Evert - Sue Barker video

[BTURNER]

Between Margaret Court's great forcing forehand drive and Graf's amazing weapon, there were few more noted for that stroke, than Sue Barker of GB, who was steady enough to win a depleted field '76 RG. and got to the the semi's of W and Australia twice and was ranked #3 in the world. she has 11 singles titles to her name and 12 doubles per Wiki, including 2 grass, 5 clay and 4 carpet. . I had never seen her play before. while this match was not particularly competitive, you do get to see that shot. Post Graf, it may look second rate, but for its day, it really was impressive to hit winners on clay past a top form Evert. This shot had some real pop but the back hand mishits. Sue isn't steady enough for Evert and she is definitely slower but she puts heart into retreiving and courage into her strokes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwDgx...&feature=feedu

[dannykl]

Originally Posted by BTURNER

Between Margaret Court's great forcing forehand drive and Graf's amazing weapon, there were few more noted for that stroke, than Sue Barker of GB, who was steady enough to win a depleted field '76 RG. and got to the the semi's of W and Australia twice and was ranked #3 in the world. she has 11 singles titles to her name and 12 doubles per Wiki, including 2 grass, 5 clay and 4 carpet. . I had never seen her play before. while this match was not particularly competitive, you do get to see that shot. Post Graf, it may look second rate, but for its day, it really was impressive to hit winners on clay past a top form Evert. This shot had some real pop but the back hand mishits. Sue isn't steady enough for Evert and she is definitely slower but she puts heart into retreiving and courage into her strokes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwDgx...&feature=feedu

Yes Sue's forehand is quite good with that old-fashioned racket.
Very few big forehand at that time.

It's interesting that so few top women players really have an outstanding top-tier forehand.

More women have an top-tier backhand but not forehand. For example Hingis, Serena, Seles, Evert.

Henin, Lindsay and Martina N have relatively balanced high quality forehand and backhand.Still their forehand is not at the same league as Graf. Actually although their forehands are great, they are still far behind the first-class standard of Graf's.

We normally have many competitors for best backhands in each era but when think of forehand, the shortlist is much limited and it's usually like Court for 60's, Barker for 70's and Graf from the 80's.

Is it because it's more difficult to develop and master a standing out first class forehand than a backhand? Why we see more top class backhand candidates in the backhand department(Seles, Serena, Hingis, Henin, Evert, Sabatini....) but only very limited candidates for best forehand(Court for 60's, Barker for 70's and Graf from 80's)?

[kiki]

Originally Posted by dannykl

Yes Sue's forehand is quite good with that old-fashioned racket.
Very few big forehand at that time.

It's interesting that so few top women players really have an outstanding top-tier forehand.

More women have an top-tier backhand but not forehand. For example Hingis, Serena, Seles, Evert.

Henin, Lindsay and Martina N have relatively balanced high quality forehand and backhand.Still their forehand is not at the same league as Graf. Actually although their forehands are great, they are still far behind the first-class standard of Graf's.

We normally have many competitors for best backhands in each era but when think of forehand, the shortlist is much limited and it's usually like Court for 60's, Barker for 70's and Graf from the 80's.

Is it because it's more difficult to develop and master a standing out first class forehand than a backhand? Why we see more top class backhand candidates in the backhand department(Seles, Serena, Hingis, Henin, Evert, Sabatini....) but only very limited candidates for best forehand(Court for 60's, Barker for 70's and Graf from 80's)?

Very interesting, and you are right...Vicario,Novotna and some others not mentioned (Cawley,King) had better BH than FH.But in the FH side, you forgot Mandlikova, on of the greatest all time FH (men and women)

[Joe Pike]

Originally Posted by kiki

Very interesting, and you are right...Vicario,Novotna and some others not mentioned (Cawley,King) had better BH than FH.But in the FH side, you forgot Mandlikova, on of the greatest all time FH (men and women)

And what about Lloyd and Mill?

[kiki]

Originally Posted by Joe Pike

And what about Lloyd and Mill?

What has this to see with the thread?

