Chris Evert d. Martina Navratilova-1988 Australian Open SF
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ม.ค. 2013
- Having made the final of the Australian Open in every year she played it, Chris counts this semifinal match as special for a number of reasons. Right in the midst of 3 straight-set wins over Navratilova in 4 matches, this victory in the Aussie Open was the most high profile, and earned her the right to play Steffi Graf for the title. And while the Graf match became historical for being the first ever Grand Slam final played "indoors" under a retractable roof, this semi was personally historical for Chris, as it brought her one last appearance in a Grand Slam final, at age 33.
John Barrett and yes, Evonne Goolagong-Cawley (!) provide commentary from the Australia Sport-7 network. Footage provided by chrisevert.net. - กีฬา
Eventhough Chris was not the athlete that Martina was, the power speedster that Steffi was, the power monster Seles was, nor the all around great player Serena still is,....
Chris Evert is in my book the toughest mental player ever.
Yes she was the greatest mentally of all time but qualifies for additional aspects among them greatest lobs, drop shots, best two-handed backhand and passing shots off both wings!
@@markwhitman9029 ABSOLUTELY ON POINT! Chrissie was adaptable. When she put her mind into something, she wouldn't stop until results were accomplished.
There are many things I love about this match. It was Chris' last semi win to get into a final, which happened an astonishing 34 times. There were very few unforced errors. And did you notice the last point. No screaming, "Come on," and such nonsense that happens nowadays after every single match whether it's first round or final. Go out, play your game, shake hands. Things have changed and not for the better.
Strongly disagree! Science! We gain more power w a loud exhalation! Seles proved this. Had she not been stabbed by a jealous, crazed Steffie fan, she would have had 25 majors grunting all the way. See Alcaraz!!
Sit down
Quit complaining!
You are so right
One of the best matches Chris played in her career. She was relentless.
Chris Evert. Most beautiful ground strokes of any player, ever.
Yes some experts name Austin, seles etc.but when she was on which was about 90% of the time Chrissie's groundstrokes were amazing. Sometimes when even the great Martina was rallying with her I'd think girl you are making a big mistake! LOL
The greatness of Evert is her longevity and her ability to adapt her game from wood racquets to the modern graphite racquet speed game. Chris is 32 or 33 at this point in her career and she is hitting harder than ever.
An old post...but, Chris increase in power is astonishing. Racquets do matter.
Some present tennis fans say that Chris hit softly??? Really? As her career progressed Chris hit with a great amount of power!
Yes. Part of that losing streak of 13 to Martina was waiting late to switch to the graphite. She said at time she was nervous about losing her trademark control of the the ball with a new racket. She clearly conquered that.
Chrissy Evert has an amazing presence about her. It's quite hard to explain what it is but it's really nice.
the contrasting styles and respect each had for the other made this rivalry the best tennis has ever seen....possibly the best in any sport. There is much to learn by watching Chris and Martina play
No one has ever had better passing shots than Evert.
Not to mention the best drop shot & lob
I’d possibly just shade that to Monica Seles, her passing shots were incredible. Chris at total class act of course though
@@craigmills3583 Nah.
One of the most famous tennis player of all time - and yet the umpire calls her 'Evrett' half the time!
I will never forget watching this match back in January '88. Whilst many people will talk of Chris's amazing wins over Martina in the '85 and '86 French Open finals, I believe this particular match was one of her finest against Martina, along with the '82 Aussie Open win - on grass back then. From the get go, Martina didn't appear to stand a chance here. Chris was beyond relentless, hitting her groundstrokes with pin-point accuracy and incredible pace. It was a lesson to every person watching that day (including an aspiring professional as I was back then, at age 14) in how to continually pass a serve and volley player by carrying out flawless footwork, executing near perfect timing and effecting unblemished follow-through. You can see how stunned Martina looked at times during this match. Almost as if to say, "what on earth can I do?". This is, without a doubt, one of my favourite Chris Evert matches.
Tennis history would have been far different if Chris Evert had not missed out on so many French Open (her favourite surface) and Australian Open championships. Back in the 70s and even into the early 80s, World Team Tennis was extremely dominant, and it resulted in some slams being relegated to the lower echelons of the tennis roster. I believe, had the focus been less on World Team Tennis, Chris would have won at least another 3 or 4 French Open Championships and perhaps 3 of 4 Aussie Opens, which would have made her the best female tennis player in history - in terms of Grand Slam wins.
