FULL VERSION King vs Evert 1971 US Open

[@Plushteddybear69]

Evert looking like an absolute angel. She plays beautiful tennis as well, so classy

[@lenwelch2195]

I love Chris’s strokes, how the head of her racket is an extension of her arm, body. She has so much grace, her deportment is fascinating to watch. She’s a star even here.

[@ghazalkhazana3262]

Wao! Miss evert is so young and that's how the tennis court looks like back in those days comparing to fancy courts of today . Really sharp video and I enjoyed a lot, thanks for posting

[@Skirne]

Thank you so much for uploading this! More old WTA matches if you have them, please.

[@lenwelch2195]

King played her best tennis from middle of each set which is a trademark of a great champion.

[@shihlin1]

One of the pivotal matches of her career even tho Chris lost, it signalled a new star had arrived on the tennis scene. Nobody was more aware of that than Billie Jean. Chris also brought femininity to the sport, leading a wave of teenage girls copying her two-handed backhand and tying their hair into a ponytail with colorful ribbons.

[@markwhitman9029]

Evonne Goolagong was also a graceful feminine great but just because a woman could serve volley doesn't make them masculine looking.

[@jonathankieranwriter]

Many years ago someone asked Chris Evert what went through her mind while she was systematically destroying opponents in the 1970s. Evert replied, “Will I look pretty when I shake hands at the net?” #ColdBloodedKiller

[@michaellane3017]

Great match by BJK! I love her style of play!

[@Guamparrapo83]

Chrissie was so cute back then

[@arnoldamaral7406]

Guamparrapo83 WAS! Until it all went wrong. Poor dear girl. Arnold Bourbon Amaral

[@phillyjulie]

@@arnoldamaral7406 Jels

[@stevec6455]

The great grass courts of Forest HIlls. My girlfriend Bev got us on there to play about 1979. She worked for the ad agency producing the Miller Lite TV commercials. I was just a CPA from Texas. She was a cool friend, I liked her more than she like me. :(

[@franciscodeoliveira7935]

Ted Tinling’s outfit is the big winner of this match! ❤️❤️❤️

[@stefanorchiclasta]

I'm sorry but I can't endorse tour statement. Actually, I never liked Tinling's outfits. To me, they're very overrated. But the ladies seemed to love'em, so that's it.

[@preciousjey]

Chrissie Evert of St. Thomas Aquinas High School.

[@charleskristiansson1296]

Both ladies look lovely and what amazing tennis

[@davidkaiser]

How on earth did someone restore this perfect quality on 1971 tape???

[@cyrilbrocard]

It was not bad, considering the rackets and strings of the time (plus the awful quality of the grass in the last rounds at Forest Hills). Agreed, there was not much athleticism, but they did have skills. You couldn't give much topspin like they do now, so they just tried to get a good swing and follow through, for accuracy and "pace".

[@tomschmitz5745]

not to mention the smaller size head of the racket which means the ball for every single shot/stroke had to be in the center of the racket every single time and of course the rackets themselves were heavy as lead so one couldn't swing as fast and as light to generate today's racket head speed..for these reasons, i will always think players then were quote BETTER "TENNIS"PLAYERS then today's players! they had to be! they had to use variety and stroke production and the skill to construct points and the skill to change strategy if need be.. today's players? are athletes who just happen to play tennis in my opinion.... in closing, all i know is i would rather watch this 71 evert king match then today's game anyday of the week!..

[@kazitude1]

DAMN, I grew up in Forest Hills, I don't remember it sounding like a runway at LaGuardia Airport!!

[@charomiami]

How surreal that this was 50 years ago ...

[@thierry-yonathanmeyer5976]

The good old days of wooden rackets Interesting to see Chris showing more emotions here than later in her career

[@cyrilbrocard]

Yes, BJK's tactics (destablizing her with long, then short balls) seem to get on her nerves, and she shows it a bit too much. Something that would not happen again as she grew in experience.

[@michaellane3017]

I think it is good when players do show emotion, as long as it within reason and the player is control of the emotion. One thing I did not like with Evert later in her career was that she did not show emotion--too often appearing robotic in my opinion. Don't get me wrong-I love her as a person and player---but I would have liked to see more emotion.

