Evert - Sabatini

[scootad.]

Great post suwanee. Agreed 100%.

[suwanee4712]

Originally Posted by athiker

Did anyone catch the comments about how this match with Evert was Sabatini's third match of the day?! Mention was around 4:20 of the first clip...1985 Family Circle Cup. I was a bit unsure if it was also Evert's third...at about 8:30 they seem to indicate this was only Evert's second match of the day. Evert was to play doubles later in the day however. Sabatini definitely seemed to be dragging a bit late in the match vs. earlier.

Gaby's run on that Sunday was amazing. To finish off Shriver, outrally Maleeva, and then still come out and play her first big final vs. Evert was really something. Chris' QF vs. Ruzici was short and easy before the rain started. But she did have to play Graf and Sabatini in the same day. While Gaby was beating Maleeva on an outside court, Chris was beating Steffi.

On NBC's coverage, there's little mention of Steffi. It was much later that people covering the tennis world caught on to Steffi, though Billie Jean King had already pegged her as a future all time great back in 1983.

Something that received far less attention was the 1984 Italian Open where I believe Maleeva had to win 3 complete matches in one day vs. Ruzici, Bassett, and finally Evert. Maleeva actually cruised past Evert 6-3, 6-3. You never ever hear about that. But that's something that should've been more celebrated than it was.

[Moose Malloy]

Something that received far less attention was the 1984 Italian Open where I believe Maleeva had to win 3 complete matches in one day vs. Ruzici, Bassett, and finally Evert. Maleeva actually cruised past Evert 6-3, 6-3. You never ever hear about that.

Very interesting. what was your source for tennis scores/info back in '84? no internet, no espn news. Italian Open wasn't televised in US I believe.
I remember looking at scores in the paper, but don't think they had scores for all events/rounds.

I liked M Maleeva, some of her matches with Martina were pretty entertaining (esp '90 & '91 USO - I watched some of their '91 match in the Grandstand, but once Connors-Krickstein started, the Grandstand got empty real quick!)

[BTURNER]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

Very interesting. what was your source for tennis scores/info back in '84? no internet, no espn news. Italian Open wasn't televised in US I believe.
I remember looking at scores in the paper, but don't think they had scores for all events/rounds.

I liked M Maleeva, some of her matches with Martina were pretty entertaining (esp '90 & '91 USO - I watched some of their '91 match in the Grandstand, but once Connors-Krickstein started, the Grandstand got empty real quick!)

I found it here, Moose

http://www.visittobulgaria.com/sport...anuela_Maleeva

"Manuela Maleeva is the first tennis player in history to win three matches in one day. At the Italian Open 1984, she defeated the Roland Garos'78 Champion Virginie Ruzici (Rom), after that the Canadian star Carling Basset in straight sets and finally Chris Evert in the final 6-3 6-3. With the win over Evert, she became the only seventh player in the world to beat Evert on clay. The above photo is from this tournament. "

[suwanee4712]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

Very interesting. what was your source for tennis scores/info back in '84? no internet, no espn news. Italian Open wasn't televised in US I believe.
I remember looking at scores in the paper, but don't think they had scores for all events/rounds.

I liked M Maleeva, some of her matches with Martina were pretty entertaining (esp '90 & '91 USO - I watched some of their '91 match in the Grandstand, but once Connors-Krickstein started, the Grandstand got empty real quick!)

Oh the Dark Ages of 1984! Tennis magazine, World Tennis, and the newspaper were my main sources. Which meant that I got whatever scant coverage the Albany (GA) Herald and Tallahassee Democrat provided to tennis and then weeks later I would become a little more informed through the mags.

Probably the first I ever heard of Maleeva's Italian feat was during NBC's coverage of the French when she and Evert staged that long 3 set duel in the 4th round. But once Chris relieved herself of that threat, I don't I ever heard anyone talk about it ever again. Whereas, the Sabatini story lived on and on seemingly forever.

Although pretty and petite, Maleeva was never a media sensation like Sabatini. Understandably so since her game wasn't as dynamic and Gaby's run came at 14 instead of 16, which I think Maleeva was at the Italian. But even think back to how Temesvari got so much publicity out of merely taking Martina to 3 sets at the 1983 Hilton Head tournament, she was talked about by the American media more than Maleeva was despite Maleeva's actual win over Evert.

Tennis Magazine was so American-oriented that they all but ignored Maleeva's win in Rome altogether. It was hard to notice back then because its mostly all we knew. But now that I have access to European, Australian, and Japanese magazines, its easy to see how terrible sports journalism Tennis Magazine was.

[Terre Battu]

Originally Posted by reversef

Actually, her game was very versatile when she arrived. She became more stereotyped after that (especially 1988 and 1989), then changed her game again. During the years she spent with Angel Gimenez, she was more of a moonballer. Those were the years of weight lifting because she wanted to muscle her game and get more power in her topspin groundstrokes. But somehow, she forget the rest of her game.

Good point. I think Jimenez set Gaby's career back. Her early tactics were aggressive all court tennis, then there was the boring 'moonball' period. After that was the all-court approach again under Kiramyr which proved very successful.

[boredone3456]

Originally Posted by Terre Battu

Good point. I think Jimenez set Gaby's career back. Her early tactics were aggressive all court tennis, then there was the boring 'moonball' period. After that was the all-court approach again under Kiramyr which proved very successful.

Definitely...Moonballing for Gaby was a bad idea. She never really had the mental stamina to wear down her opponents with Moonballing and she was never that great and hitting those kind of shots anyway. Her topspin based shots and all court attack approach were definitely better because she could keep the points shorter and keep her head in them. Playing longer points was not Gabby's strongsuit really.

[kiki]

Originally Posted by BTURNER

Evertfan, while you were on sabbatical, I posted a thread on this very clip. I have both this match and the QF King played vs Austin. Everyone here agreed it showed how shrewd and, frankly, scarey BJK could be to anyone while playing on Centre Court or any other grass venue.

jrepac - Graf and Sabatini basically grew up together on the tour. I think Graf suffered from having played doubles with Gabby. While Gabby was not not as fast as others she could anticipate Graf's patterns, and sense when Graf was tight or not. She could guess where that forehand would go better than most and run down more shots. Evert's shots were harder for Sabatini to read. Evert was more comfortable a few feet behind the baseline naturally, than Graf, and was less likely to force things on deep high bouncing balls than Graf was . Graf went for winners too far back or tried to hit through the spin. When Steffi's timing was good, the winners fell in regardless and Sabatini was at her mercy. But when that forehand was off just a hint, the work on Gabby's balls induced errors that made Graf's life mighty complicated. Evert's strokes were simple,pure with little that COULD go wrong, so once she got her timing, it rarely left.

But Gabriela finally beat Graf by playing S&V...how taught her so? she really was brilliant and I admire her courage to play an arguable GOAT with a completely new game...and still being able to beat her.

I also think both got along very well, and Graf wasn´t as hungry against sabatini than against Seles or Navratilova.

She also had some menthal doubts when facing Sanchez, specially on clay ( Arancha was the first to beat her in a memorable FO final)