In addition, Martina started playing with a graphite racquet in early '82. Chris held onto the comfort of her wooden racquet for more than two years after that. Sadly, the power of graphite would have been necessary to counteract the sheer strength of Martina during that Nancy Lieberman power period and beyond.
Then again, all of these "what if's" are simply that - a guessing game. Perhaps if Chris had played more French and Aussie Open slams in the 70s, and adopted a graphite racquet earlier, she may not have had the same drive in subsequent years to win more slams - like she did in '84 (Aussie Open win), and '85/'86 (French Open wins).
I think Chris would be the first to say, Martina always had a chance against her, especially in the 80s...if Martina had won that 5-4 game in the second, it would have gone 3- anybody's ball game.
@@aagold76 And vice versa.
Defiantly one of the best matches Chris ever played.
@@aagold76 I believe this works both ways. Several of their matches could have gone either way, including a few Wimbledon semis and finals, and a few US Open finals, amongst many others. Had they gone Chris's way, tennis history could prove very different.
@@bradw3800 The US Open final in 1984 was a classic example of that. Very tight match. It actually gave Chris confidence again after losing 13 times in a row. After that match they were essentially even in matches till the end of the rivalry and Chris won 2 grand slams in a row after that match.
No scream
No tantrum
Such a golden era of tennis
Players today want to put on a show with that Tantrums, so the media will talk about it, it's all for attention
Loved watching Evert play.
I love the announcing in this match.... so classy and eloquent.
I fancied Chris Evert the 1st time that I'd seen her playing on Wimbledon. I remember so vividly as she was my 1st crush when I was at primary school.
She was a quite nice girl back then.
Not in the Sabatini, Graf, Kournikova, Ivanovic category but still.... 😍
This gives you an idea of the kind of player Evert could have been in the modern era if she grew up with the new rackets.
A true professional and gracious and class Ms. Evert.
what a treat! i have this match on dvd but with different commentators. being English I'm very used to hearing john Barrett but I've never heard evonne cawley commentate before and she talks as if sitting next to you. lovely. Evert is practically perfection in this match. and what a joy to watch tennis without the unnecessary shrieking. excellent post. thank you so much.
Beautifully crafted shots, from a legend.
She was the best ever(t). Loved her.
Chris Evert is a total babe by this time in her career. She got herself in such good shape by this time compared to earlier in her career.
Revisited this video and as enthralled as the first viewing. Timeless. Like a fine wine......
I really wish Chris had switched over from her undersized wooden racquet sooner than 84. She would have won alot more of these matches against Martina. This was classic Evert when she was on
Drew deflon I know. And connors too. I loved yonex
I guess Chris just wasn't comfortable doing it. A lot of the pros pretty much never change their racquets. They just get them re-sprayed to make them look like the racquets their sponsors are advertising at the time. Martina was something of a rarity in the pro game in that she was willing to change her racquet relatively frequently - always looking for any competitive edge.
Yes, I agree!
The most powerful weapons in tennis? Sampras' serve, Federer's forehand, Djokovic's backhand, McEnroe's volley, and I can go on, and on.
It was Evert's concentration. Her mental strength is on another level. So missed in today's game where young players have to deal with "so much pressure".
I could watch Chrissie hitting ground strokes all day. Gorgeous.
Evert at her best, moving well, superb anticipation, steely concentration, slashing passing shots with great authority and accuracy, hitting hard and deep groundstrokes. Great stuff! You could always tell when Chris was feeling especially confident, she would hit her forehand with much more pace and authority than usual, as was the case in this match. She would also try coming into net more often too.
Chris Evert ground strokes at their best.
When you see how well she's playing at 32 years old, you can't help but think how on earth Chris did not switch to graphite like most other players -Navratilova inculded- in 1982. She probably would have a winning H2H against her and would have won a few more slams imo.
She definitely made the racket shift a bit late. That was definitely a factor.
