16-year-old Chris Evert vs 27-year-old Billie Jean King | US Open 1971 Semifinal
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- Опубликовано: 9 июн 2021
- 16-year-old Chris Evert goes head-to-head with 27-year-old Billie Jean King in the semifinals of US Open 1971.
Having reached the semifinals on her Grand Slam debut, Evert has already announced herself to the world of tennis in style. She is on a 46-match winning streak and has the world at her feet. However, the young American faces a tough test against her more experienced compatriot. King won the tournament in 1967 and enters the match as a 5-time Grand Slam singles champion.
We are all set for a thrilling battle between two Americans from two generations. Who will book their place in the US Open 1971 final?
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So many young women and girls today stand on the shoulders of these two legends
Such incredible racquet skills on display. Even the attacking BJK has marvelous control and placement, and Evert has the ball on a string. Great stuff.
Doubly remarkable bearing in mind they’re playing with squash rackets.
I had a Big crush on Chris back then. All us guys did.
Such a pleasure to hear Ann Jones again - a superb commentator - and to see BJK at the height of her game. Thanks for posting this!
Such an amazing contrast in playing style on and off the court.
Great match. Much more of a finesse game back in those days which IMO is more enjoyable to watch than today's power game.
I enjoyed watching Chris Evert that summer while listening to Carole King’s “Tapestry” album. Both have got new friends in 1971.
Tapestry started the music lessons for me back in the day.
Two of the greatest players ever
Nope
1. S. Williams
2. Navratilova
3. Graf
4. Court
5. Evert
6. Lenglen
7. Wills
8. Seles
9. King
10. Connolly
Graf is the GOAT then it's Martina then Serena.
Seles would have won more if it weren't for that awful day when she got stabbed.
@@kevinprior3549 Seles's would not have won that many slams if not for Steffi's slump due to her father's extramarital affair, blackmail scandal or her thumb injury.
Much has been said and written about Chris Evert, of course.
"The Ice Queen"
"The Human Backboard."
"Goes to the net once a month, goes to the bank every Monday."
Stuff like that.
Not only did she possess textbook skills (still does), but she was exceedingly feminine and beautiful. And she still is.
In 1971, I was 18 years old. Can you imagine?
She possessed such finesse and grace. Almost like a ballerina who never stepped out of line. I had never heard of the phrases you listed but loved the one about the net and the bank! LOL
Later in her career Chris wished she was more of a serve voller, this was at the time when Martina was so dominant during a time in the 1980s, despite their rivalry the two had a good friendship that last till this day.
@@JohnLee-pt5jz .....their rivalry.
@@blackporscheroadster-yw8hb and your point is?
@@JohnLee-pt5jz That you don't understand basic grammar.
BJK talks at length about this match in her memoir. She had just been integral to launching the new professional women’s tour, and she felt that if an amateur like Evert beat her at a Grand Slam, then the new pro tour would lose credibility. She felt enormous pressure to win because of it. Really fascinating memoir, and listening to King read it in the audio version is terrific.
BJK quickly changed her opinion when she realized how critical Chris was going to be in building the tour ( along with Martina).
@@johniii8147 Changed her mind about what? The other women were treating Chrissie terribly at the time. Billie finally called a meeting & told them to be nice to her, because she was the future superstar of the sport, and would actually put $$ in their pockets. When they complained that Chrissie didn't speak to them, BJK countered by saying, "My God...She's only 16 years old! Give her a break!". King saw that Chrissie was the future leader in women's tennis & befriended her before any other player did so. Chrissie never forgot that kindness.
@@TheVerbalVolleythat is so true, I read Everts biography in the early eighties, this was some resentment towards her by other players during this tornament. Billie Jean said give her a go she is good for women's tennis or something like that.😊
@@TheVerbalVolley That's exactly what I said. BJK realized Chris was a goldmine in building the sport at the time.
My sincere apology for misreading your post.
