Jack Kramer Pro Staffs. The most important thing is to find a straight frame and don't store them in a moist garage or basement. Also, don't put them in those wood press frames; it's easy to torque unevenly and warp the frame.
Everything changed when Martina suddenly turned into a vein bulging muscle freak. Wonder how that happened
@@oiooi6460
Martina ALWAYS had big veins .... if you google her photos from 1975 or 1977, she clearly has big veins in her arms and legs ... its nature, some women and men just have bigger vein compared to others.
She started serious weight training during the 80s.
Plenty of people are muscular without needing steroids and protein shakes. Go to rural China or any other countries, farmers, hard labourers etc can look really buff and veiny without taking steroids or protein shakes ....the accusations are ridiculous, muscle men and women existed in the old days too before steroids became a thing ....
Thanks but I will pass on the wood racquets
An all-time, full-out tennis assassin, built of beauty and class.
In sports, the lesson is to never underestimate your opponent.
Chris beat Martina into the clay dirt here in one of Martina's most humiliating losses.
But who knew only a few months after this match, Martina would begin one of the most amazing transformations in all of sports, developing into an amazing athlete and tennis player and dominate an era in tennis history.
It ain't Ova till it's Ova !
Chris beat Martina 6-1,6-0 in the Italian Open final in 1975.
Evert really was the queen of clay, i did see Martina become quite a good clay court player later in her career but on this day Chris dominated her, amazing tennis.
True, but Martina grew up on clay too except that it was the red type of clay you see at Roland Garros. The clay in the US has always been very different. You don't really slide at much on it.
On clay Martina wasn't even close as good as Chris... By far. Chris was better.
What I find most interesting in this video and many others of the previous era, is the good nature of the victor and the defeated towards each other when the game is over.
@MUFC I fell asleep watching a soccer game on TV when I was a kid. When I woke up the final score was 1 - 0. So I guess I didn't miss much. Haven't watched another soccer game in the 40+ years since then. And I probably didn't miss much either during those 40+ years.
@@rsone6945 Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 8-2 a few days back, but as they've taken the knee to a marxist ideology I'm quiting after supporting for 40 years. So we have taken diffent roads and ended up here 40 years later.
@MUFC is it really necessary to rave on about football in the comments section of a video with two Tennis greats? Football players are dumb as fuck and don't know what to do with their lives after their careers. And the fans are stupidly loyal to local clubs owned by Russian oligarchs. Ridiculous.
@MUFC How does this comment connect with mine?
@@ericbarry570 I totally agree.
Chris Evert was a brilliant player !
Martina was drunk or on drugs
Evert's lobs are just perfection. She really had a tennis court in her brain
@MUFC Over 240 countries? There are 195 countries in the world, genius.
Not only lobs, Chris was the best drop shoter ever IMO.
Chris Evert ist meine absolute Favoritin bis heute seit meiner Kindheit.Absolute Präzision und Ruhe gepaart mit überragender Technik und Übersicht machen bis heute ihre Überlegenheit zur damaligen Zeit verständlich.
After this match, Martina decided to stop eating "brownies and hamburgers" and to focus on getting fit instead. That decision would eventually result in her being the fittest tennis player in history.
Champion mentality!
You forgot roids
@@63002roids don’t help in tennis. Roids develop slow twitch muscles. Tennis requires more fast twitch muscles. Roids only help with increasing endurance but not with touch and feel for the ball . Will help upper body strength but we don’t know if Martina used Roids. The body transformation from here a flabby Martina to the Open 81 are astounding . I doubt Martina would’ve used but then again I’m sure would’ve had access through Liebermans contacts. I really believe Martina has too much integrity than to use .
Vintage Chrissie. Pinpoint accuracy, and very low over the net. A deadly combination for any opponent.
And lots of variety. If you approached the net against her, you didn't know if she was going cross court, down the line, right at you, or a lob. And she hit them all so well, and so consistently!
I remember that Chrissie (years later) stating that she should have tried new shots and to improve on her weaknesses during matches that she was absolutely dominating, but that she played it safe and relied on what she knew was necessary for her to win within then realm of her confidence. Players like BJK said that they would deliberately play from their weaknesses in order to work on shots that they were not 100% comfortable with, thereby winning by 2 and 3 and not 1 and 0. This cost Chrissie at the end of her rivalry with Martina because, while she stuck to the tried and true, Martina learned new avenues to victory with each match she played and with each coach she hired to better herself.
