1987 French Open SF

[@alexsdb9712]

Another treat from the great Graf-Sabatini rivalry. Another wonderful match and example! Thank you!

[@alessaschmitz5847]

two 17 years old tennis-girls who showed more various, versitale and athletic game than these days womens tennis.

[@rodpatterson740]

Awesome match, Gaby was so unlucky to always run into Steffi in the majors

[@nuwandalton]

Weren't they all?

[@airmaxxxer]

For me, Gabriela Sabatini is sadly an underestimated player. Shejust had the very bad luck to play when Steffi dominated so much.Often she was very very close to beat Steffi, especially the first years they met. Very often it was just Steffis bare will power that made the difference... In other times,she could have won easily 5,6 slams... Its wonderful to see that they are friends today :-)

[@carrerau7138]

That players like Sharapova or Osaka have 4 or 5 slams is a joke compared to Gaby with her one.

[@deepakmahajan170]

​@@carrerau7138they r better than her. Osaka serve and forehand much miles better. Sharapova mental strength backhand much better. Stay in past where outside top 10 was joke. Today whole top 200 is athletic

[@carrerau7138]

@@deepakmahajan170 Have you ever played with a racket like the one Sabatini used in 1988-92, boy? 😂😄

[@deepakmahajan170]

@@carrerau7138 no-one cares. Have she played with new racquet? New players are much better. She was head case. Women tennis evolved and she wasn't good enough

[@deepakmahajan170]

@@carrerau7138 not everyone can rip balls like peak osaka even with new racquet. What r u even smoking! Gays serve was weak af

[@williamadams5384]

Kev do you have the other semi final? Evert/Navratilova?

[@mcgoran100]

It’s uploaded on Just Tennis Channel.

[@williamadams5384]

@@mcgoran100 I do not see it Kev. 1987 French Open Semi between Navratilova vs Chris Evert. 6-2, 6-2 match?

[@mcgoran100]

@@williamadams5384 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHOxYplmobh-j80

[@williamadams5384]

@@mcgoran100 Thank you Kev :)

[@dagingbuenaobra6563]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@Ttjam1]

Steffi was so aggressive in the game Sabatini served for the match. Mentally strong players like Graf, Serena, Henin and Sharapova really have an instinct to go hard or go home when the going gets tough which got them out of a lot of tough holes. They absolutely sense and exploit nerves from opponents.

[@williamadams5384]

Thanks for posting :)

[@pedropelaez]

To this day I still find it surprising she never made a French open final (losing to Evert, Graf 2x, and Seles 2x in the semis).

[@mcgoran100]

She really should’ve won the French at least once. Especially the way she had been playing at the beginning of 91 and 92. Monica was just too tough.

[@pedropelaez]

@@mcgoran100 in 1991 she had won Amelia island, Hilton head, and Rome beating Seles, Sanchez-Vicario 2x, Graf, Martinez, Capriati, and Sukova 2x in these tournaments. In 1992 she repeated the same 3 tournament wins and getting to the semis of Hamburg beating. Martinez 2x, Graf, Novotna, seles, and MJ Fernandez in those tournaments.

[@patriktoby9723]

Me too. She played in a very tough era. Graf and Seles being such heavy weights, Sanchez more and more consistent, Navratilova still able to produce excellent tennis and upset top 5 players including No's 1 and 2. Had Sabatini played in an era of such widely open GS's as we've seen for the last 10+ years, it would probably have been a different story...

[@jayowens6383]

For much the same reason as Martina Hingis didn't -- at the end of the day you actually need a little bit of power to hit through a clay court, and her loopy shots were subject to nerves and thus landing short. She had a below average serve that also let her down at the worst moments.

[@pedropelaez]

@@jayowens6383 you mean like all the power evert and sanchez-vicario had?

[@andreavega7638]

Gaby la mejor y mas bella de todos los tiempos🤗😍

[@kamint2258]

yes👍😊

[@vijaykumarsing3833]

Upload graf vs novotna clasic matches

[@kamint2258]

情熱的なガビー😍👍🇦🇷 👸✨🎾😃☀️

[@jayowens6383]

After seeing a match like this and the ‘91 Wimbledon final, I’m amazed at how much energy and work Sabbatini put into her shots, and how that didn’t show up in pace-coupled with that western forehand that tended to come up short . She spent a lot of energy producing average pace and thus had to work too hard to win her matches. This match also shows that sometimes we place too much emphasis on Graf’s power. She could grind with the best of them - but had that power when she really needed it. Her serve got bigger in 1988 onward, though.

