Great find: Highlights of '73 RG final

BTURNER · 05-11-2013, 03:43 PM

I have been wanting desperately to see some of this match. Its the earliest decent clip of the Evert clay game, that had already cut a swathe through the women's tour, including a victory over Court in Florida

I have always wondered about Court' clay game, which had been dominant for some time. Matter of fact while a few women could claim limited success against her on grass, the european clay circuit was basically hers. no S/Ver among women has been able to sustain dominance on red dirt like she has. While KIng gets the accolades for her tactical mind, Court must have a lot more than a big serve, great volleys and long reach to do well year after year. We do see some hints of that ground game and 'Court sense' here. Note that while Goolagong, Wade, King, and Casals employed a flat and topspin backhand, Court never comes over her backhand, on grass to pass or clay to rally. Sure did not seem to impede her. its all in the placement and some added bite from her extra height to go along with that heavy forcing forehand. I can think of someone else with some fair success doing that ( Yes I know Graf had and used topspin occasionally)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9D6yjPRGDU

Court won this final in three close sets. Evert returned the favor a month later at Wimbledon, with some stunning touch on the lob

mattennis · 05-12-2013, 04:30 AM

Love it!!! Thank you very much!!!

I had never seen this match before. Two titans of the game.

CyBorg · 05-12-2013, 11:30 AM

So good. Thank you.

kiki · 05-12-2013, 12:53 PM

no footage of the Nastase-Pilic match?

Nastase was in top form in the first half of 1973, no way he could have lost the FO title...

jaggy · 05-12-2013, 01:27 PM

Evert throws the 2nd ball back when she gets the first serve in. Nice find, Courts bh is classy.

krosero · 05-21-2013, 07:18 PM

Thanks for the upload, great highlights.

Full score was 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-4

The New York Times had very little on the match:

Miss Evert played brilliantly in winning the first set of her match. She saved two set points and rallied from a 2-5 deficit to win the tiebreaker. However, she faded as the more experienced Aussie turned on the pressure in the 2-hour-17-minute match.

Mrs. Court earned $5,500 and ended a string of 23 victories by Miss Evert, who took second prize money of $3,100.

Not much there, but the word "faded" might suggest that endurance was a factor; Chris was still only 18.

krosero · 05-22-2013, 08:30 AM

At the time this was the second-longest women's final at the French in terms of games played, with 36 games/tiebreaks. (The 1955 final had 38 games, Angela Mortimer d. Dorothy Head Knode 2-6, 7-5, 10-

. A few French finals since '73 have been longer (1996, 2001).

muddlehead · 05-22-2013, 04:06 PM

Great quality vid. Did Chris hit any balls to Court's forehand?

05-11-2013, 03:43 PM	#1
BTURNER Hall Of Fame Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: OREGON Posts: 2,353	Great find: Highlights of '73 RG final I have been wanting desperately to see some of this match. Its the earliest decent clip of the Evert clay game, that had already cut a swathe through the women's tour, including a victory over Court in Florida I have always wondered about Court' clay game, which had been dominant for some time. Matter of fact while a few women could claim limited success against her on grass, the european clay circuit was basically hers. no S/Ver among women has been able to sustain dominance on red dirt like she has. While KIng gets the accolades for her tactical mind, Court must have a lot more than a big serve, great volleys and long reach to do well year after year. We do see some hints of that ground game and 'Court sense' here. Note that while Goolagong, Wade, King, and Casals employed a flat and topspin backhand, Court never comes over her backhand, on grass to pass or clay to rally. Sure did not seem to impede her. its all in the placement and some added bite from her extra height to go along with that heavy forcing forehand. I can think of someone else with some fair success doing that ( Yes I know Graf had and used topspin occasionally)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9D6yjPRGDU Court won this final in three close sets. Evert returned the favor a month later at Wimbledon, with some stunning touch on the lob Last edited by BTURNER : 05-11-2013 at 03:52 PM.

05-12-2013, 12:53 PM	#4
kiki G.O.A.T. Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 10,518	no footage of the Nastase-Pilic match? Nastase was in top form in the first half of 1973, no way he could have lost the FO title... __________________ " I have watched plenty of matches of the 70´s and 80´s" ABMK, the historian

05-21-2013, 07:18 PM	#6
krosero Hall Of Fame Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,648	Thanks for the upload, great highlights. Full score was 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 The New York Times had very little on the match: Miss Evert played brilliantly in winning the first set of her match. She saved two set points and rallied from a 2-5 deficit to win the tiebreaker. However, she faded as the more experienced Aussie turned on the pressure in the 2-hour-17-minute match. Mrs. Court earned $5,500 and ended a string of 23 victories by Miss Evert, who took second prize money of $3,100. Not much there, but the word "faded" might suggest that endurance was a factor; Chris was still only 18.

05-22-2013, 08:30 AM	#7
krosero Hall Of Fame Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,648	At the time this was the second-longest women's final at the French in terms of games played, with 36 games/tiebreaks. (The 1955 final had 38 games, Angela Mortimer d. Dorothy Head Knode 2-6, 7-5, 10-. A few French finals since '73 have been longer (1996, 2001).

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