Martina also had a physical advantage, you have to admit.
Those muscular arms and legs.
Evert was way overpowered, in fact, so was everybody else.
@@shihlin1 They were overpowered because Martina was obsessed with exercise and nutrition. In actuality, she and Chrissie were relatively the same height and actually wore the same dress size.
@@TheVerbalVolley Very true. Martina was nowhere as big as Pam Shriver or Betty Stove, and indeed, a number of lower ranked players. She would be almost dwarfed by the standards of today.
@mbblover - excellent comment - I think Chrissie has forgotten how devastating she was when she was in her prime and her game was on. I also think she is humble and that is why she down plays her ability a bit now. But, she also double bageled Tracy Austin as well! I do remember Bud Collins saying that he thought Chrissie double bageled more people than anyone. Obiviously, I'm not sure if this is true, but it would not surprise me.
I DON'T think that Evert ever Double Bagled Graf even when she was 15 and hadn't yet achieved her Championship Form!
@@arthurgearheard4701 if they were playing with wooden rackets she would have! lol!
These two women were the legend and aspiration for all girls in the whole world in all types of sport not only tennis and I remember many girls in many sports were always fans and inspired by them
The depth on those Evert strokes is insane. Only if you play tennis do you realise how hard that is to deal with - regardless of the pace of the ball.
I know this video doesn’t show every point played, but it didn’t look like Martina played that bad. The points seemed competitive for the most part. But Chris just gave her nothing and was very effective at thwarting every offensive maneuver by Martina with great passing shots and unbelievable lobs. This relegated Martina to the baseline which was certain death.
Martina said some years later, perhaps with too much information, later that her "relationship with Nancy Lieberman had started the night before" so she was somewhat distracted for this match.
@@zeddeka She frequently came up with interesting excuses. There was the infamous 1982 US Open “cat litter sickness” explanation and this “munch-munch” explanation long after-the-fact. To her credit, in later years, Navratilova matured notable and gave credit where it was due more often than not. But she did come up with some whoppers over the decades.
I agree 100%. She always seems to be underrated in any all time lists.
Best ever on clay. I believe at her best she was better than Martina. Esp on clay. Only steffi was better. By a little. I don't count the Williams chemistry players
Chris Evert is my all time hero...!! she was class and cool on the court!
When Chris beat Martina a year later in AUstralian open final chris was playing w a wood racquet and Martina had switched to the non wood frames. Was interesting to see the contrast.
Chrissy has that same kind of calm that Roger has. Her emotions are totally controlled. Win or lose the point she's unflappable.
She was so cute. I had such a crush. Still most finals of any player
Love seeing Evert beat Martina.
Me also.
Me too I believe Martina cheated
It was thought that Martina was taking steroids. It was when they'd started testing player's, she retired from tennis.
at the day of the day regardless of who has the most titles Chris and serena has made their mark in women's tennis history I love them both
I'm not a fan of Serena Williams because all her previous coaches said she's a total bitch. I've heard that also by player's.
when I was 15 I used to dream about chris evert
Me also with 19 years !
Evert was the architect of her own demise with this win. This was the 41st time they met. The first 40 matches was 27 - 13 in Evert's favour. After this drubbing Martina redoubled her efforts in the gym and on the court. The result was the next 40 matches were heavily in her favour 30 - 10 including a streak of 13 in a row which included 2 straight set wins on clay (one of which was the '84 FO). Amazing.
Chris beat drugged Martina on clay in 85 and 86. Martina was the first cheater. At there best without cheating chris was way better. What are you a dope. Who in there right mind could prefer marcheata
@@63002 Cool story brah
Double bagel on Navratilova, wow. Evert beast mode😂😂😂😂😂💪💪💪💪💪
She also beat her 6-1,6-0 at Rome,1975
I remember this match so well. This is probably the final time Martina played Chris with a regular racket. I hated the graphite rackets when they first came along, especially for how they changed the men's game. We went for a while in the 1990's when a men's match at Wimbledon was nothing but serves and no interesting points after the serve. Martina never would have beaten Chris consistently without the change, her ground strokes were not good enough.
Beating Martina Navratilova 6-0, 6-0....!!!!
Chris Evert was a silent assassin with smooth game style.
Her shots looked simple, but they were very accurate and she was very confident with her shots.
I'm 1997 born, but I love old Tennis....