To see a 16 year old teenager play that well against on the best players in the game is really someting
A lot of fans were put off by Chrissie because she was so stoic. But her head was in the game 100%. I first followed Billie Jean, then Chrissie, then Martina, then Serena. All GOATS.
All 5 cannot be the greatest of all time by definition😂
@@stevegordon8474 out of curiosity you would say was the best woman player of all time.
@@JohnLee-pt5jz I think the current young women like Swiatek are very good, and Barty had the potential for greatness had she not had other priorities but right now, I lean towards Graf though Evert was a force as was Navratilova. All these women had an array of shots that could cause real trouble to an opponent. They were also ice calm and strategic, and a good temperament is definitely a help. Some men, however, have got by well with tempers, like McEnroe, and even Djokovic can play better when the crowd is against him and he feels aggrieved though I haven't seen many women succeed that way. I will opt for Graf though Hingis was certainly extremely talented for one so young before injuries stopped her. There have been a lot. It really is hard to decide. What about you? Who would you choose?
@@stevegordon8474Graf or Navratilova. Navratilova was the best volleyer I've seen in women's tennis but Graf probably had a better all-court game and was marvellously athletic.I liked the wonderful talent of Evonne Goolagong and the attacking tennis of Mandlikova. I also liked Sabatini's McEnroe-type game with her artistry and net skills - a real antidote to how women's tennis is played now. Justine Henin had the best backhand I've seen in tennis - man or woman.
I hated the tennis of Monic Seles - yes it was successful but it was awful to watch and the ugliest tennis I've seen. It was one-dimesional bash, bash, bash frying-pan tennis and the forerunner to today's largely unwatchable women's game in which they all pretty much play the same one-dimesional baseline power game with variety of styles of play almost completely absent.
@@martydav9475 We're very much in agreement. Graf and Navratilova were dedicated athletes who kept elevating their games. I tend to agree also about baseline tennis dominating the game now, and yes it is boring to watch! I wonder how much this is due to the change in rackets that allow this much more than the old wooden rackets which seemed to demand a much greater array of skills...?
I like the camera angle level with the court at 2:34. Seems you don't see a game from that perspective too often.
I love this style of play
Those lacy tennis outfits are something else.
Brilliant tennis, brilliant share!
Tennis used to be so elegant. It has become a power game as the equipment has evolved and people have focused on being stronger, especially in men's tennis. I liked the serve and volley days.
I do get your meaning, but the men's and women's games are equally affected, and it's not strength so much as the power generated through technique and the modern equipment. The best tennis players are still very thin. Novak Djokovic is an extremely thin man; his raw strength isn't what makes him good. Roddick had the best serve of all time not because of raw strength, but incredible technique. Not going to change your mind or anything, but I just wanted to elaborate on your point.
@@machineofadream Point taken and I think we are saying the same thing. Whether it is by equipment, technique, power, etc, the game has become more like pro table tennis with "3rd ball kill" being the goal. Granted I am no expert, I had a tennis scholarship in the 80's at a small college, but I am a big fan of the game. I remember when the Wilson T3000 came out and it literally changed everything overnight, and todays equipment has far surpassed that one. It is still a great game and I still watch.
Remember Boris Becker, those were the days of real tennis. He was all over the court getting as dirty as necessary.
The “forehand-slice-to-approach-the-net” shot is rarely played and has been rarely played since the late 90’s IMO. These two set up their approach shot with it beautifully.
That was great! Memory lane etc. I got my ears pierced because of Chris Evert - I wanted gold hoop earrings like her!! Lol. I got them done for my 11th birthday...
BJK was a great and stylish player 👍
She walked and acted like a man. Great player but not at all ‘stylish’.
@@joeschmoe8264 who cares. Sexist thing to say about an amazing woman. You are a man, of course. Get lost.
Wow 🤩
❤❤❤
Amazing 😻
That was before my time but it is amazing 🤩
Matchball, handshake, no hugging like today. Great.