[@cyrilbrocard]

@@michaellane3017 well, some players are better when they let the steam off, and when they get the occasional adrenaline boost. Connors was like that. Others, like Chris or Borg, are better when they keep their cool. That's the beauty of tennis. You gotta find your own way.

[@michaellane3017]

@@cyrilbrocard True---but I think it was Chris's lack of experience here that was her downfall-not the expressing of emotion.

[@jeffreymacintyre2711]

The ball is being hit harder than it appeared on TV

[@zeddeka]

Interesting to see how Evert's technique developed over the years. Here, her forehand in particular is hit with no topspin at all, and that makes getting good cross out angles, while keeping the ball in, very difficult.

[@markwhitman9029]

When Chrissie changed racquet and upped her physical fitness she was so much greater and impressive. Not that she wasn't in 70s but from about 82 on loved her game even more. Martina was great but Chrissie wouldn't have lost 13 times in a row to her if she would have revamped her game a little earlier. IMO

[@jamespeyton7312]

King said this match was so important because the women's tour depended on a win from her against Evert who had remained an amateur and had already beaten King in Florida. King said she cried in the shower before the match and player her best to beat a determined Evert. Quickly afterwards, Evert established a winning record over King as she did over Court from the age of 15. Collins,for some crazy reason two years later gave King the number 1 for 1974 as some kind of punishment towards Evert. Evert won Wimbledon and the French that year in a 55 winning match streak but lost in semis at the Open. Evert also won 18 tournaments that year; Collins' decision makes no sense. Tomasi in Italy who weighed tournaments and looked at head to heads gave Evert the nod as number 1 as did everyone else except Collins.

[@jondavwal13]

Similar to Evert's first match against Austin at Wimbledon when she was 21 and Austin was 14. Evert said she almost threw up before taking the court.

[@etns4114]

Bud Collins?

[@jpeyton62]

@@etns4114 Yes, at that time Bud Collins was steadfast about giving number one to King, but my understanding is that Evert was easily number 1 for year if they had had computer rankings at the time. Rino Tomassi did was part of article on this in World Tennis magazine eons ago. For whatever reasons, Collins refused to concede.

[@etns4114]

@@jpeyton62 Thank you James. I didn't know Bud was the only voice. I thought the associated press weighed in on this. Thank you for the clarification.

[@shihlin1]

Don't try to make sense of what Bud Collins thought. The man knew his tennis, but wasn't totally rational when it came to certain aspects of the sport.

[@jaymorgenthal9479]

I was almost 20 and had a wild crush on Chris.

[@pedropelaez]

I always forget how quickly Evert served once she got to the baseline.

[@cyrilbrocard]

Yes, incredible by today's standards. At a moment, BJK makes her wait for maybe 5 seconds, and the commentators disapprovingly say "BJK makes Chris wait, taking plenty of time" 😁😁😁

[@fredmertz1914]

Chris Evert: The Most Beautiful Woman in Professional Tennis in the 1970s.

[@arnoldamaral7406]

Fred Mertz Excuse her personal life, 👦👱🤵🕺🕴🚶. Such a poor role model the poor dear. Evonne was such a lady always. Arnold Bourbon Amaral

[@billieame]

All the way until the late 90s when Anna Kournikova appeared

[@fredmertz1914]

@@arnoldamaral7406 True. Chrissy was cool on the court, and wild off of it.

[@phillyjulie]

Both lovely but Evert was a beauty and a champion, Kournikova not so much

[@Apanblod]

So fun to see the details that have changed from then till now. Serving with two balls in hand, Evert starting to serve her second serve almost before the return of the faulty first serve has bounced on her side of the court, King standing inside the baseline to return a first serve. No chairs, no constantly wiping sweat on towels etc.

[@kenarthur6253]

Chris would definitely turn the tables in future matches and dominate women's tennis for a long time.

[@albertleung5449]

Best costume of all time

[@lenwelch2195]

Evert serving at 3-3 I believe had doubts about actually beating King. She started the game with a double fault. When receiving serve at 4-3 became distracted .

[@jeffreybeshears8211]

Bud on the call. Miss that guy

[@drewhendley]

Grace and beauty

[@cyrilbrocard]

Incidentally, I can't believe Chrissy was serving with two balls in her hand, and if the first serve was in, she just dropped the other one behind her...

[@smftrsddvjiou6443]

Cyril Brocard , yes, sometimes it‘s looking dangerously close to the baseline. And once the ball is in the middle of the court.

