I couldn’t remember the outcome of this match so i was rooting for Martina the whole time. She was a great champion and so fun to watch. She was plenty gracious in defeat. Obviously disappointed in herself for some missed opportunities. She didn’t play her best and barely lost. Just wasn’t her day. She’s not only a great champion but a strong role model who loved an amazingly brave life. She’s a hero!
Martina talked on Twitter recently about why she stopped playing the Australian Open after this. She mentioned how, like a lot of other players, she hated the Rebound Ace surface and thought it was dangerous - she mentioned how she burnt her knee once while getting down for a low volley (the surface was rubberised and got very hot and started to melt in hot weather). She also mentioned how before they switched from grass, the Australian Open officials asked the players which surface they wanted - apparently the players didn't want Rebound Ace but were ignored. Martina also said that scheduling became a real problem for her. She said there was too little time for her to recover from the last season and be ready for Australia in January.
In my opinion moving from kooyong was a bad idea for tennis purists however a good one for capital gain and commercialism. Stopping a grand slam on grass is always a bad idea. That tournament had a unique quality to it and would have brought in everyone eventually. The lesser slam was gaining more entries as the 1980s progressed.
I've a similar opinion on court no 1 at Wimbledon. And while it's looked at through my somewhat rose tinted specs, it was a unique and intimate arena that should have been preserved
@@dm7170 I guess a similar thing happened with the US Open when that moved from Forest Hills. Ultimately, it's always about the money. I suppose the move to the new stadium at Melbourne Park did start a huge new trend - having a sliding roof. All of the other grand slams have now copied it.
I wonder if Martina regrets not playing the 1990 Australian Open. It had a very weak field (Monica and Arantxa not there, with lots of the other players losing early) and Steffi was not in good form at all.
Martina said some years later that with hindsight, she'd been burned out from the end of 1986 - mid 1989 when she started working with Billie Jean King. Certainly, 1989 was an odd year for her and she took some long periods off the tour. After playing Tokyo at the start of February, she didn't play again for another 8 weeks, losing to Zvereva at Hilton Head on her return. She then lost to Sabatini the following week at Amelia Island, and took another 8 week break, only returning when the grass court season started in Birmingham. She took another 4 week break after Wimbledon. After the US Open she played the Fed Cup at the start of October then 3 weeks off before playing in New England and then finally the tour finals. All in all, she played 13 tour events, plus the Fed cup finals in October. Her schedule in 1990 was even more restrictive, playing only 11 events and cutting her season short to have knee surgery.
Sukova only beat Navratilova 6 times out of 32 matches but 3 times were at Grand Slams Not many players can say that other than Graf, Evert, Mandlikova
@@kdohertygizbur yes good point. Sukova was delightful all round. This was Martinas last match at Melbourne that century. She returned in her late 40s only to win a doubles slam..incredible
Martina had a reputation in her early days of not being able to finish off matches. That seemed to have been fixed in her best years of the mid 80s, but from 1987-89 the pattern started again. Navratilova served for the match against Graf at the 87 French Open and lost. She was a set and a break up against Graf at Wimbledon 1988 and lost. She was also up a set and a break against Sukova just a few months before this match at the tour finals and had been up 5-0 in the first set of the 1987 Eastbourne final against Sukova but frittered it away and lost in straight sets. There was this match and then the 1989 US Open Final, again against Graf where she was up a set and a break and lost. She very nearly also lost to Seles at the tour finals in 1989 after being up a set and way up in the second set.
@@paologonzato5202I think a lot of that was due to their style of play. Martina never liked playing against someone who could take the net from her, like Mandlikova and Sukova could at times.
@@paologonzato5202they played 3 times with Martina winning 6-4 in third set twice, other time in 83 Martina was just way too strong. The reason they didn’t play more often was that one was seeded one and other two then ggraf broke into the mix and Martina lost to zina in 88 then Evert lost to Zina in 89 when Chris was 34.5 yr old. Hana broke a possible match when in 85 beat Chris in Sf then Martina in final. Sukova beat an ailing evert ( knee) in Sf at 86 open then Martina beat Sukova. McNeil beat evert on a close 6-4 in third in QF against evert. So 84 final was the last evert vs Martina and it was a Doozey. Best open final next to 85 final.
Unless Martina was an asshole to another players or not likable because of some really terrible traits she has that makes her come acrosss as being disrespectable or selfish why would you enjoy watching anyone lose? There are some players I don't like but I never relish in seeing them lose unless they're playing against my favorite players but even so I wouldn't relish in it. I can understand if she's not one of your favorites but can I ask you if you have a strong hatred towards her that would justify your comment? I'm just curious.
What are you talking about? What did you see here that shows she was not gracious? She's always been gracious in defeat. Her showing disappointment in herself for losing is not the same as not being gracious in defeat. She has never disrespected her opponents when she lost to them.
I couldn’t remember the outcome of this match so i was rooting for Martina the whole time. She was a great champion and so fun to watch. She was plenty gracious in defeat. Obviously disappointed in herself for some missed opportunities. She didn’t play her best and barely lost. Just wasn’t her day.
She’s not only a great champion but a strong role model who loved an amazingly brave life. She’s a hero!
Thanks for your kind and sincere comment.
yes👍💖💖💖
What a treat thank you
Martina talked on Twitter recently about why she stopped playing the Australian Open after this. She mentioned how, like a lot of other players, she hated the Rebound Ace surface and thought it was dangerous - she mentioned how she burnt her knee once while getting down for a low volley (the surface was rubberised and got very hot and started to melt in hot weather). She also mentioned how before they switched from grass, the Australian Open officials asked the players which surface they wanted - apparently the players didn't want Rebound Ace but were ignored. Martina also said that scheduling became a real problem for her. She said there was too little time for her to recover from the last season and be ready for Australia in January.
