margaret court

The Australian Open Played In March

March 14, 2024 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Did you know that the Australian Open was once played in March,

It was 1971 and the tournament was moved for a year from its traditional December/January dates to March in accommodation to the scheduling requirements of the WCT Tour (World Championship Tennis) and the National Tennis League, two of the fledging tennis tours in the early years of professional tennis before it was consolidated. To boot, the tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Melbourne, but was moved to Sydney to accommodate the tournament’s title sponsor, Dunlap, which paid $125,000 to be associated with the event.

As you can read in my book “On This Day In Tennis History” (For sale and download here: https://a.co/d/7Tg3LfI)

It was Margaret Court and Ken Rosewall who won the singles titles, both played on March 14, 1971, as you can read about in my book excerpt here:

March 14, 1971 – Margaret Court and Ken Rosewall win singles titles at the Australian Open at White City in Sydney, Australia. Court defeats first-time major finalist and fellow Australian Evonne Goolagong 2-6, 7-6 (1), 7-5 to win her country’s national championship for the 10th time in the last 12 years. Goolagong leads 5-2 in the final set, before she is beset with cramping in her leg. Says Court of the final-set deficit, “I thought I’d had it. I don’t think I played particularly well, but when Evonne got the cramp, I took advantage.” Court’s title is her sixth straight major singles title on the heels of her 1970 Grand Slam sweep of all four majors. Rosewall defeats defending champion Arthur Ashe 6-1, 7-5, 6-3, benefiting from 13 Ashe double-faults. Ashe hits four double-faults alone in the sixth game of the match as Rosewall wins the first set in just 19 minutes. Says Rosewall, “I think Arthur lost confidence when his service was not going too well.”

Watch some of the Court vs. Goolagong final here: https://youtu.be/4tQ1cnkjock?si=jFIyQUk0hg5_v_rF and the Ashe vs. Rosewall final here https://youtu.be/HzPuG5HWGmI?si=uO29lMY2ze-NV8wQ

Will Serena Williams Make Tennis History In The U.S. Open Final?

September 6, 2018 by Admin

Serena Williams is on the cusp of tennis history.

Williams will look to tie the all-time major singles title record Saturday in the U.S. Open final.

Williams will be seeking her 24^th major singles title that would tie her for the all-time lead owned by Margaret Court.

Williams will also be seeking her seventh U.S. Open title, which would be the most ever and break the tie that she currently shares with Chris Evert.

And that’s not it!

With a U.S. Open victory on Saturday, Williams will also join a select group of seven mothers in the history of the sport to win majors, most recently in the Open era (since 1968) by Kim Clijsters.

At 36 years and 349 days, Williams is the third oldest Grand Slam finalist in the Open Era. Should she win the title, Williams would be the oldest Grand Slam singles champion in the Open Era, overtaking her own record set at the 2017 Australian Open.

Despite being seeded No. 17, Williams, based her amazing track record, was the U.S. Open betting odds favorite – by virtue of her amazing career record and her success at Wimbledon in July, where she reached the final. However, Williams was also the strong favorite to win that final but was upset against Angelique Kerber. Williams was flat against Kerber and was perhaps overcome with emotion and nerves – even for a player as experienced as Williams – perhaps affected by the tremendous attention and affection she has received for her incredible comeback to tennis after her difficult child-birth during last year’s U.S. Open.

In the final, Williams will face 20-year-old Naomi Osaka, the explosive No. 20 seed, who is the first woman from Japan to reach a major final. Osaka has been highly-regarded for the last two years and burst onto the scene by winning the prestigious hard-court title in Indian Wells in March. In July, she was definitively picked to win Wimbledon by ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe, before falling in the round of 16. But perhaps her Grand Slam breakthrough form is one Grand Slam tournament delayed. An interesting side note to the final is that Osaka is coached by Sascha Bajin, who for years was the hitting coach for Williams.

Mothers Who Won Majors – Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka Look To Join The Exclusive Group

March 9, 2018 by Admin

By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher

Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka are back on the tennis court competing for tennis glory after both became mothers within ten months of each other.

Both are seeking to join a very exclusive club of women to win major singles titles as mothers.

Williams gave birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian on September 1, 2017, eight months after winning the Australian Open, her 23rd career major singles title. Azarenka, the 2012 and 2013 Australian Open champion, gave birth to son Leo on December 19, 2016.

