pierceforehands
Professional
I am surprised some of you are dismissing Court so easily. She actually went 4-1 vs Evert in 1973, and for those saying that was only Evert's nerves in big matches that includes 2-0 in non slam matches. It was the first time she gained some traction vs Evert in their rivalry, having lost their first 3 matches. Then 75 and onwards when she returned she was too old now (33 and above), especialy after another return from ahother year long plus break, and Evert too strong and confident by then, but that does not neccessarily equate to 74 without anymore time taken off and before Evert was instilled as the dominant player and clear #1. Evert did improve further in 74, plus now had the experience of big matches, and Court would be a year older, but I don't think that neccessarily means she becomes easy fodder for Evert. And she would of course have a great chance vs anyone on tour besides ever, including King who she still owned and won the US Open, including Goolagong who beat Evert at both the US and Australian Opens. Worse case, even if you think she has no chance vs Evert, which I disagree with, she would have a real chance at the US and Australian Opens which Evert lost at anyway. Not for sure winning them of course, but a real contender to. As I already said she was cosnistently beating both King and Goolagong still in 73, not sure why anyone would think that likely changes in 74 when King is also getting older, increasingly more injured (which wasn't neccessarily true of Court, and is virtually the same age as Court, and when Goolagong is still not moving forward and mostly staganant after her initial breakout 71. And of course another contender like Virginia Wade was totally owned by Court, and did not make any impression at the big 74 events anyway, not even Wimbledon which was wide open for her to atleast make the final after King's defeat and still failed.