[@Bitshitter]

More specifically, if the first serve was in, and if the return volley was to her backhand, she would drop the ball. She could continue to hold the ball if she only hit forehand volleys....

[@ianwilliamson2980]

Well spotted

[@95KIPPIE]

The match may have belong to Billie Jean, but the future belonged to Evert

[@anthonyyusef5897]

I would hope so considering the age difference here, as we know the fate of the sport was on BJK shoulders

[@kennethbrady]

@@anthonyyusef5897 Perfectly put.

[@万次郎-i3o]

美しくしく、 憧れた時代の、テニス

[@SC-jh9qp]

I didn't know that the US open was once a grass tournament.

[@zeddeka]

It was on grass until 1974 then from 1975 - 1977 it was on green clay, and then from 1978 it was played on hard courts

[@SC-jh9qp]

@@zeddeka Thank you.

[@opera1dan2]

Wasn’t the Australian also grass back then?

[@SC-jh9qp]

@@opera1dan2 I can remember the Australian Open on grass. Apparently it was on grass until 1988. I'm old (groan).

[@Lava1964]

For most of it history dating back to the 19th century it was played on grass. The sport was once referred to as "lawn tennis" for a reason.

[@lenwelch2195]

11 years separated these two. Neither played each other when both were in their prime, so that’s why king wasn’t threatened by Chris.

[@rolandgreen7484]

They played when both were in their primes in 77-82 and Chris regularly spanked King.

[@kloatlanta]

@@rolandgreen748438 yo isn’t prime

[@Marc-rf9ei]

​@@rolandgreen7484Billie Jean was not in her prime from 33 to 37.Who is? Plus she had 6 knee operations pre arthroscopic.

[@johnward8064]

Evert should have worn lace for every match for all time.

[@jaykraft9523]

Impressed with the last point, how deep in the court Billy Jean hit an approach off of to advance ot the net and put away the match

[@robmagu65]

You can clearly see King’s competitiveness

[@seand67]

So composed....ICE MAIDEN...Chris Evert

[@poussinhamzah4013]

BJK was in total control but Evert caught up in later years. Great match.

[@jamespeyton7312]

Evert had a winning record from the start. This match made it 1-1, and then Evert pulled away from King.

[@irisgutfeld9681]

You don't get matches like this anymore

[@kewsiyehboah9514]

Great Encounter.. Love the Generation - Gap Match Ups.. How Times Change Financially.. 1971.. Men's Winner Received $15,000 Ladies $5,000.. 2023.. Men's And Ladies Singles Champion 3.8 Million Dollar's..

[@NOTHEOTHERGUY]

I always thought King was overly prone to questioning line calls.

[@owakurucci2988]

It's surprising to me King hits top spin backhand in 1971.

[@hamburg1306]

Chrissy was first to use two handed backhand which is why she dropped the second tennis ball behind her. Billie Jean also has two tennis balls when serving but kept the second in left hand because she had a one hand backhand. They were given two balls for first serve so they can quickly have a ball available for second serve. Chrissy’s two handed backhand changes everything.

[@zeddeka]

There were others who had done it before her. Back in the 1930s, the Australians Vivian McGrath and John Bromwich both had two handed backhands and then the American Mike Belkin. Pancho Segura had a two handed forehand.

[@andyl8453]

us open also held on grass field like Wimbledon open.i didn't know it

[@tommytk72]

yes - until 1974! After that they change to Clay (for 3 Years) and from 1978 on they play on Hardcourt!

[@billy123356789]

Yes exactly like Wimbledon open dumbass

[@jondavwal13]

Most of the comments here are so ignorant. Tennis was a different sport with wood rackets. The wrist had to be firm. Now with modern rackets the wrist has to be loose. It's a completely different way of hitting the ball. I was a ranking junior in the 70s and early 80s and I stopped playing for almost 30 years. I picked up the sport again in my late 40s and after a few lessons I hit the ball so hard the tennis pros at the club couldn't return my forehand hit AT them. The new rackets and strings make a huge difference. I had to completely change my grip but once I got it I generated so much power probably because I had learned on wood and had to generate power a different way. Evert was a great player. To say she plays like a club player is just stupid. She beat Graf and Seles at the end of her career and beat Martina right up until the end.