There are a total of six mothers who have won major singles titles in the history of tennis.

Kim Clijsters – Clisters was the most recent woman to win a major singles title as a mother. She who won the first of three major singles titles as a mom at the 2009 US Open. She followed by winning the U.S. Open again in 2010 and the Australian Open in 2011. Clijsters gave birth to her first child, daughter Jada on Feb. 27, 2008. After training to play an exhibition match to test the new roof over Centre Court at Wimbledon, Clijsters became motivated to make a comeback to the WTA Tour. She played two events on the WTA Tour in her post-child-birth comeback, reaching the quarterfinals of Cincinnati and the round of 16 of Toronto and incredibly won the US Open in her third event of her comeback as an unranked player. Clijsters joined Evonne Goolagong as the only un-ranked player to win a major when she won the 1977 Australian Open also when she returned to the women’s circuit after giving birth to a daughter. After more than a year off the circuit, Goolagong won the Australian Open after winning four tournaments on the Australian summer circuit over a six week period in late 1977

Evonne Goolagong – Goolagong beat Chris Evert Lloyd in the 1980 Wimbledon final. Her first daughter, Kelly, was born on May 12, 1977 and Goolagong won the Australian Open at year’s end after playing only six events.

Margaret Court – The Australian who was the most prolific winner of majors championships ever (62 titles in singles, doubles and mixed) actually played the 1971 Wimbledon women’s singles final while pregnant with her first child, son Daniel, losing to Evonne Goolagong. Court, however, returned to win the Australian, French and U.S. Opens in 1973.

Sarah Palfrey Cooke – This American star did not defend her 1941 U.S. title due to pregnancy (she was married to standout American player Elwood Cooke), but she won the 1945 U.S. title, beating Pauline Betz as a 33-year-old mother.

Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman – She was challenged by her father to win the U.S. Championship after she became a mom. In her first return appearance, she lost in the 1915 singles final to Molla Mallory, but she did turn the trick until 1919, when at 32 years old, she beat Marion Zinderstein Jessup 6-1, 6-2 to win her fourth U.S. title.

Dorothea Douglass Chambers – The British great won two of her Wimbledon titles after the birth of her first child (1910, 1911) and two more after the birth of her second child (1913, 1914).

Grand Slam Spoilers! The Three Times Grand Slam Dreams Have Fallen One Leg Short

September 7, 2015 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

There is much talk about the five players who have completed the six Grand Slams in the history of tennis – Don Budge (1938), Maureen Connolly (1953), Rod Laver (1962, 1969), Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988). However, what about players who have failed in their attempts to achieve the ultimate in tennis?

The first player to fail in an attempt to win all four majors in a calendar year happened before the first Grand Slam was even achieved. It was 1933, and Jack Crawford from New South Wales, Australia won the Australian, French and Wimbledon championships and reached the final of the U.S. Championships at Forest Hills where he faced Fred Perry of Great Britain. Crawford led Perry two sets to one – one set from winning the first-ever Grand Slam – but won only one game in the final two sets, losing the final 6-3, 11-13, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1.

Budge, the first player to win the Grand Slam in 1938, five years after Crawford’s effort, wrote in his official biography “Don Budge: A Tennis Memoir” that, incredibly, Crawford drinking too much brandy was the reason for the one-sided scores in the final two sets.

“Jack was asthmatic, and particularly, on the hotter, muggier days – as this one was – the condition could begin to bother him,” wrote Budge of Crawford playing Perry in the final of the U.S. Championship on September 10, 1933. “To help his breathing in these circumstances, Crawford would often take a bracing shot of brandy before a match, or, if conditions warranted, even in the midst of one. Against Perry and, no doubt, also against a high autumnal pollen count, frankly, Crawford started hitting the brandy too hard. He had two or three ponies, and his coordination began to suffer. Fred, cold sober, lost only one game to Crawford in the last two sets and thus ended his chances for the first Grand Slam.”

