Monica Seles vs. Sandrine Testud Wimbledon 1997 R3

[@juanantoniobl7550]

Terrible loss for Mónica, wasting a match point. Same happened at USO against irrelevant Spirlea.

[@jonathankieranwriter]

Love Monica-always have, always will-but it would have been better for her to take a break in 1997 (a horrible year for her on and off court) to focus on family and fitness. She was flat-out FAT here, as she herself later admitted when discussing her eating disorder, and though her potent shots were mostly intact, her fitness was not anywhere near the level required of a champ of her pedigree. I know her father wanted her to compete and doing so may have taken her mind off some problems, but it did her no favors. Contrary to what many have said since, Monica absolutely had the game to win Wimbledon-her reaching the final in 1992 with a win over Navratilova is proof of that-and I believe that, if her fellow players like Graf, Tauziat, and Navratilova hadn’t wickedly complained about her grunting and gotten into her head, inhibiting her, she would have won that Wimby final against Graf. Testud was a fine player, one doesn’t want to take anything away from her, but Monica should not have been on the court at this juncture. Hard work on fitness off the court, under the supervision of her ill father, would have been better. She could have returned at any time and destroyed the competition, after a break. Look how often the top women take injury-hiatuses since 2005 and return in solid form.

[@TheNathanj2009]

The non grunting is not going to massively effect a result to state otherwise is pathetic. She got 3 GAMES in that final no one could have beaten Graf that day. Seles never beat Graf on a fast hardcourt, indoors or on grass. The only way she would have won Wimbledon is if Graf lost early such as in 1994 to McNeil.

[@hill4252]

Graf never complained about the grunting, Seles wouldn't have beaten Graf that day, no one would have the way she played. About the Seles - Testud match - this loss in 97 was one of the worst, the amount of times Seles had Testud on the run and she could have finished the point at the net and had the match won. I'm sad Seles never won Wimbledon.

[@Calicokit101]

Graf never once complained about Monica's grunting.

[@juanantoniobl7550]

Graf said that Seles grunting has always been a problem and its good that players are complaining now and that she will too. She couldnt cause Mónica fell in the trap and her focus and concentration wasnt the same trying hard to not grunt at all. Plus, the Yugoeslavian war was on and Seles was receiving dead threats at the time. Im not sure Seles wouldnt ever beat Graf in grass. Sabatini and even Sánchez were about to do it in 91 and 95 but they both choked.

[@hill4252]

@@juanantoniobl7550 that's just not true

[@poussinhamzah4013]

Seles avait du mal à se déplacer et Testud a joué avec beaucoup d'habileté pour renverser la vapeur..... surtout après son passage à vide au debut du match

[@Anthony-ng7tg]

Ridicoulous overrule by Miss Jane Tabor Graf

[@zeddeka]

you mentally ill?

[@grantgoffin4774]

People harp on Seles's lack of fitness in her 20s but Testud could sure afford a few less cheeseburgers. And I like her, she seems like a really nice person and is a hard working, overachieving kind of player which I mean as a compliment, but she probably could have done even better if she gave a darn about her fitness. She actually looks bigger than Seles her, and this is Seles at her worst fitness wise.

[@MarkMoran-rs1rm]

Weary seles blows the lead i remember this match very well Monica's father's was sick that's why she was never focused also she was not in good shape and mobility was not her strongest asset

[@gardnersgourmetbakery6269]

They both look a lil chunky here