I love how Chris and Evonne have always spoken highly of one another. I so enjoyed watching their matches
this what i called art in tennis. just gorgeous.
Love Evonne Goolagong. Her game along with Evert's and Federer's are the most beautiful because of grace of movement and striking ability. Great to hear this great champion compliment her old foe.
The days when hard courts were cement, not sponge like now both absolute beasts of the game
The 'Ice Maiden' was in superb form in this one and is a reminder of what great rivalries are all about, with different playing styles and strategies, that produce competitive memorable matches, always remembered.
Watching tennis today, I am amazed how players who win the match, first round to semis, walk onto the court and do a victory march. All they have done is won one match. Back in the day, players waited until they actually won a tournament until they walked around and waved to the crowd. Chris just won a magnificent match, greeted Martina, and walked back to her chair!! Such EGO today!!!LOL
tom g I so agree. This self-celebration, fist-pumping, atavistic grimacing, shrieks of primordial triumph after every point won...it's too much. I mean, it's not like any of them just invented a cure fo cancer. It's a game, for God's sake; a wonderful, exciting, interesting game, but still just that. The one who I find the most bothersome in this respect is Djokovic - great player, no question, also seems like a nice guy - but his antics are IMHO simply too much. (It's also very disrespecful to the opponent.)
+thomas schmitz not Sharapova she rarely asks for anything during play she may grunt but she always keeps to herself no towels no unnecessary medical timeouts not even wristbands, & no racquet smashing, nothing only pure inner intensity..she toughs it out and just plays her game love it
Flawless tennis from Chris here. One thing I did notice was that Martina’s volleys did not have their usual “punch” and seemed to sit up a little higher than usual, giving Chris that extra second to smack it past her time and again. She also hit several shots right back to her rather than into the open court. She was talking to herself early in this one which was typically not a good sign for her. Chris was just too good that day!
Beautiful tennis.
I remember that match. Chris was on fire. That backhand at 6:03. Wow.
Mi preciosa Evert ganó bien y con toda su delicada belleza
The sound of that backhand pass at 6:04. Wow. Loved the announcers reactions too.
Evertless passing shots! Also Chris was super ripped at that point too.
Folks don't understand how really good these two were!!
Then came Steffie, then Serena! Margaret was amazing as well.
Wow! What great shots -- against a great opponent too!
The absolute greatest rivalry in sports history.
YOU ARE RIGHT!! Chris had beaten Martina 6-2 6-1 in Los Angeles prior to that, but she did lose to Martina indoors in Germany inbetween these matches; it was 3 out of 4 that she won in straight sets. The description will be corrected! Thank you...
I've never seen this match. These highlights really showed how well Chris Evert could play. This was her day and nothing could stop her.
Sounds of Evonne Goolagong as commentator.
Chris Evert - a beautiful lady !
Great match from Evert
Martina was looking ahead to playing Steffi. Her mistake. Chrissie nailed her here, and it joyous to watch then as it is now. Such a shame they had to delay the Final to close the roof because Chrissie was hitting so well against Steffi before the roof closed.
Also, as a side note, Chrissie's overhead was not appreciated enough. It was solid as a rock.
exactly, her overhead was as solid as rock because she didn't try to do to much with it. calmly putting it away to where she needed to and of course she had great technique.. rarely very rarely one would see evert miss a overhead.
My only complaint about her overhead was that her placement was just a little too safe. Points stayed alive sometimes that she should have ended with the overhead. Still my favorite player of all time. People used to say she was boring but she was truly fascinating to watch. Every shot had a thought behind it and for her day she hit the ball hard.
ONLY a person who doesn't know tennis would EVER say evert was boring... or "just got the ball back and was a backboard" even in her wood racket days... as you stated EVERY shot had a thought behind it, she was a MASTER at constructing a point (a skill that today even the top players do not have!), she thought 2 or 3 shots ahead and never ever was she ever 'doing the same thing over and over again"... ultimate female chess player she was.. in her graphite wielding days when she was fitter and stronger, she became more of a all court with variety counterpuncher and when need be aggressor....
