Nancy Richey Gunter on video

[BTURNER]

One of the few women with more than one win over Evert on clay. Course she was beating a physically immature 16-17 yr old Evert, who once she got stronger stopped being threatened. But richey won no less thn 6 US clay court championships before Evert and was one of the few names in the early 70's who could clay other than Court, or goolagong. Here's a taste vs Pam Teegarden.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/nancy-richey-vs-pam-teeguarden-1975-cbs-pressure-point/1617175755

here's a clip vs Court at the US nationals
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/n...-forest-hills-ny/3899287898/?icid=VIDURVSPR01

 

[NadalandFedererfan]

Well it is two fold. Evert did not get her first win Richey until Richey was already 31. As for no longer being threatened, Evert was trailing 7-6, 5-0, 40-15 to a 32 year old Richey at the U.S Clay Championships in 75 before rallying to win when Richey was cramped/injured. So obviously she was threatened by even an aging Richey, especialy on clay. The physically immature Evert in 72 you refer to won a slew of tournaments and was already handing out bagels and breadsticks to the likes of Billie Jean King on clay, but couldnt buy a set off Richey yet when they played.

 

[BTURNER]

Richey had a great steady ground game and enough power on the forehand to impose herself on Evert. King had neither. She had an inconsistent weak forehand and not enough pace on her serve to cause Evert trouble on a clay court. She was stuck at the back with little chance to get to net on her terms. court at least had some solid umph on her forehand and serve. Richey was a far better clay player than King.

 

[grafselesfan]

Richey would have done alot better today. She didnt pass or lob nearly as well as Evert and was uncomfortable with all the great net rushers of her era. She prefered playing other baseliners which is why she played well even against the great Evert. Her power baseline game would be tailor made for todays game. With a graphite racquet, the courts and playing conditions today, the style all the women play today, and the current weak womens field she would probably be a double digit slam winner today. All you need to today is serve hard, stay back, and pound forehands and backhands with brute force, and if by some miracle you add in a bit of mental toughness, defensive prowess, and consistency you really take off to a new level (eg- the Williams are the only ones who left who have any of those things). That would be right up Richey's alley. With the Williams out of shape and past their primes Richey in her prime with todays playing style would be the current dominant #1 and probably winning most of the slams outside Wimbledon.

 

[CEvertFan]

Richey would have done alot better today. She didnt pass or lob nearly as well as Evert and was uncomfortable with all the great net rushers of her era. She prefered playing other baseliners which is why she played well even against the great Evert. Her power baseline game would be tailor made for todays game. With a graphite racquet, the courts and playing conditions today, the style all the women play today, and the current weak womens field she would probably be a double digit slam winner today. All you need to today is serve hard, stay back, and pound forehands and backhands with brute force, and if by some miracle you add in a bit of mental toughness, defensive prowess, and consistency you really take off to a new level (eg- the Williams are the only ones who left who have any of those things). That would be right up Richey's alley. With the Williams out of shape and past their primes Richey in her prime with todays playing style would be the current dominant #1 and probably winning most of the slams outside Wimbledon.

I would agree with that. Richey was Evert's first nemesis on the tour and one of a very few players who could outrally Chris from the baseline.

 

[BTURNER]

Reviving an old thread here. Here is the Evert Richey htoh.
NANCY RICHEY, later Gunter (USA) 6:5

1970 Lighthouse Point, FL SF L 6-3, 4-6, 6-2​

1970 Charlotte, NC F L 6-3, 6-4​

1972 Bethesda, MD F L 7-6, 6-2​

1972 San Juan, PR F L 6-1, 6-3​

1972 St. Petersburg, FL F L 6-3, 6-4​

1973 Boca Raton, FL F W 6-3, 6-3​

1975 Philadelphia, PA QF W 7-6, 6-1​

1975 Indianapolis, IN SF W 6-7, 7-5, 4-2 ret.​

1976 San Francisco, CA QF W 6-3, 6-1​

1976 Colgate Series finals QF W 6-4, 6-1​

1977 U.S. Open 4R W 6-3, 6-0​

Evert's first victory was in October of 1973. It was an autumn tournament then. By that point, she had beaten Court x 4, King X5, Casals x 5, Goolagong x5, and Wade x4. These women had not yet figured out that the Har-tru American clay circuit was closed to anyone not named Evert, so they kept showing up. Yet Evert had only won a single set in the first 5 encounters with Nancy . That must have driven Chris crazy, and I'll bet the rest of the tour was trying to figure out what Nancy was doing that even the best in the world could not consistently manage. It had been over a year since their last meeting in St. Petersburg, Richey had turned 31 years old and Evert had grown into herself physically so her stamina was sufficient and she actually trade those heavy groundies with Nancy long enough for her to win those rallies. After that win, Nancy only won a single set in the last 6 matches, so what does this pattern remind me of?​