[@1bcordell]

Geez. You are being quite an asshole. Plus, you are wrong on a lot of points.

[@vanallen1673]

​@@1bcordell actually, he is right on.

[@reinhardoff2786]

Sweet Chrissy

[@tigerbalm666]

So many ignorant comments here..do you know how difficult it is to hit with a woodie??? Players today couldn't hit a ball in to save their lives! You just cannot create power and spin with wood back then.

[@billy123356789]

Who cares it’s shitty

[@billy123356789]

Who cares it’s shit to watch

[@SuperHammaren]

The comments are disrespectful, but I think it was more due to how tennis was taught. Borg could play topspin both with western grip and wooden racket -but that because he was stubborn and never listened to his coaches (who hated two handed backhands as well as non-continental grips).

[@y11971alex]

The racquet was often about 14 oz. but it isn’t beyond anyones ability to play with it. It would be disastrous to use modern technique with a wooden racquet, but techniques and tactics can be learned.

[@markwhitman9029]

@@billy123356789 today's game is nothing but a noisy slugfest and sure they get power but it is boring. Back when I played in 70s and 80s and the pros back then had a wide variety of shot production: serve volley drops topspin lobs brilliant groundies etc. MUCH more entertaining! Yesterdays pros could adapt to today's equipment if they had to but not the reverse. Serena would be a clutz with wood.

[@al1976-v7m]

Was jumping during service not allowed yet at that point?

[@PrimzieeeB]

WoW....no chair to sit down while on their changed court unlike the players today!!!!

[@johnrobbins917]

Play is continuous, per the rules.

[@edwinbarton5954]

50:15 Let ! Replay the point ! 51:05 Idem ! 52:04 Counter sliced smash (like Federer)

[@greggdoty3076]

OMG @ the f*&king planes!

[@donaldstancil1544]

Billie Jean had a pretty big forehand.

[@ronwatts5827]

Evert's serve "time" something else...no ball bouncing, and the ball boys-girls had very little time to get out of the way. I think King must of been listening in on the commentators, particularly Bud Collins....as she appeared a bit frustrated, which anyone would be listening to Collin's many meaningless comments. All said....the old "serve/Volley" game (King) was great before its modern demise

[@charleskristiansson1296]

Forrest Hills was so, so noisy :( Great match back in the day.

[@paulganiban2672]

Why Evert is allowed to drop the second ball on the court after successfully serving the first ball

[@ianwilliamson2980]

Chrissy would go on to beat her in the future

[@gregjelinek7971]

I'm absolutely dumbfounded by the fact that Chris used to hold two balls in her hand while serving and then throw one back once play began -- talk about a trip hazard and a distraction for her opponent. At one point, she even drops a ball in midcourt while playing. Nowadays, they would play a let or eventually penalize Chris.

[@antonboludo8886]

Yes, it is a strange thing to do.

[@antonboludo8886]

Yes, for female players they provide a type of hook in order to hold the second ball, especially for players who have a two-handed backhand.

[@tombryant52jumpscoach]

We did that when we played in the early 70s. It wasn't distracting because you got used to it immediately and your focus was on the ball in play entirely.

[@DK-lc8gf]

Bud Collins was so irritating

[@tomschmitz5745]

never understood why chris didn't wear dresses with pockets for the balls? simple solution.. it would be a few years later when she didn't need to when the ball kids would just toss her another ball due to her 2 handed backhand...

[@arnoldamaral7406]

tom schmitz Evonne would hold the second ball as she played. What a pure beautiful athlete she was. 🏇🚴🚵🏅🏆🏵 And lovely lady 👩. Arnold Bourbon Amaral

[@phillyjulie]

@@arnoldamaral7406 Nowhere near the champion that Evert was, though...poor dear

[@y11971alex]

As Ann Jones mentions at 51:18 and 2-5 15-all in the second set, Evert can be distracted by the ball she drops on account of her backhand.

[@davidkaiser]

After 1972 they made her stop doing that at Wimbledon.

[@tomschmitz5745]

wonder (pure conjecture of course) how 16 year old maureen connolly would have fared against 28 year old billie jean at the u.s. open if king was put back in 1951 or connolly as a 16 year old was put 20 years ahead of time in 1971? doris hart, connolly's great rival when asked about 16 year old evert in 1971 and the greatest young sensation since connolly stated that "no question that maureen was a better player then evert at the same age, and hit the ball harder and was stronger and more sturdy. hart did give praise to evert's 2 handed backhand as such a weapon and it had power... course the fact that hart was a contemporary and rival of connolly AND her friend one has to take into consideration on her opinion..