[Limpinhitter]

Originally Posted by BTURNER

Between Margaret Court's great forcing forehand drive and Graf's amazing weapon, there were few more noted for that stroke, than Sue Barker of GB, who was steady enough to win a depleted field '76 RG. and got to the the semi's of W and Australia twice and was ranked #3 in the world. she has 11 singles titles to her name and 12 doubles per Wiki, including 2 grass, 5 clay and 4 carpet. . I had never seen her play before. while this match was not particularly competitive, you do get to see that shot. Post Graf, it may look second rate, but for its day, it really was impressive to hit winners on clay past a top form Evert. This shot had some real pop but the back hand mishits. Sue isn't steady enough for Evert and she is definitely slower but she puts heart into retreiving and courage into her strokes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwDgx...&feature=feedu

Nice find! It seemed that the only shot that Barker wasn't stronger than Evert was her backhand. And that's all it took.

[BTURNER]

Originally Posted by Limpinhitter

Nice find! It seemed that the only shot that Barker wasn't stronger than Evert was her backhand. And that's all it took.

yea, she took big swings at all sorts of shots in this clip which may have been worth risks on the forehand but paid the price in some bad embarrassing errors on overheads/backhands and medicocre dropshots. Its odd though, the Barker game looks roughly like Graf - ultra lite . You can't go for broke on the forehand, unless your one hander is rock solid and effective, and you move very very well. Evert ate her for lunch as she did with Graf, until Graf's game and physique developed. At what, 16 or 17, the lunch bit back.

[jaggy]

She still can rip them with the best

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnp_NwiuC8s

[BTURNER]

Originally Posted by jaggy

She still can rip them with the best

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnp_NwiuC8s

I can tell you have one of those droll, sophisticated sense's of humor.

[kiki]

What about Virginia Ruzici? great FH, and, like Sue, FO champion in the 70´s.

[Ramon]

Great video! Reminds me of why I always wanted to watch Chris Evert play.

[DMan]

Originally Posted by kiki

What about Virginia Ruzici? great FH, and, like Sue, FO champion in the 70´s.

Sue and Virginia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SGOp...eature=related

[kiki]

Originally Posted by DMan

Sue and Virginia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SGOp...eature=related

Great¡ what a big forehand from Sue¡ Ruzici was one of the best cc players of that time, she looks so cute and exotic.I heard she has gipsy roots - very common in Romania-...she seems a bit the aborigin Goolagong¡

[Laurie]

Looks like Barker had a nice forehand. I'm sure most of the great British public have no idea Sue Barker won the French Open. If any British player won the French or any major today, she would be made a Dame immediately.

Unfortunately that might never happen again ( a female player winning a major tournament)

[Moose Malloy]

I'm sure most of the great British public have no idea Sue Barker won the French Open. If any British player won the French or any major today, she would be made a Dame immediately.

her own comments during that French Open put her 'win' in perspective.

It was cake as well for England 's 20-year-old Sue Barker , who went around carelessly beating a depleted women's field (thanks to Team Tennis) and saying how unsatisfying it was because she was in against "nobodies."

"I don't feel like I'm winning the French," she said. "I feel like I'm playing a B tournament and there's nobody to look forward to."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...17/2/index.htm

[Joe Pike]

Originally Posted by kiki

Great¡ what a big forehand from Sue¡ Ruzici ...

Graf must be shaking in her boots ...

[LeeD]

Barker/Evert?
Only matched by Maria/Daniela.

[kiki]

Originally Posted by Joe Pike

Graf must be shaking in her boots ...

It depends on how you look at, Gunther...

IMMO, Ruzici and Baker were much more attractive than Graf.If she didn´t have, JUST that nose...( which would have helped Agassi...)

[BTURNER]

I haven't seen enough of Ruzici but there is some nice footage of Mimi Yausovec at RG and she too try to control rallies with her forehand.

[forthegame]

Never seen her play before but it seems Sue Barker's bh was her weakness. Her FH was so much better and could outhit Evert. Not enough guile and variety compared to Evert in this video.

Thanks OP.