[@carrerau7138]

Sabatini had some nasty spin in her strokes. Even in her forehand and in her (underrated) serve.

[@jayowens6383]

@@carrerau7138 When they worked, but obviously they didn't work often enough, just look at her record. Her serve was a liability from the beginning and the best returners would tee off on her puff ball of a second serve. Her forehand would often land too short. And still, she expended too much energy for the reward. Her single Slam is ample evidence of that.

[@michaelpaskos9052]

@@carrerau7138 Sabatini knew she could frustrate Steffi with those loopy topspin shots of hers. As for Sabatini's serve, it was much better early on in her career but got progressively worse over time and turned into an Achilles heel for her. It still amazes me Steffi couldn't do a better job of attacking Sabatini's serve in that '90 US Open final. If I remember correctly, Sabatini was spinning in some serves in the 50-60mph range. Steffi should have been all over those powder-puff serves of Sabatini's. With Sabatini winning that match, maybe she thought she could get away with that weak serve of hers in her future matches against Steffi?

[@carrerau7138]

@@jayowens6383 Her problem was her nerves. Her serve had a tendency to break down in crunch time. Anyway, her record is quite impressive. Her 77 % career winning percentage is the 14th-best of the open era. Only 13 multiple-slam winners are better than her. Even though she had to compete against Evert, Navratilova, Graf, Seles in 1985-96. Uniquely strong competition!!!

[@mima167]

actually after that US Open win, Sabatini went on the 6 match winning streak against Graf

[@vijaykumarsing3833]

Graf vs sabatini Berlin final 1993 full upload

[@vijaykumarsing3833]

Steffi vs Gabriella sabatini 1993 iusa open quarter final or 1995 semifinal

[@zeddeka]

You can see how Gabi got away with a lot of things against Steffi that she couldn't against Monica Seles or Martina Navratilova. There are a few occasions for example when she just spins a very short serve to Steffi's backhand and Steffi just slices it back as usual. Monica Seles would have murdered it and Martina Navratilova would have been in at the net putting in pressure. It explains why Gabi had a much better record against Steffi than Monica or Martina.

[@gk891]

We spoke about this before in another video. But another issue in the match ups against Graf-Sabatini is that Graf seemed to like playing one particular way. Her favourite shots seemed to have been a crosscourt sliced backhand and the inside out forehand. Those shots played into Sabatini's strength which was her backhand. But Graf kept playing to Sabatini's backhand. Seles was IMO a more calculating tennis player than Graf in that she strategically attacked Sabatini's forehand much better than Graf did.

[@airmaxxxer]

@@gk891 They played 40 times in 10 years ansd they just knew eaxch other - just as Navrarilova and Evert did. Why Graf should have changed her game if she had a strong grip on her opponent? They finished 29:11 for Graf. With one exception, Graf won all the important matches. Dominant players usually make changes to their game if they start to loose - as it was with Evert who came to a point to add things. And its not true that Graf played against Sabatint her backhand slice only crosscourt.The opposite: in her earlier years Steffi, played the slice also very often long line. Even so she used that time her backhand drive much more often - as a groundstroke but also even as return. You can see that in the AO Open final in 1988 against Evert.It was Evert who said that time in an interview that "now someone has put the devil also into Grafs backhand". On the other hand, it was Sabatini who had to try (and tried a lot ) different things over the years - to what Steffi had than to find an answer: high bouncing topsin balls on her backhand, so called "moon balls" to break Grafs rhythm - and later on moving to the net more often ( under her new coach Carlos Kiermayr) - mostly attacking Graf on her backhand. (which was the bases of Gabys win against Steffi at the US Open.

[@carrerau7138]

Seles is 10-3 and Steffi 29-11 win/loss against Sabatini. Before mid-90 it was 0-1 for Seles and 18-3 for Steffi From mid-90 to mid-92 it was 5-2 for Seles and 3-8 for Steffi. After that 5-0 for Seles and 8-0 for Steffi. The mid-90/mid-92 time frame was Seles peak, Sabatini peak, Steffi slump. That is the main reason for the SLIGHTLY better winning percentage (77 % vs. 73 %) Monica had against Gaby than Steffi. A “much better record“ is nonsense anyway.

[@zeddeka]

​@@gk891Similar story with Arantxa Sanchez too I think. I was just watching a video of Lori McNeil's match against Seles at the 1992 Canadian Open and it struck me that Lori had much more feel on her slice backhand down the line than Steffi did. I seem to remember Barbara Potter saying once that Steffi found it much harder to slice down the line because she had more of a forehand grip on her backhand slice, and as such couldn't quite control it down the line as much. I get the impression Steffi was possibly more of a natural two hander on her backhand - you often saw her hitting one as a kind of practice shot and I think in 1991 she actually considered changing over. Also remember reading an interview with her after she retired where she said if she could have her time again, she would have had a two hander.