Plus, her passing shots were equally as "athletic" as the volleying of Navratilova. Sometimes they were just pure reaction and where they went was nothing short of miraculous. She doesn't really get her due because of her style of play and because of her own self-deprecation. I don't agree with her assessment re: her best day v. Martina's. I think on Evert's best day Martina couldn't play her best. Martina could only play her best tennis when Evert wasn't at her very best.
well said jonathan! she does NOT get her due because her brand of athleticism isn't seen as "dynamic" as others and because of her self deprecation, which she seems hell bent on portraying herself as since her retirement. I"ve always wondered why? is she trying to prove a point to everyone that she was/is MORE then a tennis player? is she trying to portray to the world she is a full evolved woman and that's the most important thing? or that she doesn't want to be seen as "pathetically clinging" to her glory days and she has a real life since her retirement? or what...i also agree with you on her thoughts on her best day... towards the end the last few years it was 12-7 martina's edge, but it was REALLY when you look and analyze this head to head in their last years (85 to 88) based on what SURFACE THEY PLAYED ON... faster the surface martina won, the slower the surface evert won... and on the quote "most neutral" surface that being hard court (yes, even hard courts can be slower or faster i know) evert led 3-2.. 43-37 over 18 years is pretty much a dead heat even... what hurts evert is the 13 losses in a row... however, i think most people who know tennis and this rivalry agree that IF evert had changed to graphite sooner and got herself stronger, fitter, faster and changed her tactics which she DID do, all of this eventually that those 13 losses in a row would NEVER have occurred... and the head to head just might be even different..
Only three women managed to take Evert down in her 6 attempts here. Two of them were seeded higher than she, when they did. The only player to beat her who was seeded lower was in the commentary booth.
Seeing these 70s and 80s highlights really makes me believe tennis today has become more metronomic and less imaginative. Coaches and tacticians talking about patterns of play, percentage shots etc. Just look at this amazing creativity, imagination and superb use of court geometry and space!
It's something that has been going on for a very long time. Perhaps worth remembering that Martina's support group were very into that kind of analysis. I believe Renee Richards in particular arranged for computer analysis of Chris's game to be done so that Martina would have an idea of Chris's game patterns. I can't imagine Martina was the only player whose support group was doing that. Players have always analysed opponents for weaknesses.
Just think on it: Evert made 34 grand slam finals in her career even though she didn't play Roland Garros nor the Australian in most of her prime years. IMO the GOAT.
I love how John Barrett says "Judy Nelson, her friend...."
Fantastic performance by Chris here. Bit of an odd period in both players careers here. For Chris, it was her last grand slams final. For Martina, she was struggling with burn out and the end of her time at the top. 1988 saw some very erratic performances from her and disappointing losses.
88 was simply the year of Steffi. Marina
tried but you mentioned the burnout. She wasn’t her usual self and yes Steffi definitely capitalized.
I watch this and believe that Evert absolutely could compete in any time period, including now. She wouldn’t dominate, but she’d force stronger players to beat her and it would give them fits.
The greats would do well in any era since more than anything it's about your mental and competitiveness. The rest can be taught and worked on, those two things not so much.
That's a good analysis.
Best rivalry of all time in WTA tennis history
As I watch old footage of Chris Evert, I more appreciate the decision making skills and the shot making ability that she had. We always say that this one or that one was a better athlete. I am not sure that is true. Chris was one of the best athletes in the world if you look at body -brain connection. Just incredible.
Good grief! By this time in her career, Chris had been playing some 17 or 18 years as a pro, and the umpire STILL could not pronounce Evert correctly most of the time!!
The truth about their rivalry is that they met 35 times on an indoor carpet, and 15 times on grass, 16 times on hard court, 14 clay... the first two stats were Martina's best surfaces.Thats 50 matches of 80 that favoured Martina. I think the rivalry is quite incredible. Considering that they had to go through many changes from the start to the finish of their careers. I also believe that Chris holding on to the wood racket too long impacted this rivalry as well.
I really don't think there was an advantage at the end. Chris had obviously met the challenge Martina gave her and taken away Martina's inherent advantage in sheer speed with her increased aggressiveness and new racket. Chris had to change her strategy and approach but I give her credit for doing that. Had they continued, Chris would have prevailed more often simply because a serve and volley player is far more inconsistent. And that is why Chris was simply the greatest player. 90% doesn't lie.
being the greatest doesnt mean onlv Records, it means having the greatest game, and Chris Evert in no way had the 'greatest' game, that was MN by a mile, this was an off day for Martina
8:52 such great mobility by Martina, not many people could move like that.