I'd wondered why she didn't make any more appearances in the 1990s
Thanks
In my opinion moving from kooyong was a bad idea for tennis purists however a good one for capital gain and commercialism. Stopping a grand slam on grass is always a bad idea. That tournament had a unique quality to it and would have brought in everyone eventually. The lesser slam was gaining more entries as the 1980s progressed.
I've a similar opinion on court no 1 at Wimbledon. And while it's looked at through my somewhat rose tinted specs, it was a unique and intimate arena that should have been preserved
@@dm7170 I guess a similar thing happened with the US Open when that moved from Forest Hills. Ultimately, it's always about the money. I suppose the move to the new stadium at Melbourne Park did start a huge new trend - having a sliding roof. All of the other grand slams have now copied it.
チェコ出身🇨🇿の偉大な2人👍✨✨🤗 🎾😃☀️
I wonder if Martina regrets not playing the 1990 Australian Open. It had a very weak field (Monica and Arantxa not there, with lots of the other players losing early) and Steffi was not in good form at all.
Considering several players were injured due to the sticky surface, it's probably good she didn't go
@@kdohertygizbur Good point
Martina said some years later that with hindsight, she'd been burned out from the end of 1986 - mid 1989 when she started working with Billie Jean King. Certainly, 1989 was an odd year for her and she took some long periods off the tour. After playing Tokyo at the start of February, she didn't play again for another 8 weeks, losing to Zvereva at Hilton Head on her return. She then lost to Sabatini the following week at Amelia Island, and took another 8 week break, only returning when the grass court season started in Birmingham. She took another 4 week break after Wimbledon. After the US Open she played the Fed Cup at the start of October then 3 weeks off before playing in New England and then finally the tour finals. All in all, she played 13 tour events, plus the Fed cup finals in October. Her schedule in 1990 was even more restrictive, playing only 11 events and cutting her season short to have knee surgery.
She was burned out when Steffi Graf took over the game. More excuses from arrogant Martina 😂
Sukova only beat Navratilova 6 times out of 32 matches but 3 times were at Grand Slams
Not many players can say that other than Graf, Evert, Mandlikova
@@kdohertygizbur yes good point. Sukova was delightful all round. This was Martinas last match at Melbourne that century. She returned in her late 40s only to win a doubles slam..incredible
Sukova le ganó dos veces a Navratilova en el AO, en el 84 y 89
Martina had a reputation in her early days of not being able to finish off matches. That seemed to have been fixed in her best years of the mid 80s, but from 1987-89 the pattern started again. Navratilova served for the match against Graf at the 87 French Open and lost. She was a set and a break up against Graf at Wimbledon 1988 and lost. She was also up a set and a break against Sukova just a few months before this match at the tour finals and had been up 5-0 in the first set of the 1987 Eastbourne final against Sukova but frittered it away and lost in straight sets. There was this match and then the 1989 US Open Final, again against Graf where she was up a set and a break and lost. She very nearly also lost to Seles at the tour finals in 1989 after being up a set and way up in the second set.
If Martina would not be so emotive She could have won at least 25 majors not "only"18 and probably would have beaten Evert 60 times not "only"43!
And another problem for Martina was playing against her former compatriots like Sukova and Mandlikova,loosing some very crucial & close matches
Despite the entire crowd has been Always on Evert side at Flushing Meadows Martina never Lost against Chris when US Open was played at FM,NEVER!!
@@paologonzato5202I think a lot of that was due to their style of play. Martina never liked playing against someone who could take the net from her, like Mandlikova and Sukova could at times.
@@paologonzato5202they played 3 times with Martina winning 6-4 in third set twice, other time in 83 Martina was just way too strong. The reason they didn’t play more often was that one was seeded one and other two then ggraf broke into the mix and Martina lost to zina in 88 then Evert lost to Zina in 89 when Chris was 34.5 yr old. Hana broke a possible match when in 85 beat Chris in Sf then Martina in final. Sukova beat an ailing evert ( knee) in Sf at 86 open then Martina beat Sukova. McNeil beat evert on a close 6-4 in third in QF against evert. So 84 final was the last evert vs Martina and it was a Doozey. Best open final next to 85 final.
Just one game played and already frustrated..Martina was strange sometimes.
Ted Tinling famously said of her "she goes from arrogance to panic with nothing in-between"
Judy Nelson was probably not in the mood for the licky-licky prior to the match.
From 87 onwards Martina had lost her aura the players started to beat her more and more and only won one more GS
ナブラチロワは1994年のウィンブルドンまで輝き続けていました!😊😉❤️✨✨✨
But she continued to make several more finals, she reached 8 or 9
Martina choked on 2nd serves ag Matchpoint...
choking..then theres not playing well/// she might have what you call choked but overall sukova never won a singles major to maartinas what?18?
Loved watching Navratilova LOSE!
Unless Martina was an asshole to another players or not likable because of some really terrible traits she has that makes her come acrosss as being disrespectable or selfish why would you enjoy watching anyone lose? There are some players I don't like but I never relish in seeing them lose unless they're playing against my favorite players but even so I wouldn't relish in it. I can understand if she's not one of your favorites but can I ask you if you have a strong hatred towards her that would justify your comment? I'm just curious.
@@guyinsfjust a hater
Navratilova was never gracious in defeat.
What are you talking about? What did you see here that shows she was not gracious? She's always been gracious in defeat. Her showing disappointment in herself for losing is not the same as not being gracious in defeat. She has never disrespected her opponents when she lost to them.
@@guyinsfanother hater