While Crawford did not make history by becoming the first Grand Slammer, his effort helped coin the “Grand Slam” term as, leading into the U.S. Championships, John Kieran of the New York Times wrote in his column, “If Crawford wins, that would be something like scoring a grand slam on the courts.” As Bud Collins writes in his book “The Bud Collins History of Tennis,” a reporter with the less known Reading Eagle newspaper in Pennsylvania named Alan Gould also referred to a potential Crawford sweep as a Grand Slam just after Crawford won Wimbledon in July, but since his paper was not as prominent as the New York Times, Kiernan generally received the credit for first coining the term in tennis. Allison Danzig, the famed New York Times tennis reporter, wrote in his match of Crawford’s loss to Perry that “Crawford’s quest of the Grand Slam was frustrated.”

Connolly won the second Grand Slam in 1953, and three years later in 1956, Lew Hoad from Australia had the opportunity to be the third. He entered the U.S. Championships having won the Australian, French and Wimbledon titles and as the top-seed cruised into the final at Forest Hills to face his Davis Cup teammate and No. 2 seed Ken Rosewall, whom he beat in the Australian and Wimbledon finals earlier in the year. After winning the first set – only two sets from finishing up the Grand Slam – Hoad ran into a buzz-saw, as Rosewall caught fire and prevented history with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 upset.

“A lot of people rubbed their eyes and took another look—even Hoad,” wrote Bill Talbert in Sports Illustrated. “Rosewall completely took charge once he got into the driver’s seat. Down 0-2 in the third set, he took 12 of the next 16 games. He was the master—a crafty tailor sewing a garment of defeat for his victim. Rosewall at the finish was so overpowering that in the final set, Muscles, as he’s called by his teammates, lost only three points on his own service.”

News footage and commentary on Hoad’s quest and failure can be seen here in this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl0D4Kt27Yk

Rosewall and Hoad’s fellow Australians Laver and Court won the next three Grand Slams – Laver turning in the four-major sweep in 1962 and again in 1969, when tennis became “open” to pros and amateurs. Court won all four majors in the 1970 year, one year after Laver’s second.

However, before Graf’s feat in 1988, Martina Navratilova had an opportunity to join this most elite group in 1984. The site of Navratilova’s near accomplishment, however, was not New York, but Melbourne, Australia as the Australian Open was in the early 1980s, the final leg of the Grand Slam, being played in late November, early December.

Navratilova won the French, Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles in 1984 and had won six straight major titles starting with Wimbledon in 1983. However, Navratilova was denied in her calendar-year Grand Slam quest, losing to a 19-year-old Helena Sukova 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the semifinals, ending her incredible 74-match win streak.

”How important is anything?” the 28-year-old Navratilova said after the loss. ”It hurts, but I’ll get over it. I still have two arms, two legs and a heart.”

”If I’d have won, I’d have done it all,” Navratilova said of her quest for the calendar-year Grand Slam. ”If I lost I had to start from scratch. Both are hard to cope with.”

A Battle of the Sexes Tennis Match From 30 Years Ago You May Have Forgotten

August 23, 2015 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

After an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, John McEnroe has fanned some flames about, yet, another “Battle of the Sexes” match, this time featuring himself, at age 56, against world No. 1 Serena Williams. (See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwzMJOhderk)

While all sports fans are quite familiar with Billie Jean King’s socially historic win over Bobby Riggs at the Houston Astrodome in 1973, fewer are familiar with the “Mother’s Day Massacre” where, earlier in the year, Riggs defeated Margaret Court 6-2, 6-1. Even fewer people remember that 30 years ago on August 23, 1985, prompted by a Vitas Gerulaitis comment that the No. 100 man in the world would beat world No. 1 Martina Navratilova, he and Riggs played Navratilova and Shriver in a “Battle of Sexes – Doubles” match. The following is the excerpt from my “This Day In Tennis History” book and mobile app;

1985 – In a bad remake of the original “Battle of the Sexes,” Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver rout 67-year-old Bobby Riggs and Vitas Gerulaitis 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Says Navratilova, “It was something different. You play tournaments all your life, and this was definitely one of a kind. It can only add to the interest of tennis. People said there would be a lot of pressure on us, but I figured if we can’t enjoy this we can’t enjoy anything.” Says Riggs, “I knew it was mission impossible going in. They were a little too tough for us and a little too strong. Vitas was not able to cover as much of the court as I thought he could.”

Few may also remember that Jimmy Connors and Martina Navratilova competed in another “Battle of the Sexes” match on September 25, 1992, as documented here, also from the “This Day In Tennis” book and mobile app.