[@garyr4211]

They not moaning back and forth?

[@BTURNER1961]

What people do not realize about this rivalry, was by this point they had already played each other once , with Evert winning their first meeting on clay 6-7, 6-3, ret. . Evert was always ahead in the rivalry. The match-up turned out to be almost entirely predictable through the end of 1975 by which time they had played 15 matches with a h to h of 8 with Evert winning 8 and King winning 7. It was a simple equation. If the match was played on a fast surface grass or indoor carpet, Billie Jean won the match. If the match was played on hard courts or clay courts Evert won the match. The only exception in that 15 was Chris killing King in January of 1975 indoors on carpet 6-1,6-1. Billie Jean was forever playing catch-up just like Court was.

[@cambium0]

King played like Navratilova whom she preceded so I guess Navratilova was influenced by her. And some of these points, King is really playing pretty well, especially at net and with overheads. Chris got schooled. Chris' forehand ... so odd, doesn't go over the top with spin, almost slices it. No real weapons other than some consistency at this point.

[@lenwelch2195]

It’s her concentration, and her will. She raises her game when the score is critical knowing just being consistant won’t collect errors. K8ng and evert never felt threatened because neither was in their prime at the same time being 11 yrs apart. ChriS stated kings game on grass was far more developed.

[@ryanje8147]

omg....those old wooden racquets.

[@tombryant52jumpscoach]

I had one. You had to keep it in a frame with 4 thumb screws to tighten down to keep them from warping.

[@jimmybrice6360]

i cant believe that both of them hold both balls in their hand, when they hit their first serve. there is simply only disadvantages to that. they should have been cured of that bad habit early on

[@zeddeka]

If you watch, Chris dropped the second ball behind her as soon as she served

[@jimmybrice6360]

@@zeddeka i know. but why on earth would you want to hold a ball in your hand, while serving ? i think pancho gonzales did that, as well

[@ralfbeckmann597]

❤❤❤

[@randomnik70]

Billy Jean is just some girl who says that I was the one

[@tombryant52jumpscoach]

That's funny but she had an abortion the year before so I doubt it.

[@1bcordell]

@@tombryant52jumpscoach I never knew she tried a ding dong or two.

[@tomloft2000]

@@1bcordell Her name was Moffitt before she got married.

[@shihlin1]

I'm surprised there was no rule in tennis that forbade a player like Chris to drop the other ball onto the court as soon as the point began. It's a distraction not to mention a disaster waiting to happen. Thank goodness Chrissie came to her senses and kicked this bad habit and no one got hurt. It's still shocking to watch this today and realize nothing was done about it.

[@johnrobbins917]

This became an issue. Subsequently Evert would request one ball, not two, before serving.

[@kosimo6628]

What a sweet kitten!

[@jonathankieranwriter]

“Both girls in lace” says Bud Collins. Yes, La King, demure phallic connoisseur with rich, nougaty patriarchal surname denoting convenient royal supremacy.

[@lenwelch2195]

Spewing garbage. King is a human being ,gender is a construct made up of steroetypical descriptive that creates walls of confinement . King was an original and we loved her for it. She was the first to welcome Evert , telling other bitchy resentful woman players that evert was new star that would put butts in the seats and put more money in their purses. Evert was the catalyst for the tennis boom. Without Evert the tennis boom would of never happened .

[@Marc-rf9ei]

T😊ennis was big before Chris came on the scene even back to Lenglen Wills

[@zeddeka]

Was Evert eating at 27:24 or chewing gum?? Either way, not a very sensible thing to do when playing.

[@jonathankieranwriter]

Tobacco. Didn’t you see Chrissy spit a big, juicy wad of it in Billie Jean’s eye during the second changeover?

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

@@jonathankieranwriter 😂😂😂😂

[@phillyjulie]

She did when she was younger, said it helped her handle her nerves

[@billy123356789]

Wtf there is a ball on the court

[@neilmodino9284]

I think this tennis court is ugly. It does not look formal as the Wimbledon court.