What’s wrong with a hug? I like hugging. It shows camaraderie, sportsmanship, and mutual respect for one another and more specifically the achievements of the winner without any ill will. It ends matches on a high note, even bad losses.
There’s almost no hugging in female tennis and it’s so bad compared to the real tennis
I love Billy Jeans tennis
Anyone else noticed Chrissie held 2 service balls in her hand and threw one back on a good 1st serve?
That’s what most women players did then. The dresses didn’t usually have pockets. Some kept the second ball in their free hand, but Evert’s two-handed backhand made that impossible. Some men also did this, btw, even with pockets.
I used to do that too
Wow, the level of play with that equipment is just phenomenal. I was expecting far worse.
I played both eras, wood and then into composite and metal etc. The high-quality wood racket with high quality lamb-gut strings (as opposed to what was thought to be "cat-gut") had a purity and pleasure of feel all it's own.
I've played w wooden racquets also. They felt really good. Lots of feel and precision.
You see the wood rackets. And. Evert was up there with Navratilova, as rivals for a while. Navratilova had an epic rivalry with Graf. Graf was easily up there with Williams. So. By 'substitution,' King and Evert could play with girls in 2010 and 2020. Plus. King and Evert. Exciting when you hear their names. Course. I'm from that era.
I love Billie's game. Smooth.
As a player I enjoy this because it’s understandable to emulate.
BJK looks as if your Sunday school teacher also moonlighted as a hard core tennis champ! 😂🤣
BJK had the best overhead smash I have ever seen, even better than Martina.
wow... nice to watch.
I would be a month away from my 1st birthday at that time.
Great tennis, fatuous commentary
I haven't closely followed tennis for decades. The modern game moves too fast for me. However, this video reminds me of when I used to love it. Everett was a master of baseline play and the passing shot and it took a lot to draw her to the net as this clip showed. BJK and Martina were great champions but who didn't love Chris Everett for her skill, poise and grace.
Evert, not Everett
@th8257 thanks for the correction.
Nascia a lenda da magnífica Chris Evert
Great to see some play at the net
Chris looked like 12, and Billie like a 49 year old spinster.
Edit: just an observation, no hate intended on either.
Chrissy was my favorite female player growing up...though i modeled my game after McEnroe I always appreciated her near flawless swing.
no grunting, no fist pumping, and at the end, didnt fall on the ground in disbelief...
Different humans different time different obstacles etc. the nature of the new generations is what makes tennis what it is today and the legends love it why can’t you??
They don’t grunt when they practice…I don’t like to listen…but if you like it then that’s fine with me
@@uselessjoe yes they do grunt during power hitting and baseline work practice and those that don’t it’s the energy of the game that brings it out sometimes like venus isn’t per say a “grunter” but when she’s in a power rally It happens. Much love and respect to you as well 💯
I regret, sorta, that I'm a bit too young to have seen BJK at her peak--I remember her most from the late 70s/very early 80s when knee surgeries and age had slowed her down and Martina and Evert had ascended. I had a BJK calendar hanging in my bedroom as a kid (and even had a BJK Bancroft racquet) and I remember how much I loved watching her, Evonne, and some others of that era play with a terrific combination of athleticism, grace, and all court skill. Legends.
"Billie Jean is not my lover" --- Michael Jackson
CE reaching semi's at age 16! I think Bud Collins was a CE fan from the beginning! 2 women's tennis legends. If not the greatest.
Are the courts nearby the airport?
they were obviously great for their time - neither would be top 100 today. Watch 2004 serena vs Sharapova wimbleton. They are playing a different game.
I didn't remember the U.S. Open being played on grass...makes for a much more subtle and classic game. anyone know why they switched to hard court?
People today have no idea how good Evert was for so long. There are 3 GOATs, Evert, Navratilova and S. Williams. Everyone else is everyone else.
Don't forget Steffi Graf, she won everywhere for a long time.