1992 – Forty-year-old Jimmy Connors defeats 35-year-old Martina Navratilova 7-5, 6-2 in a pro-type “Battle of the Sexes” match in Las Vegas in front of a sellout crowd of 13,832 outdoors at Caesars Palace. Connors wins $500,000 in the match in which he was only allowed to hit one serve, against Navratilova hitting the traditional two serves. Navratilova is also allowed to hit the ball in an extra half of the doubles alley. “I didn’t take advantage of the alleys,” says Navratilova. “I served poorly today. I was more nervous today than any match I’ve ever been in.” Say Connors, “I thoroughly enjoyed playing Martina. I didn’t know what to expect going out there playing her.” The match was witnessed by both Riggs and King, who engage in their “Battle of the Sexes” in 1973, won by King 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.

As background, the following are the two “This Day In Tennis” excerpts from the other two aforementioned “Battle of the Sexes” matches…

On this May 13, 1973… In the prequel to the famous “Battle of the Sexes” match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King, the 55-year-old Riggs crushes No. 1 ranked woman Margaret Court 6-2, 6-1 in 57-minutes in their $10,000 winner-take-all challenge match in Romana, Calif. After the match, that becomes known as the “Mother’s Day Massacre,” Riggs, the self-described male chauvinist pig, issues the challenge to take on King, saying “I want her. She’s the Women’s Libber leader! She can name the place, the court and the time, just as long as the price is right.” Riggs, who famously wins the singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon in 1939, calls his win over Court, “the greatest hustle of all time.” Writes Neil Amdur of the New York Times, “The victory was the latest and perhaps most amazing chapter in the colorful career of one of the games most underrated players and one of the sports most successful hustlers.” King eventually accepts Riggs’ challenge and in September they play in the famous “Battle of the Sexes” match at the Houston Astrodome.

On this September 20, 1973… In perhaps the most socially significant event in the history of tennis and sports history, 29-year-old Billie Jean King defeats 55-year-old Bobby Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours, four minutes to win the “Battle of the Sexes” played at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The match is played in a circus-like atmosphere in front of a world record crowd of 30,492 fans and millions in front of televisions around the world. “She was too good,” says Riggs, the 1939 Wimbledon champion, following the match. “She played too well. She was playing well within herself and I couldn’t get the most out of my game. It was over too quickly.” Writes Neil Amdur of the New York Times, “King struck a proud blow for herself and women around the world.”

Pam Shriver, Martina Navratilova, Bobby Riggs and Vitas Gerulaitis

Comparing Serena Williams 2015 Season (So Far) To The Greatest Ever

July 11, 2015 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

With her 6-4, 6-4 Wimbledon final win over Spain’s Garbine Muguruza, Serena Williams has won the third leg of a calendar year Grand Slam in 2015. The win also completes a her second “Serena Slam” with her fourth consecutive major title, giving her 21 majors in total, three shy of Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24. In New York at the U.S. Open, Serena Williams will attempt to become only the fourth woman – and the sixth player – to win a calendar year Grand Slam, joining Don Budge (1938), Maureen Connolly (1953), Rod Laver (1962, 1969), Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988) to sweep all four majors in a season.

While achieving so much history – and perhaps more in the months ahead – how does the Serena Williams 2015 record – so far – compare to the other great singles seasons in tennis?

After her Wimbledon final win over Muguruza, the Williams match record for the year is 39-1, her lone loss coming in the semifinals of the clay event in Madrid to Petra Kvitova 6-2,6-3. She has won only four titles so far this year – her three major titles in Australia, France and Wimbledon – plus Miami, but withdrew from Rome after the first round and in Indian Wells before the semifinals with injuries (walk-overs do not count as match losses). In the majors, she has lost nine sets (two in Australia, five in France and two at Wimbledon.)

When Graf won the Grand Slam in 1988 she lost only two sets in her four major tournament run and posted a 72-3 won-loss record for the year, winning 11 of 14 events.

In 1983, Martina Navratilova posted the best won-loss record in the Open Era with an 86-1 tally during her dominant season (she completed a non-calendar “Martina Slam” at the 1984 French Open). She won 16 of 17 events during the year, her lone blemish being a fourth-round loss to Kathy Horvath at the French Open.

