Monica Seles vs Zina Garrison 1989 French Open 3rd Rd

Monica Seles vs Zina Garrison French Open 1989 3rd Round,15 year old Monica Seles in her debut Grand Slam event reaches the Semifinals of The French Open in 1989 losing to Steffi Graf in 3 sets

[@tenniscollector]

LOL this is great. Good to see more footage of her in the '89 French when she rose to prominence.

[@BEGGARWOOD1]

See was always grumpy. Monica said that she just wanted to share her flowers !

[@reparata11]

I think the biggest problem that Zina had with Monica is that before the match even started she thought she would get crushed and she was right!

[@100BABOLAT]

Completely agree 9-7 in the third with a match point is not a tennis lesson, however 6-1 6-1 in the semis at Houston in 1991 on clay, that is a lesson...LOL!

[@jess4metoo]

Ive always though Zina had class. I so do wish she defeated Navratilova at Wimbledon.

[@jess4metoo]

@Kumar Meitei Yeah….And your point? Seles beat Hingis 6-4 6-2 in 2002.

[@ChicanoPhD]

@Kumar Meitei 17yo Monica would have slaughtered 17yo hingis.

[@sdn14]

why wouldn't you accept flowers from someone?

[@kloatlanta]

Monica was just young and having fun! Zina didn’t want those flowers haha

[@erryan10]

"don't want my flowers which i simply wanted to share with you?....that's ok.....i'll just blast you off this court...and don't forget i am only 15 and about to achieve far more than you ever will....take that!" :)

[@vpg1111]

Haha, well we know Seles does have a sense of humor after all

[@kljMN2]

Zina was just bitter that she lost to Monica on a surface she simply didn't play well at all on.

[@trent8002003]

Did Zina Garrison applaud the first 2 shots from Monica in this clip? If so, she's got some class as she was reportedly really really mad at Monica for tossing and offering those flowers to spectators and her. Still, have seen how Monica handled those flowers, I really have to ask *what's the big deal*???

[@zeddeka]

It was viewed as very disrespectful and diva-ish - Monica seeming to make it 'all about her' and turning it into a bit of a circus. Not much remembered now, but before the stabbing Monica was not popular either on the tour or with the public. The reputation was reinforced when she skipped Wimbledon in 1991, wouldn't answer calls from the WTA, suddenly appeared in a weird photo shoot for People magazine and then turned up at an exhibition for which she got paid $$$$$, and appeared at a press conference before the US Open wearing a t shirt with all the names of the grand slams on but Wimbledon crossed out. She'd gained herself a reputation as being something of a brat who thought she was bigger than the sport.

[@ChicanoPhD]

@@zeddekayawn hater

[@BLACKTREAT]

ZINA WAS QUITE, QUITE PISSED!

[@SOT233]

Zina should have accepted the flowers. At least, she would have won something. 😄

[@IAMMOVIN4WARD]

Zina didn't have much power huh lol?*

[@fjosephgonzales6870]

Not true; the highlights just make it seem that way because they are so Monica-heavy (BTW, I love both of these players). Evidence: About one year later, Zina beat Monica at Wimbledon.

[@melande1966]

@sunfunmancanfan 6/3 6/2 LOOOOOOOOOOL!

[@100BABOLAT]

That is not true at all many people hate Mac because of his immaturity on the court, that goes double for James Scott Connors...the Compton ladies are exceptional talents but Serena especially...completely classless sometimes.

[@andrewmoores7166]

lol at anyone who thinks Serena’s behaviour over the years was classy.

[@nickelwindow53]

@dtw1958 Serena and Venus are as classy as they come. They are cockey and have the game to back it up! Nobody cared when Mcenroe had tempers, but when a Black Woman does its a issue??!?!......WHY?

[@dtw1958]

@nickelwindow53 Zina and Lori M. were much better sports and classier than Serena tho. Serena let success go to her head as evident by her rants in recent years. A real shame.

[@foritisi]

Monica didn't take too well to being given a lesson in grass court tennis at Wimbledon in 1990 by Zina - she didn't turn up to play there in 1991...

[@zeddeka]

There's an English language version of this where Sue Barker is commentating. She was appalled by what Monica did - very unprofessional and egotistical. whatever the motives or the naivety, it came across very badly. "I'm a diva and this is all about me".

[@BigTimeShowdown]

Seles was being disrespectful and most probably at least partially has racist motives to be.I never liked her.

[@kmanyguns]

racist? what's racist about giving flowers to the fans, Monica was young and in her first grandslam...Zina wasn't having it because she was ready to play, not receive flowers from her opponent, that's all - i did love their half witted hand shake at the end, Zina must of been so pissed at that little girl with a big forehand and all Zina could do was watch the ball zip by her..poor Zina

[@brunoberose564]

Hum hum Monica racist motives ?!? How? Offering flowers ? Come on ! And about Zina : she didn't accept because it was the wta rules. After the match, wta supervisor explained that to Monica as well. As a newby, she didn't know. ...

[@zeddeka]

I don't think it was racist. I think it was just a massive ego - probably the idea of her father.

[@andrewmoores7166]

Pathetic

[@BigTimeShowdown]

Handing out flowes before a match conveys the message that you consider the match won before it started. Everybody with a normal IQ - even 16 year old- can understand this. It's not rocket science. So Monica chose to send this message because she did not respect Zina Garrison. She never did this prior to this moment nor later. So she is either stupid or racist but as racism is stupid and she obviously learned how to play tennis (meaning that she is capable of learning) there is only one option left.