Most of us would like to forget Steffi Graf. She played in the softest era in Open tennis. After Navratilova retired from singles, Graf had only tepid competition, particularly after one of her fans stabbed Seles.
@@robertwebb3546Graf was a brilliant player by any standards, had an all-court game and was superbly athletic.
@@robertwebb3546 softest era?? According to Elo rating by tennis abstract & fivethirthyeight article it's Graf who played in a strongest era than Martina & Serena. When Steffi turned pro in 1982 she had to deal with peak Chrissy & Martina. That's Martina was late developer, she reached 10 slams finals after the age of 30, Evert still ranked no 2 till 1986 still Graf started beating them in the age of 16, then Graf had to deal with Sabatini, ASV, Seles, Novotna, Capriati, Pierce, Conchita Martinez, Hingis & Davenport. And don't forget she played Williams sisters multiple times before her retirement. And also many good 2nd tier players like MJF, Sukova, Shriver, Garrison etc. That's very tough era.
Your knowledge of womens tennis history is comparable to my knowledge of quantum physics.
Wow a grass court at the U.S. Open. Forest Hills, right?
Right 😊
When they didn't make the game too easy for professionals!
The Score ?
The Result??
It not fair to compare 🎾 of the 70s with 🎾 of the 80s and 90s. But the serve shows the "revolution" by Navratilova and Graf.
I would call this match experience vs youth.😊
Was the USO a grass surface event in the 70s??
Until 1974. From 1975-1977 it was played on clay, and from 1978 on it was played on hard courts.
Why were the ball kids facing the other side ?
Chris Evert wears a wedding dress.
Marcie versus Sally
Remarkable how Chrissie puts those lobs right in the line and asses with authority
King plays the point holding the second ball in her hand while Chris serves holding 2 balls in her hand but then tosses the 2 ball when she serves.. so weird
I'm an old guy, and I can tell you that's how we did it. To this day I hold the 2nd ball in my hand while I play.
@@rbraxley One handed backhand I presume? I couldn't play tennis without pockets lol
@@toptenguy1 Oh yeah, 1hbh all the way. In my tennis group I'm known as the 3-ball guy when I serve, because I always start with two in the hand and one in the pocket. (Holding two balls is actually all about my toss.)
I once saw a player lose a point because the ball fell out of his pocket during the point. It was ruled Obstruction: a distraction to the opposing player. So I'm surprised that Chrissy could do that.
Edit: It's certainly dangerous because of the risk of stepping on the loose ball in the backcourt during the point. We always call a let whenever a ball from a neighboring court rolls into our backcourt. It's too risky to continue play.
It’s illegal today. It would be intentional hindrance, loss of point.
As to the announcer saying it bounced twice at 2:00, it looked clean to me.
Chris looking the same at 16 that she was in her 30s lol! 😂
Jesus, I had no idea how low the standard of women's tennis was back then.
And your statement illustrates that you currently have "no idea" of what you are seeing when you view these matches from "back then". The wood racket game (and the strings) required a flatter and smoother swing. Massive topspin was impossible.
@@elmoblatch9787 There was far higher standard available with wooden racquets.
Borg and McEnroe showed this.
27 years old...she looks 45 to me :)
I don't know of any Man or Woman who hit better passing shots in their prime than Chrissie Evert.
lol no way
It is Really that good, it is ultra hard to do it even with big standard stable rackets nowadays
Have to say that I give the edge there to Monica Seles in the women's game
Borg
I agree. I remember watching her frustrate aggressive net players over and over again.
I kept waiting for Riggs to show up.
When did they have grass courts at the U S Open?
This is at Forest Hills New York, before the stadium at Flushing Meadows was built.
Until 1974. From 1975-1977 it was played on clay, and from 1978 on it was played on hard courts.
1881 to 1974
Is Chris Evert chewing gum during match play?
Yep 😆
grass 🌿✨court😊
Never knew that it’s grass court they used to hold U.S. Open in the 70’ !