I wanna meet Chris Evert atleast once.
Those Requests were not like today's ones & we should appreciate all those best shots played by these greats.
Chris also beat Tracy Austin 6-0, 6-0 at the season ending Virginia Slims Championships in 1982. (This was when Tracy's sciatica was acting up, and would soon result in her departure from the tour).
I could watch this video over and over again. I remember all too well and all too frequently Chris coming up short against Martina over the years, especially from 1982 on.
Greatest rivalry ever in all of sports.
I believe this was the best match Chris every played. She played with absolute perfection.
It was certainly the WORST of Navratilova's career!
(In Carrie Bradshaws voice) I couldn’t help but wonder, what if Hingis and evert were the same age and played each other in the same era? Who would’ve won?
Chris , what else ?? 🏆👱♀️♥️👑
I love the relationship that Chris and Martina have had...they are both such impressive people and haven't allowed their considerable talent to lead to any destructive ego. It's so obvious they've had a strong connection. I've watched quite a few of their interviews together...they are both very funny and obviously care for each other quite a bit.
this is the match that turned around Martina's career- in hindsight, Chris should have let her win a few games- Martina decided she had to change and this was the kick in the butt she needed.
@@iwantafennec9577 I wrote that 11 years ago- before Johnette Howard's book came out, so yes- it goes into how the relationship began the night before the match and how that- the loss to Chris then to Hanika at the French and Hana at Wimbledon set up the perfect storm that led Martina- along with hiring Renee Richards, led Martina to legendary status.
A brilliant and fascinating tennis clip, not least for the demonstration by both players of sportsmanship, mutual admiration and grace under fire. A salutary lesson for all today's screaming harpies, foul mouthed disputers and fist pumping misplaced aggression. This should be required watching for all WTA players. Many thanks for posting...
You say you have ordered Joanette book, well enjoy and the most comprehesive look at this rivalry ever, taking you inside their lives, she spent 4 yrs or more researching her book, talking to everyone you could possibly think of connect to tennis, and this rivalry. At the end of the book their 80 match h2h, and after what I have just spent time cross references, I say without doubt I believe Joanette Howards book to be the most acurate and concise breakdown of this rivarly.
Team tennis was at its height from 76-78 and all the top player's played and skipped the French Open in those years. Chris was notable as she it was during her 125 win streak on clay, and she was the clear favorite. Only the most zealous Marina fans would argue that she was an outside threat for the French title at the time.
I remember when the Christmas time schedule prevented nearly all the top players from competing in the Australian Open. That is how Barbara Jordan and Chris O'Neil (WHO?) won that Grand Slam event in different years in the late 70s. That was when the Australian changed its calendar date to January.
I had no idea whatsoever that Chrissie beat Martina this badly! thanks for posting.
This was right before Martina underwent a massive transformation in both mental and physical fitness training as well as coaching staff to go on a winning rampage that would make her almost unbeatable for the next few years. I wonder how much this double bagel loss inspired her to undergo such changes.
This is the most beautiful 6-0 6-0 i have ever seen,more beautiful than the famous lindsay davenport vs maria sharapova at indian wells in 2005.
I gotta check out that match, thanks.
After this came the roids
Chris was a champ but also a lovely lady. Notice how much her opponents respected her.This could be her greatest performance.
And 🔥 AF and not a roid cheater
everyone says martina....changed the game....no it was chrissie....LOOK what happened...martina HAD TO change to beat chrissie..............and the rest is history
It's nice to see the green trees. The venue, which is integrated with nature, is wonderful and wonderful. Even so, today's Evert is too strong!
Martina concedes the night before this final, she and Nancy Lieberman "got comfy" with each other which took the wind out of her sails in the final.
I think it was Chris's match anyway, maybe not winning so convincingly double bageling Martina.
Glory days ❤
I used to love watching the event at Amelia Island on ESPN back in the day... why did that tournament go away?
The queen of the base line rushing the net winning at the net and therefore obliterating her opponents key strength. Wowwwww that's a cool lethal opponent what an underestimated all court game.
I'm going to say this as many times as I can. I'm still shocked that Chrissie came in at #9 on the Tennis Channel's 100 Greatest list. Her accomplishments, consistency,and longevity were untouchable by anyone, male or female. She skipped playing (not because of injury) 14 Grand Slams at the height of her career, and still won 18, speaks volumes. Not to mention her results on ALL surfaces. How anyone can rank Sampras, Nadal, and Borg and maybe even Steffi, ahead of her is beyond me.