[@zeddeka]

​@@airmaxxxerSteffi always struggled with Gaby, which is why so many of their matches went three sets. Interesting you mention about changing your game when you lose. Steffi apparently considered changing to a two handed backhand in 1991 when she was on that losing streak to Gaby.

[@jinilmosesv123]

Had Sabatini won this match she should have won more grand slam. Just throws away this match.

[@parthapratimmajumdar372]

Gaby had that grace in her play with top spin....court coverage mucb better.....However Graf was much accurate in her serve , lesser unforced error and that deadly forehand

[@carrerau7138]

And even more graceful game than Gaby!

[@mima167]

many would disagree about her game being "graceful"

[@carrerau7138]

@@mima167 Only very few.

[@yussepig6629]

Sabatini just had no will to win. That last game from her was pathetic. Talented girl but no killer instinct.

[@95KIPPIE]

Graf was so jealous of Sabatini because Gaby was so gorgeous, and Steffi wasn’t

[@carrerau7138]

I have yet to see a poll of the most beautiful female tennis players of all time in which Steffi is not among the top 10 if not top 5. Sabatini, Kournikova, Sharapova, Ivanovic, Graf are usually the top 5. It is hilarious how a few Americans still try to bring Chris Evert to the front… 😂

[@airmaxxxer]

....ooh... interesting !:-) ....tell us more about that one.. :-) did you speak to her or your grandma told you ? :-) i suppose, its a bit as it was with kournikova: nice to watch but not to watch many wins :-) you cant have both... By the way: Gaby and Steffi became good friends and they respect each other very much. Just as it should be, right? :-)

[@broncoguy4862]

^^ When 12-year old girls try thoughtful tennis analysis, and fail.

[@markdecena4559]

Rubbish. Gaby is a nice person and so is Steffi. They are friends till today. If you wanna talk about jealousy, maybe you got it mixed up - 22 vs 1

[@francinezane4076]

Such biased commentary in favor of Sabatini she is attractive yes she is so is Steffi. She has a better game more variety from Fred Stolle who i thought was a fan of Graf. And yes there was i believe a year of two where she was beating Steffi on a regular basis. Yet ah the irony Steffi is considered the GOAT by many while Gabby not even close to that statues . She has won more grand slams more matches period. Horrible commentary but i'm glad Steffi won.

[@michaelpaskos9052]

Do you really think the commentators favored Sabatini more than Steffi? I guess it depends on who's calling the matches? For example, I always thought Mary Carillo was more favorable towards Steffi and also Monica Seles but very critical towards Sabatini. OTOH, I always thought Virginia Wade wasn't a fan of Steffi or even Monica but Sabatini always seemed to receive less criticism from Virginia. As for which girl is/was more attractive, I guess it depends on your point of view. Steffi is very attractive but so is Sabatini. I would also say Sabatini is quite exotic and she has her perfume line going which helped her to remain in the public eye.

[@markdecena4559]

⁠@@michaelpaskos9052I always thought that Ginny favored Steffi during her commentaries. I feel Tony Trabert didn’t favor Steffi as was evident in the 89 US finals.

[@mima167]

let's be clear, if not for Steffi Graf's FAN STABBING Monica in the back, Graf would NOT have had NEARLY as many grand slam victories. EVERY slam she won from 93-99 might have gone to Monica Seles if it weren't for the STABBING, which MANY people wonder if that stabbing wasn't done by Graf's entourage

[@agungs8564]

​@@mima167to much if, if, if , if, if bla bla bla, Seles fans are just crazy obsessed with if and hate Steffi so much for nothing

[@oscarcastellino7717]

QUE LINDA ES GABY❤❤❤❤❤

[@Psidawg]

i wish there was HD tv back then upskirts would have been glorious

[@broncoguy4862]

Fortunately, very few people display this level of desperation to perv when discussing professional women's sports. Maybe get a date once in awhile.

[@carrerau7138]

@@broncoguy4862 It is not perving. When a female player has beautiful legs an upskirt view simply shows the whole leg. And nothing more. And what is wrong with enjoying beautiful and athletic female legs? I loved to watch Graf-Sabatini matches not only because of their supreme tennis. And most Graf or Sabatini fans would agree with me.

[@mima167]

as a pollster I can assure you most people would feel jessie's comment is sexist