US Open was held on grass from its inception in 1881 until 1974. From 1975 through 1977, it weirdly went to Har-Tru (green clay) after complaints about bad bounces kn the grass. It shifted to hard courts in 1978. Connors won on all three surfaces.
@@robertwebb3546 Thank you Robert!
1971 our country Bangladesh had a war with Pakistan. Bangladesh become a independent country in 16 th December 1971.
Wear 😷
Ok
WTF? What does that have to do with tennis?
Spoiler alert: these are two americans playing tennis at the us open, not gearing up for war in asia.
The game went a long way since..the modern game starts with Stefie Graf,Evert was a great talent,her serve was a joke though.
It's all subjective. It could have started with Martina Navratilova and the big raquets, Steffi may have moved it on, then along came Serena.
I’d say your assessment is a joke.
They played US Open on grass in 1971?
and every other year until 1975.
lol at 6:40 and also at 7:03 Chris threw the other ball left in her hand behind to continue play. That would be called a let in modern tennis.
No actually the opponent must ask her to stop. Then it becomes a hinderance
If you’ll notice, the dresses had no pockets. What else could she do with a two-handed backhand? Tossing the ball back to a ball kid was the only choice.
You're right. It would be a let in modern tennis. In the 70s (and before) you started with two balls in the hand. Most players just held the other ball because they had one-handed backhand. Stefi Graf would hold the ball in her hand if she made the first serve.
Try to guess how much l love you guys, even sports business are a matter of FAITH we have to believe and trust, it could work and then, it works. Sports competitions are the best reason to move on and travel for dating new partners in business, young generations deserve to give it a try and realize they can enjoy a champions career because still, sports make us dream forward, tennis is creating new stars to get fond of, no matter how short is a player's career, girls get married and have babies but that does not mean, they ever lose their super stars mass media influencers, gorgeous divas nature, sports are too beautiful to be dropped guys, if you bring back tennis interests all schools but mostly abroad, having enemies to fight against, I think is a good deal, there are much more wealthy tycoons world wide than you imagine, giving them a reason to get involved and become tennis lovers, yeah, why not? In the end, tennis remains the wealthy people's favorite sport above all
A changing of the guard ? BJK nearing the end of her illustrious career, Chris Evert, just starting out on hers. Back in 1971, the US Open was played on grass !
The grass courts at forest hill were notorious. One year, they got so water logged that they had to bring in a helicopter to try and dry them.
BJK not really near the end. She won six Slams and played 12 more years of singles after this.
@@kirkleach6743 - Not quite what I meant, but your point is well made. BJK was in her late twenties when this match was played. Yes she did win more grand slams, where I was coming from was, that once she reached her thirties, she was no longer the dominant force in women's tennis. She was more injury prone by then. Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova were the number one women's players and also younger:
@@TheQ-Continuum yes ‘changing of the guard’ moments are always interesting (15 years or so later it was Graf who was the new wunderkind). What fascinates me about this era was that this was the cusp moment of serious money being earned by top players (Billie Jean in 1971 was fighting tooth and nail to get a pro women’s circuit underway). You have to feel sorry for the previous generation though, Darlene Hard was only 7 years older than BJK but all her slam titles were won in the amateur era and she barely earned a dime. Anne Jones (commentating) beat BJK to earn the Wimbledon title in 1969 and won the princely sum of £800 for her efforts (by then though at 31 she was at the tail end of her career).
@@kirkleach6743I think reason Billie Jean was playing till she 40 or 41, was it was revealed she having a relationship with her secretary Marilyn Barnett, Billie Jeans sponsors dropped her, she kept playing because she needed the money. In biography I saw on Billie Jean many years ago, she said she didn't wanted to be playing at 40 or 41, I can't remember how it worked out for her.
¿Alguien sabe el nombre del tenista que siempre utilizaba un gorro y siempre golpeaba con los dos brazos? Gracias
BCN
I recall her but I can't remember the name. Announcers used to talk about her two handed backhand a lot.