Fun to watch! Thanks.
Great match play from evert
Q estilo y clase de Chris Evert !!!
I totally agree with Thomas every stroke and point is thought of and carefully constructed by the greatest female tennis player ever.
Wonderful tennis from the two greatest… I love they were friends too…. Heart warming…
35 years ago today. Wow.
Imagine if she would've played Australian Open 75-80 and Roland Garros 76-78. She could've very well ended up with 22-25 majors.
Woulda-coulda-shoulda doesn't count in sports.
By that time, Chris had almost totally caught up with Martina. Only fair that Chris won one of their very last encounters in a Slam in straight sets.
She rightfully could have won their 1988 Wimbledon encounter in the semis, except for that horrendous call on match point. That ball was totally on the line.
This is the first year at Flinders Park. I thought Chris Evert was no match for Navratilova or Graf at this period?
I'm suprised.
Chris was catching up to Martina by this point. She moved faster and hit harder. Still it was the twilight of their rivalry. Steffi was dominating the sport by then.
I kinda agree though at this point in time Martina was the current Wimbledon and US Open champion so they were both hanging tough against Steffi.
I hated how the AO used to televise the matches from such a high angled view. Can you imagine watching any other sporting event as if you were in a blimp? I don't believe the cameras are that high any longer.
yes its very high
quite off putting
it changed in 1994
The umpire also mispronouncing Evert's last name, like, half the time didn't help, either. I noticed! ;)
Great match! One question: does Navratilova ever get called for Foot Faults?
Almost always.
The most mind boggling thing about this is that in her entire career she played the Australian open a grand total of 6 times (winning twice). This means she skipped it 11 or 12 times, including peak years. She also skipped the French Open 3 times (all of which she would have won). That's 5-10 GS titles she could have won. I get that things were different then and her popularity had a lot to do with it but still, skipping 15 Grand Slam Tournaments!
Jonathan Wallach Alot of players skipped the Australian because back then it was the last tournament of the year and players were too tired to travel halfway around the world to play in a major few cared about. That's why the Australian was moved to first in the year. There is no proof that Evert would have won those French opens that she missed. If that's the case then she should have won all the Frenches she entered. But she didn't. She entered 13 French opens in 19 seasons and she won 7. What happened in the other 6 where she didn't win? So to say she would have won those that she didn't play is short sighted and just fanboy talk.
Stevie between 1976 and 1979 she was unbeaten on clay. You’re an idiot. Those were the years she skipped. She won in 74, 75, 79, 80. Yes she most likely would have won them.
She played World Team Tennis and they wouldn't let you play the majors when you played World Team
Evert became more aggressive after the emergence of Graf. That’s how you beat Navratilova.
Steffi emerged in 1983. Until then Evert was 30-19 win/loss against Navratilova. After that only 7-24.
From 83-84, Chris lost 13 straight times including the French open 84 which Chris shoulda ruled. Pretty hopeless. From 85-89, Chris won 3 slam encounters with Martina (85,86 French and 89 Aussie) out of 5. Unbelievable turnaround. If she hadn't totally caught up, she was closing in pretty amazingly fast. Besides, didn't I say *almost*?
Sure miss this quality of tennis smart tennis not who can hit the hardest
Has anyone got the Wimbledon 1988 semi final ?
A few years before when they played with wooden racket the sport was bit slow.But by looking at this how can some present generation people say Tennis stars of old generation would fail in front of present generation tennis players who play fast paced tennis.?!
John barrett brilliant commentator
I know it's been mentioned but how stupid do you have to be to be a chair umpire in a semifinal at a GS and keep saying Everett? Arguably the most popular player in history.
Chris schooled Martina on a quick court. When her timing was on she was the better player.
One complaint: I never understood why the directors or producers of televised tennis matches thought that camera shots of the crowd at the end of a match were more interesting than what was going on with the players at the net.