STEFFI GRAF (Germany) 6:8

1985 Lipton/Delray Beach, FL SF W 6-4, 6-2​

1985 Hilton Head, SC SF W 6-2, 6-1​

1985 Berlin F W 6-4, 7-5​

1985 French Open 4R W 6-2, 6-3​

1986 Key Biscayne, FL F W 6-3, 6-1​

1986 Lipton/Key Biscayne, FL F W 6-4, 6-2​

1986 Hilton Head, SC F L 6-4, 7-5​

1987 Lipton/Key Biscayne, FL F L 6-1, 6-2​

1987 Federation Cup F L 6-2, 6-1​

1987 Manhattan Beach, CA F L 6-3, 6-4​

1988 Australian Open F L 6-1, 7-6​

1988 Lipton/Key Biscayne, FL F L 6-4, 6-4​

1989 Boca Raton, FL F L 4-6, 6-2, 6-3​

1989 Wimbledon SF L 6-2, 6-1​

​

 

[MLRoy]

I just found this a few days ago...

https://www.nytimes.com/1972/04/17/archives/mrs-gunter-wins-63-64-from-chris-evert-in-final.html

 

[BTURNER]

I just found this a few days ago...

https://www.nytimes.com/1972/04/17/archives/mrs-gunter-wins-63-64-from-chris-evert-in-final.html

If Chrissie is double-faulting that often in a match, somebody has gotten into her head and no, it was not the wind. Young Chrissie knows those Florida winds better than anyone and she knows how to serve in it. It would be a year until they next met and Evert would reverse this result, allotting one less game to Nancy.

 

[comeback]

Richey would have done alot better today. She didnt pass or lob nearly as well as Evert and was uncomfortable with all the great net rushers of her era. She prefered playing other baseliners which is why she played well even against the great Evert. Her power baseline game would be tailor made for todays game. With a graphite racquet, the courts and playing conditions today, the style all the women play today, and the current weak womens field she would probably be a double digit slam winner today. All you need to today is serve hard, stay back, and pound forehands and backhands with brute force, and if by some miracle you add in a bit of mental toughness, defensive prowess, and consistency you really take off to a new level (eg- the Williams are the only ones who left who have any of those things). That would be right up Richey's alley. With the Williams out of shape and past their primes Richey in her prime with todays playing style would be the current dominant #1 and probably winning most of the slams outside Wimbledon.

YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS

 

[MLRoy]

If Chrissie is double-faulting that often in a match, somebody has gotten into her head and no, it was not the wind. Young Chrissie knows those Florida winds better than anyone and she knows how to serve in it. It would be a year until they next met and Evert would reverse this result, allotting one less game to Nancy.

Yeah. From what I've read years ago, even those one-sided losses could be really interesting battles. A million years ago I remember reading a list in Tennis Magazine (future owner, C. Evert) of The Greatest Matches by various writers. I remember one male writer picked their Boca final as one of the best matches he ever saw. Even though the score was -3 & -3, I guess they had a ton of long rallies. Check out Chris's site if you haven't in a while. She upgraded it, and the archive section is excellent.

I also uploaded a Nancy vs BJK clip here a while back if you haven't seen it. This is the first time I saw this thread. It's on YT.

 

[DMP]

Another video, from the US Open final against Court in 1969

She got to the final beating King, on grass. The commentary notes that in 1968 she did not lose a match to a fellow American, and refers to her as the Queen of American Tennis.

 

[Mainad]

Another video, from the US Open final against Court in 1969

She got to the final beating King, on grass. The commentary notes that in 1968 she did not lose a match to a fellow American, and refers to her as the Queen of American Tennis.