If you're talking about a male player, that sounds like Frew McMillan.
Before her knee surgeries, Billie Jean was cat quick and played a similar game to Rosewall, chip and charge on backhand and occasionally rush the net on opponents weak second serve.
WOW I am surprised how pretty she was.
Too funny the emphatic opinions who is the GOAT (and the aliases (people using more than one name) on here crack me up too
What a slow motion game, Graf or Seles would win 6- 0, 6 - 0 against both
Their prize at Wimbledon back then was £1800 for the winner. How did they make a living?
Really????.
How lovedly you are,, Christ!
Ok I respect her and I truly don't want to be rude, but.. 27? Billie Jean looks 47 here! lol
Who cares. She would wipe you up on the court. Sexist thing to say…you must be a man. Like you are good looking and youthful. Please.
Well being butch may also have a bit to do with it. Robert at 67.
if not for the 11-year age difference -- if they had ever played when both on their prime, Chrissy never would have stood a chance!! No one could have beaten Billie Jean!
lol 10 22 to margaret Court...
@@Brauzeuge1516 21-13 Margaret. BJK won their first meeting at Wimbledon in 1962 by the score of 1/6,6/3/7/5. Margaret won their next nine consecutive matches without the loss of a set. They then played each other dead even (12-12) for their final matches against each other.
Back when all the Grand Slams except the French were played on grass.
King had to step up and actually do some work to win this.
No grounding. Couldn’t complete today.
Oh my god, the game was so slow and polite back then. Evert's serves look like backyard practice seves.
While it is definitely much slower due to the wooden racquets with smaller faces, I will say that it’s much faster in real life vs on-camera. They’re still hitting the ball plenty hard/fast.
Amazing young lady, was she actually chewing gum while playing?? 😂
Evert is chewing gum while playing.
Both of their dresses are made of the same fabric
Billie jean looks 40
j avais 10a
So different level now.much better than their times
It was 50 years ago!!!
Not the most appropriate comparison......1971 and 2021!!!
Ps compare the variety of baseline and net play then and you'll find out that today many matches are too one dimensional
So I have to ask if have played with a wooden racquet. It also has a much smaller head and is more flexible so it is difficult to generate power. I have played for 50 years so I can appreciate the difference in racquets.
That’s a damn good serve with a wooden racket by BJK.
The standard here was much higher than today's women's tennis. The volleying of King is second to none and the relentless reliability and precision of Evert's groundstrokes are unmatched.
I miss tennis like this. The modern game is so much less interesting, and they all grunt too much.
Ho sempre trovato noioso il gioco della Evert e purtroppo le ragazzine che arrivarono sulla scena copiarono il suo modello di gioco in quanto facile,senza per forza essere dotate chissà di che talento.Al contrario una giocatrice dal talento di Martina Navratilova,ma anche di Mandlikova e Novotna,non si e' più vista e mai più ne rivedremo di "nemmeno somiglianti" perché il suo e' stato un tipo di tennis inimitabile,come il suo talento,che non si può insegnare,o ce l'hai o e' meglio provare ad imitare la Evert,in quanto più accessibile a chiunque.Purtroppo!
Is it my phone that gives the weird sound when the ball is hit with a wooden racquet 😇😂
Bring back wood rackets. Way better game.
Slow motion tenis😂
Oh I just see Christ Evert at the age 18. She is so beautiful.
Chris Evert game was very slow as compared with today's tennis, her forehand seems cramped ,a pushy shot, with no circular back swing which is needed for power and seen today with every player. Wonder if she could play with today's players with the same pushy forehand without circular back swing.
She evolved as her career extended and the game evolved with her including hitting styles. Back then with the racquets they played with, this hitting style was the way to go since the head was so far away from your hand. This is as opposed to nowadays racquets where the head is larger and much closer which enables you to use that circular, whipping motion.
US Open was played on grass? Looks more like Court No.1 at Wimbledon.
Chris kinda looks like jen aniston.