Chris Evert is the GOAT male or female accomplishments which will never be matched 52 of 56 semis in GS or better at the top of the list and delivering the worst defeat to Martina and Tracy both 6-0 6-0 the #2 and #3 in the world players
Navratilova completely outplayed and humiliated by Chris. Great fun.
I do have this match on tape, it certainly wasn't Martina's day, but Chris being the pro that she was, played the way a number 1 player ... plays.
Navratilova dominated by winning 10 including five Wimbledon match-ups on grass, clearly a surface that suited the strong, serve and volley "swirling dervish".
What is important to remember though, is that Navratilova only beat Chris Evert on clay 3 times in 20 years. Evert can be considered one of the most successful practitioners of clay but as soon as Navratilova was conscious of the fact, she chose to opt out of the European and American clay court season year after year
(cont)
Navra's not pulling her face in defeat, she's joking and bantering with Evert despite a really bad loss ... I've seen her losing to her biggest rivals and she's always being so gracious in defeat, always applauding her opponent or just shrugging her shoulders rather than looking angry or cold ....
Even today's big 3 (Federer, Nadal, Novak) cannot maintain such gracious composure in defeat .... they still sulk in defeat ...
Never Nadal...
@cityhulltiger
I thought that Nancy Liebermann, not Martina, was quoted from liberally in the Johnette Howard book, esepecially about this particular time (1981-82).
Such quality with tiny wooden racquets!
From '76 to '86 Navratilova never played more than 2 events the ENTIRE clay season (which includes the obligatory grand slam appearance) whereas Chris, who hated the indoor courts as her results showed, played plenty of those events in the winter & fall regardless, year after year. It's just a matter of integrity.
Bc she was scared of Chris. Deathly afraid of Chris on clay
Termend "the Rivalry of theCentury' the battle for ascendancy in women's tennis lasted seven long years and although there were moments of plain hostility from Navratilova in particular,the 2 stellar performers ended their long and fruitful careers as friends.
What is remarkable is that the 2 women met on 80 occasions, a h2h record that may never be matched, and 60 of these duels were finals, of which Navratilova won 43. They met an unprecedented 14 times in grand slam finals and again (con)
Martina was a cheat imo. No class. At there best chris was better. Chris in a way shorter career had the same grand slams 18. Dope
I don't think Martina played poorly. I think Chris just took the racquet out of her hand. The one thing I will say is that all the ladies back then didn't do enough on return of serve. With Chris serving that slowly, you would think Martina might try to take the ball five feet inside the baseline to get a better angle with more pace.
Not easy to do as Evert’s serve was flat and kept low and accurate. Evert was already calculating her return and next shot.
@@yussepig6629 It's not flat and low, but even if it was, It would still be easier to attack by moving in and blocking it into one of the corners.
@MARKBPHARM I agree with you, I had heard Martina say that the graphite really help the ground strokers (like it didn't help the serve or volley), well it certainly help her ground strokes and the consitiency of her ground strokes. Chris's ground strokes did gain power, but did lose accuracy.
A little dope
Chris got the game,beautiful touch and understanding of tennis game,my top 3,if not the number one.
If you just look at their records, and try to be objective, it's Margaret, Martina, Chris, Steffi, and Serena in that order. Based on winning percentage, slams wins, slam finals, slam semifinals, total matches won, and total tournaments won. Chris won 90% of her matches over career! That's amazing. Margaret won MORE than 91%! Martina ad Steffi are at 88%, and Serena at 86%. (The top two male players, Rafa and Novak, are just over 83%). There is an argument for any of them as the top player, but think about this...Martina and Chris won almost twice as many matches as Serena....and almost twice as many tournaments.
Number 1 Graf 2 hinges 3
shihlin1 I agree with you. McEnroe was extraordinary on the court. but his behavior was unacceptable. so regardless of color there is a way you're suppose to conduct yourselve at all times
Martina looks much better with dark hair. Chrissie was just in the zone here, nothing much anyone could do
😝
What I like about Martina's dark hair is I can tell her and Chris apart easier in the long shots.
Watching this match is like watching modern-day Tennis in slow motion.
Wrong dope. The request are hi tech. If they had them they'd still beat anybody today. Too snart
OMG...is this what the game looked like back then...it's so different today...