The evidence is what the game of each player required. For a serve and volley player has a much more fragile game than a baseline player. And particularly since Chris's court coverage was based on anticipation rather than speed, Martina would have lost much more in her game than Chris ever could. Again, this is simply born out in the performance of players over time. I refer 2 serve and volley players as "all or nothing shooting stars." A hare, not a turtle. Chris was the best turtle in history!
game Everett ... game Everett.. Everett leads 2 love ..Everett leads 3 love .... UGH ITS PRONOUNCED EVERT ..
Yep but two of four majors were played on grass through 1987. Sooo of their finals meetings only that's 4 that were not played on fast low bouncing grass, and 10 that were played on a serve/volleyer's dream court.
Is Evert really that hard to say?
Has any one got the Wimbledon 88 semi final
GOOD LUCK CHRIS! I hope you'll win your actual match with disease. You can succeed, you are the best player of all times.
I don't know where you are getting those match stats from, could you supply a link? In any case, we certainly agree on the absurdity of any notion that anyone avoided anyone on a surface to bolster a H to H stat. Players tend to defend their points, which they acquired from victories the previous year. that means both Evert and Navratilova went back where they won before Tournaments pressured them both to show up at venues without another 'big name' to bring crowds and ensure a healthy tour
Someone needed to tell Fran McDowell how to pronounce “Evert”. LOL
It is clear modern tennis is being created. The death of the serve and volley and the dominance of the two-fisted backhand ground-strokes powered by graphite.
Sampras and Edberg, et al, held on until Fed and Nadal came on the scene.
what are the little designs on chris’ top?
Chris Evert was such a beautiful lady.
❤❤❤
in 16 year career, Chris only played 6 Australians...she also skipped about 6-7 French, Martina skipped about the same number total of both. The French and Aussie were sort of the bastard step children of the 4 events, it wasn't until the mid 80s- 84 or so on, that all the top players regularly played the French and Aussie. Connors only played the Australian twice in his career. Had Martina and Chris played every slam like players today- both would have 5-6 more Slam titles and be in that 23-24 Serena/Court area. Chris skipped 3 French in her prime to play World Team Tennis- which was more important to the game than the French was at the time. The 3 who won in her absence never took a set off her on clay. This was during the time she won 125 straight matches on clay. The Aussie was on grass through 1987, imagine if Martina hadn't skipped that 6-7 times.
Oh, I know! How come they never bring this up when talking about the best ever? Seriously, Chris would have easily had so many more grand slams. I don't follow Martina, but sounds like she would have too. I do love how they both ended with 18 though! And in my opinion, Chris was the best wooden racket player of all time. If the game would have stayed with wood rackets a little longer, she would have had many more slams as well. And she switched too late to graphite as well. She was still using wood when others had more power with the graphite.
@@jac7124 I would LOVE to see players of today play a match with a wooden racket. Half would be sobbing in the fetal position after 1 game.
@@aagold76 Ha, yep! I've always said that too. I would love to see them try and play with the wooden rackets. They would be shanking the ball all over the place! It made tennis a lot more fun to watch. Not just aces all the time.
What racket is martina using here ?
The 6-4 record could just as easily been 5-5 if you remember one meeting in particular. so really there was no advantage between the two at the end. But my point was simply to point out that everyone knows that the serve and volley game is just more fragile from match to match. As is the fitness of a player as they get older.
The umpire keeps mispronouncing Chris's name as "Ev-ret." If I were Chris, I would've tapped on the chair during a changeover and said, "You know, I own 18 Grand Slam titles, have finished the year as No. 1 seven times, have been the most famous female athlete on the planet for 15 years, and my success is the reason you have a job. Get my frickin' name right, even if you have to write it down." Sooo unacceptable 😝
I know. That was Fran McDowell. She's on TH-cam as the umpire in several of Chris' matches. It really IS UNACCEPTABLE for the chair umpire not to know the players' names. It's EV--ERT.
Jonathan Kieran I noticed that too..very unacceptable.
Que buen tenis.
I don't think Chrissie ever "totally caught up with Martina". Even when they reached 30 matches all after the 1984 Wimbledon final, Martina still won 13 of the last 20 matches they played. 65%.The last matches were more competitive and eveny played, but Martina still won two out of every three matches they played at the end of their legendary rivalry.