I always smile when I see these old videos of matches from the 60s and 70s. Winning a Slam seemed so much more of a low-key affair back then with the 2 players just strolling casually to the net and giving each other a brief handshake. No falling to the ground, no racquets in the air, not even a hint of a whoop or a cheer from the winner. What a different world it was back then!

 

[raulram]

Her powerful groundstrokes were often too much for Evert or King. Her problem was she was owned by Court and Bueno, and could rarely ever find a way past them, and by the time they were arged out of the game she was simply too old to compete vs the likes of Evert, Goolagong, or Navratilova. Super talented player who would easily win a lot more than 2 slams if she played in todays baseline heavy game with the modern equipment.

 

[thrust]

Well it is two fold. Evert did not get her first win Richey until Richey was already 31. As for no longer being threatened, Evert was trailing 7-6, 5-0, 40-15 to a 32 year old Richey at the U.S Clay Championships in 75 before rallying to win when Richey was cramped/injured. So obviously she was threatened by even an aging Richey, especialy on clay. The physically immature Evert in 72 you refer to won a slew of tournaments and was already handing out bagels and breadsticks to the likes of Billie Jean King on clay, but couldnt buy a set off Richey yet when they played.

Good points. I saw Richey play Lesley Turner in a final in Dallas, in 1964 when I was stationed at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. I was a fan of both, but more so of Lesley. Nancy was on fire that day, hitting deep shots near the baseline, so won the match in straight sets. When she was at her best, she was very hard to beat. She gave Court some tough matches, but not on grass, where Court totally dominated. Nancy also gave BJK a hard time till King reached her peak.

 

[raulram]

Good points. I saw Richey play Lesley Turner in a final in Dallas, in 1964 when I was stationed at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. I was a fan of both, but more so of Lesley. Nancy was on fire that day, hitting deep shots near the baseline, so won the match in straight sets. When she was at her best, she was very hard to beat. She gave Court some tough matches, but not on grass, where Court totally dominated. Nancy also gave BJK a hard time till King reached her peak.

She probably wasnt that effective on grass since she was just a baseliner and lacked good volley skills. I also dont think she had a proper slice which was key on grass.

 

[thrust]

She probably wasnt that effective on grass since she was just a baseliner and lacked good volley skills. I also dont think she had a proper slice which was key on grass.

Nancy, though, was an outstanding doubles player winning slams with different partners.

 

[MLRoy]

She probably wasnt that effective on grass since she was just a baseliner and lacked good volley skills. I also dont think she had a proper slice which was key on grass.

Actually, she volleyed very well. I saw her play once in person, on a low-bounce, fast carpet. It was at a WTT game in '76, so I got to see her play doubles, mixed, and singles. And she had to volley quite a bit. I thought her backhand volley was especially good. She had a lot of feel on that side.

But, that's the most glaring difference between then & now (other than size): the few true baseliners in the game at that time (Evert, Durr, Melville; don't remember how Turner volleyed) were either great at it (Evert, Durr), or at least very good. They had to be. There were a lot more grass tourneys, including the US & Oz slams; not to mention that frigging carpet that I had my first lessons on. Doubles, too.

When these greats from the '60s watch the WTA now, I have to think they shake their heads at all the money, and tourneys they'd be winning if they were still playing. Their net game, along with every other stroke (lobs & overheads, approaches, serving) is so much better. I actually got into an argument here with someone who thought I was crazy to suggest Halep should come to the net and volley!

 

[lewisgibson]

I actually got into an argument here with someone who thought I was crazy to suggest Halep should come to the net and volley!

Well if you have seen her volley you would understand why they think that.

 

[MLRoy]

Well if you have seen her volley you would understand why they think that.

True, but if we can learn to volley...

That same genius asked, "what if they lob her?" Then, she'll have to hit an overhead. It's called Tennis, I told him.

Her ex-coach has a lot of fan boys, but I never once heard him tell her to get her asss to the net, during those coaching visits. She'd have a backhand volley like "Billy King" if I coached her.

More Richey trivia, speaking of volleying. A few years ago she was on Tennis Forum(?) doing some very insightful reminiscing, as well as answering questions. She said during the '69 US Open, her father advised her to play her game & stay on the baseline, but come in on a short ball. Makes sense. But, her bro advised her to do what she had been doing all tourney, serve & volley, or come in on everything. She decided to go with what got her there, and take her bro's advice. Madge stayed at the baseline. Kind of a slam final Freaky Friday.