[@jehugo66]

Neil Modino Wimbledon has had a few extra centuries to grow that lawn

[@neilmodino9284]

@@jehugo66 I didn't mean to be mean but Wimbledon is superb.

[@krishnakumar2390]

Tennis is a sport and Maria Sharapova is the princess who changed my life.

[@dirtydiana8542]

It's unbelievable how much young Evert looks like Azarenka. Like twin sisters.

[@ViaticalTree]

😂 Are you serious? Azarenka wishes.

[@dirtydiana8542]

@@ViaticalTree I'm talking about face not about tennis you dummy

[@ViaticalTree]

Dirty Diana I know what you’re talking about, dummy.

[@dirtydiana8542]

@@ViaticalTree you obviously don't, that's why you are a dummy.

[@nickschulman986]

Y’all are both dummies

[@tommytk72]

...can somebody tell me about the Court? I see 3 Courts on 1!?! So they play 3 Matches at the same time? Like the Australian Open - when it was still in Kooyong (and also on Grass) … Somebody who can tell me?

[@fredmertz1914]

These singles courts were popular in the Pre-Open era, and the early Open-era. The Open era began in 1968, when professional tennis players were finally allowed to compete in the major tournaments (Wimbledon, US, Australian,and French Opens). Up until that time, the majors were open to amateur players only. These were unique, old-school style tennis courts for singles matches only (as distinct from tennis courts with the alley for doubles, in which tennis is played on today). They were also used for NCAA tennis matches. From 1924 to 1977, the US Tennis Championships were played at the prestigious West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills. Up until 1975, the tournament was played on grass. In 1975, the courts were changed to clay. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Side_Tennis_Club

[@kylestewart1439]

The courts would be swapped out as the tournament went on and the grass became worn out one they where done with the left court they move to the middle and then the end in order to keep the surface fresh

[@johnrobbins917]

two matches would be played on the end courts at once, or one match on the center court.

[@billy123356789]

Pure eastern grip lol no need to turn racquet head with your other hand play with a ball in your other

[@JerryAttric42]

i generally liked Bud Collins, but his "ice woman" comments belong the world of Barnum & Bailey rather than sports. it smacks of self-promotion to me.

[@tombryant52jumpscoach]

I specifically didn't like him.

[@williamyeh2714]

啊！31:50

[@a66789]

"

[@vickicarpenter8481]

I feel tennis was more interesting and pleasant to watch at this point especially with elegant, feminine players, such as Chrissie E. One can enjoy it more and see the talent of the player rather than the structure of the racket.

[@OfficialWorldChampion]

at least by today's standards evert is def a pusher, but billie jean king actually is still interesting, if dated in style

[@Gustavo-xz8os]

I could beat both of them

[@ipiap]

Possible, but the question is, whether you could have beaten them in 1971. Billie learned tennis on free public courts, getting free lessons. Before the open era started in 1968 she worked as a playground instructor to earn a bit of money. Those were different times.

[@billrollins1479]

No. Unless you're some top male pro they'd both kick you butt. They are playing with wood racquets in case you didn't notice. Ever hit with a wood racquet Ansdrew?

[@phillyjulie]

Sure you could. Cool story

[@andrewcharles7873]

How old was Billie Jean here...55?

[@geraldleuven169]

Then she would have been your age.

[@lesliejones9705]

She was 27.

[@ursulamullikin4723]

27

[@CG-zi5ku]

More like 1971 Hill Billie Open ! lol

[@raffydiaz9023]

I like the modern tennis, the old one is no power! just like playing in the park🤪

[@052970]

Both king and Evert voted for senator Obama in 1971. Do the math. It always works out the same. Just do it. The math.

[@marioescalante4401]

They voted for a ten-year old senator? Interesting!

[@notnek202]

Obama the Antichrist

[@JSmith-zr2ve]

STFU

[@charomiami]

Obama was 9 you idiot lol

[@shihlin1]

I did the math alright. Obama was a kid in 1971 and Chrissie wasn't old enuff to vote.

[@jimmybrice6360]

please, lets not talk about evert's serve. it is about as weak as it could be - her form is absolutely terrible

[@lenwelch2195]

And everything else was great. Navratilova said evert actually hit underspin serves. The ball stayed down so low that it was hard to attack without hitting it into the net.

[@billy123356789]

Chris Evert forehand in tennis today is a disaster

[@blake7871]

Try a western grip with those heavy wooden rackets.