Martina played the clay court season for the first 3 years on tour, in 1976 she played 1 clay court event, none in 77, 1 in 78,79 & 80. When she hooked up with Nancy Lieberman, Nancy told her if she wanted to be #1, she had to play on clay and win the French Open, it is true that Marina didn't like the clay and didn't play much on the surface between 76 - 81.
I think the big difference between these players came about when the large graphite racquets came in to use. Martina really did adapt well to the new technology. Had the wooden racquets stayed in vogue I think Chris would have maintained the edge over Martina, despite Martina's improvement in her fitness and strength. Just my thought.
I read a comment where someone said Martina dominated Chris the last half of their rivalry. Wrong! Chris dominated in the beginning...... Martina dominated for only 2 years. After that two year period, Chris actually briefly re-assumed the number 1 ranking. I can't remember the year but due to Chris being ranked #1 and Martina having won Wimbledon the prior year, they were seeded as co-#1's at Wimbledon that year. They split their final 10 matches at 5 wins each. So Smitchix1 needs to get the facts straight! Their rivalry has never been matched. What an awesome era. Oh, and someone also commented that the pace was very slow during their time. It started that way, but by the time they were done, they were hitting as fast as they do today. And no one, male or female, could ever match Chris' mental toughness. I've yet to see anyone as determined or tenacious as Chrissy was.
Through 1978 it was 23-6 in Chris's favor. In either case, I love them both because they were each very unique and made each other better. Without one or the other, neither would have become the player they were. But what I like best is this - they were friends. Martina always appreciated that Chris never fell for the media's attempt to get her to say something negative about Martina being gay. Chris was loyal to Martina and vice versa. Yes, there was a period of time their friendship became rocky through the influence of Nancy Lieberman. However, that didn't last. Friendship won in the end. I would love to have had them both as friends. They both have such awesome personalities!
7 season for Chris you forget 1980.
***** I always thought it was 2-1, learn something new, everyday... I just look at the rivalry stats ...don't think I recall the Lions Cup....thought Brighton was the last match of 80.
1985 was the year. Chris held the #1 for about 9 months, co seed # 1 French and wimbeldon and Chris was #1 seed U . S. Open and Australian.
And Chris started the backless tennis dresses which then were super sexy..paved the way for others (Serena) to express thier own fashion...
@is everybody in * lol
How great at 5:27 you can hear Martina say, "Ah! Nice shot (Chris)."
Another myth if you will, is the fact that these 2 battled for the #1 spot for 14 years, we have all heard it several times, over and over again (from the media). Chris was either #1 or #2 for 14 years, but Martina wasn't a serious challanger until 1978 for the top spot so really that is 9 years, that they battled, not 14. Her highest year end ranking before 78, was 4th in 75.
Why do people keep comparing this era of tennis to Serena and today's era of tennis ? They were using wooden rackets back then which were nowhere near as powerful as today's graphite rackets and the racket heads were much smaller on the old wooden rackets giving them a far smaller sweet spot. Today's graphite rackets have a much bigger head on them and they are lighter and more powerful. Also the balls were not up to the standard that they are today. I am not saying that the balls were bad but they were not as good as they are now. Chrissie and Martina deserved every title they won in their era and Serena deserves every title she wins in her era. One thing that tennis fans didn't have to put up with back then was all that totally unnecessary screaming and shrieking that you hear today by some players every time the ball is hit.
Dave Wiseman exactly. People that incessantly try to compare eras of players....don’t really understand the vast differences in equipment and style of play. The wood rockets forced players to be far more accurate and have far more variety to their shotmaking than players of today
The big difference is that Serena wouldn't have won nearly as many matches having to play with a wood racquet with a small head. The tennis technology today has become a technical crutch that has resulted in tennis becoming a power game instead of the original game that was much more about technique, variety of shot finesse, and strategy. You give Serena a wood racquet and she wouldn't last an hour on court because it requires much more effort to swing a heavy wood racquet, and she'd frame half of the balls.
Well, thank you for that insightful analysis Dr. Rackey McRackster.
By 1979, almost everyone was using graphite racquets, Pam Shriver used it first to make US Open final in 78
@federernadalfan : Evert,, as far as I am concerned is in the top three of all-time women's champions EVER.
Evert was completely in the zone .
The one aspect of this match that determined the overall result of Chris drubbing Martina, is that she was relentlessly aggressive and more tellingly, she seized the moment to go to the net and finish off the points, with volleys.