[@billy123356789]

Blake I don’t care what the reason is I don’t watch that kind of tennis period how many times have you watched the first superbowl

[@blake7871]

@@billy123356789 You clearly do watch that kind of tennis, hence why you're commenting on a tennis video from 1971.

[@billy123356789]

Blake I just stumbled upon the video watched two minutes and remarked about it

[@blake7871]

@@billy123356789 Bullcrap.

[@maheshsrigiriraju8757]

Wow, they are not even holding their racquets properly. Toss of Chris Evert was so funny. 🤣😂😂

[@jondavwal13]

The rackets were completely different and you had to hold them differently. Tennis is a much easier game now. In those days hitting the ball cleanly was a challenge.

[@lenwelch2195]

Wrong as the day is long. Ametuer you are at tennis.

[@outofhere7623]

Chrissie this, Christie that, geez how annoying

[@billy123356789]

This is worst than modern club level tennis

[@JD-jc8gp]

shut the fuck up

[@billy123356789]

J D fuck you

[@joeyconvery2055]

Get along you two. 😆

[@maheshsrigiriraju8757]

Just horrible club player standards or even worse. Those were champs?! 😂😂😂😇😇😇 Chris Evert was carrying racquet around while playing as though it was some heavy piece of luggage. They shouldn’t be playing tennis! Billie Jean was a bit better, I guess. 😂😇🙄🙄🙄 No wonder Martina Navratilova changed the game for good with proper display of skills and injecting some power into women’s tennis.

[@deepakmahajan170]

Chris every defeated graf who defeated serena. Top players adjusted and wooden racquet was not easy.

[@luvdasitar]

Idiot. Try playing with their rackets and strings and those balls. You would look like a chimp.

[@charleskristiansson1296]

@@deepakmahajan170 So true. Wooden racquets are all about touch.

[@jondavwal13]

Evert became plenty powerful and she was still beating Martina in the late 80s. She killed her in the semis of the 1988 AO and lost to Graf in a pretty good match. She had figured out how to beat her during the match but she was past her best. Watch the 1989 match at her last US Open against Monica Seles who was already the hardest hitter in the game. She annihilated her 6-0, 6-2. THAT was vintage Evert the last time we saw it and newspapers said as much. She was a great great player and in a way was the architect of the game today. If she had modern racket technology she would have been frightening. That kind of precision plus power. Unbeatable. It's called Novak Djokovic on the men's side.

[@jansnauwaert1785]

Sorry to say so, but what a bad play compared to nowadays. Looks like bad amateurs.

[@thierry-yonathanmeyer5976]

Then sorry to say that you probably know very little about our sport You can't compare wooden rackets with today's technology

[@jansnauwaert1785]

@@thierry-yonathanmeyer5976 As if I didn't know that. I am not interested in your arrogance. It's just plain bad tennis play; without power, without speed and not showing much skill neither.

[@thierry-yonathanmeyer5976]

@@jansnauwaert1785 what arrogance? 🤔 Look at both your comments, especially your answer to me if you want to know what arrogance is 🤷‍♂️ Your answer definetly shows you know very little about our sport

[@jansnauwaert1785]

@@thierry-yonathanmeyer5976 Bye, I don't waste my time with idiots. I know there are a lot of them on KZbin, but my time is precious.

[@nalcow]

Idiot.

[@The_Great_One]

This is so bad lol, women tennis was an utter disgrace back then. 0:49, has a short slow ball and Evert nets such a simple shot. Terrible technique on a lower ball, terrible racquet head control.

[@Volker7578]

I think that was because it was of the very first rallies of the match. She wasn't swinging freely. The women had incredible depth in their shots.

[@JSmith-zr2ve]

STFU

[@ClearMindedOne]

It's called low bouncing grass courts with tiny 65 sq inch, 13+ ounce heavy, thin, flexible, leather gripped, and unstable wooden rackets strung 60+lbs! Note the need for swinging volley. The new rackets allowed you to just extend and block. No comparison in terms of difficulty. These were not club players. These were two of the greatest wood racket era female players ever.

[@The_Great_One]

@@ClearMindedOne Ah no, they were just shitty moonballing pushers who would get trounced by the WTA today.

[@ClearMindedOne]

@@The_Great_One The mind boggles.