On the many of the tennis forum's that I have been on, there have been many people complaining about the realiability of the wta stats on their site and wikipedia, they have confused many stats.. so I have heard that before !
It is interesting to note that 12 of Martina's Slam titles were won on grass, 4 on hard courts, 2 on Clay. Chris won 10 Slams on clay, 5 on grass, and 3 on hard courts.
Greenwolfe I totally agree with your opinion of Chrissie! She is ranked all time in top 5 but one can't compare eras even though I'd place my money on Evert on Clay against ANYONE!! Today's players look so great but racquets are much different and one thinks WOW they are Best of all time players. Serena in earlier era would maybe be in top 10 but certainly not the greatest. She can't move around the court they way Martina and Chris did because of her weight!! drop shot, lob her and make her come to the net and she would look awkward. Todays players slam the ball and little else!
@Nicklas4500 I thought I had made the last comment on their h2h, re: surfaces, etc. But if you mean slams, they met at Wimbledon far more than any other event & played the greater percentages of those after Chris' mental peak (before she was 28) since her game is founded on that above all else. She did skip Aussie along with Borg as a statement about no off-season; the Oz open is 1 she never failed to make the finals. So she wasnt avoiding it. But it was skipped by more than 50% of players then.
Beautiful tennis.
@spacecolt You are right, of course... at this point, this match... Chris has made 18 Grand Slam Finals, Martina has made 4.
Had Evert played all the French and Australian Opens she skipped during her peak she probably would have wound up with 22-24 Grand Slam titles. Maybe 9 or 10 French and 3-5 Australians. Her overall record on all surfaces would put her in the top 2 or 3 greatest of all time. WTT robbed Evert of lots of grand slam titles she should have won. Martina played every Grand Slam during her peak. It's hard to really compare the two records. Since they wound up tied I think Evert was superior.
Martina missed 11 Australians (when it was on grass) -and about 9 French Opens in her career. She could've most certainly ended up with 25-30 grand slam singles. What ifs right. She was the far superior player at her peak compared to anyone else's peak (male or female) in the Open Era
@RaleighNC306 I have to agree with you holeheartedly there, she was always full of excuses ! Never given any of her opponents credit, and she is still very much the same way. Hell she doesn't even give the many people who help her become the player she was credit.
to 77alena & Nicklas... If you DID know anything about Chris, you would know that she is gracious and never faves her accomplishments like a flag. She would NEVER say 'I was the best ever' and would always gladly give credit away. She always said HER TENNIS DOES THE TALKING. The interesting thing is ONLY that Martina never returns the compliments. This may just be a generational thing...today people are constantly waving their own flags. It is not Evert's way.
Martina was a no show for this one....it happens
@karrtt1234 Yes and this is meeting number 7, the last time they met on clay was the French Open final 1975. They not meet again on clay until 84. When Martina annouced that she was ready to beat Chris on clay... being the number 1 player for 2-1/2 years.
Yes but Chris beat her in 85 and 86 dope
Why isn't this event still in Amelia Island? I remember when it was the Bausch and Lomb Championships and I always liked watching it on ESPN every April.
In Johnette Howard's book about the Chris/Martina rivalry, Martina puts her loss down to spending the previous night with Nancy Lieberman. To put it delicately they didn't spend the whole night talking about tennis tactics..................
IF I WAS a professional tennis player and i got beat this badly by anyone....i would have stopped playing...PERIOD
Brilliant baseline tennis from Evert🎾🎾🎾🎾
@Nicklas4500 That is a bit of a ridiculous comment " only 3 years later" , 3 years is a bit of time, during which period they never met on clay again,until the 84 final. Martina was quite stung by this loss. I remember the build up to final of the 1984 clash, and it was huge, because Martina had announced that she was now ready to beat Chris on clay. And she used her lefty serve wide in the ad court into Chris's two-fisted backhand, just like Rafa did to Novack in the US Open final.
John Llyod was pretty cute wasn't he.
No and I am checking them all right now, so here is what I am finding out..in the archives I am looking for the surface.. some I didn't find so I went to the tournament virgina slims history, to find out what the surface was take Arkon for instance they list 73 as carpet , and 75 as hard, in the tournament history it last from 73-76 and was always played on carptet. Take Los Angeles another listed as hard, it was Slims championships for 3 yr, then changed to indoor tour event, then changed..