Margaret Court’s 1970 Grand Slam season featured a 104-6 record, winning 21 of 27 tournaments and losing only three sets in her run through all four major titles.

In the pre-Open era, Maureen Connolly’s run to the Grand Slam in 1953 featured the loss of only one set in her four major title runs. She won 10 of 12 tournaments and compiled a 61-2 record for the year.

To read more about the history of the Grand Slam, click here to Randy Walker’s story “The Grand Slam – Origins and Correct Verbiage” here: http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/12027 or watch his video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L7CrpyVpLE

Who Is The Greatest Jewish Female Tennis Player Of All Time?

December 15, 2014 by Admin

Much has been written, discussed and argued on who is the greatest female tennis player of all time. Margaret Court won more major singles titles than any other woman (24) and more majors in singles, doubles and mixed (62), but Martina Navratilova, it has been argued, faced stiffer competition in her winning 59 total majors, including a final title at the age of 49. Serena Williams is in the discussion based on her amazing power and dominance in the current game. Steve Flink, in his book “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time” (for sale here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008B9CIN4/ref=cm_sw_r_pi_dp_V51Jub1SEPNM7) gives the nod to Steffi Graf with 22 major singles titles.

However, there is very little argument on who the greatest JEWISH female tennis player is. That would go to a player named Suzy Kormoczy from Hungary.

In her book “The Greatest Jewish Tennis Players of All Time” (available for sale here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/193755936X/ref=cm_sw_r_pi_dp_A41Jub0S0TAWV) Sandy Harwitt profiles the 1958 French women’s singles champion in this book excerpt below.

The search for the most accomplished Jewish woman to play tennis requires some heavy research. But persistence often pays off as it did on this occasion with the discovery that the late Hungarian player Zsuza Kormoczy qualifies as the top Jewish woman to ever play the game. What enables Kormoczy to win the nod is her status as the winner of the 1958 French Championships, making Hungary’s 1958 Sportswoman of the Year the only Jewish woman to date to win one of the four most coveted singles trophies in tennis.

Suzy Kormoczy is barely on the tip of anyone’s tongue. Most have never heard of the tennis talent and finding information about the Hungarian – there doesn’t seem to be much of an offering in Hungarian no less English — is a challenge.

Born on August 25, 1924, Kormoczy is the pride and joy of Hungarian tennis. While other Hungarians might be more familiar to tennis fans — Andrea Temesvari and Balazs Taroczy come to mind — it is “Suzy K” who is the country’s greatest success story.

By 1939, Kormoczy was traveling abroad and had the opportunity to meet tennis idols from America — Bill Tilden and Alice Marble — when at Wimbledon. She asked Marble, who would win the Wimbledon title that year with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Briton Kay Stammers, for an autograph. Marble wrote, “To Suzy, I hope you will someday win Wimbledon, Alice Marble.”

Kormoczy would never win Wimbledon — clay and not grass was her surface of choice — but she would come fairly close. The petite Hungarian would reach the Wimbledon semifinals in 1958, just weeks after winning the French title, and the quarterfinals in 1953 and 1955.

A resilient baseliner, the terre battue at Roland Garros and at other European events, was where Kormoczy performed to high standards. In 1958, following rigorous pre-Roland Garros training that included running and gymnastics, Kormoczy, at the ripe old age of 33, earned her place in history. She captured the French National crown with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 victory over Shirley Bloomer Brasher of Britain, becoming the oldest ever French champion, a distinction she still holds. Following behind Kormoczy as the next oldest French champions are Serena Williams (2013): 31 years, 8 months, Nelly Adamson-Landry (1948): 31 years and 6 months, and Chris Evert (1986): 31 years and 5 months.

As the defending champion in 1959, Kormoczy returned to the final, but couldn’t hoist the trophy again. She lost out to 18-year-old Englishwoman Christine Truman 6-4, 7-5, who became the youngest ever French women’s champion until she lost that honor to a 17-year-old Steffi Graf in 1987.

Although formal rankings were still decades away, sports journalists would take to ranking players on their own. And in 1958, when Kormoczy won eight of the nine tournaments she entered, losing in the Wimbledon semifinal to Briton Angela Mortimer 6-0, 6-1, it appeared unanimous that Kormoczy would occupy the No. 2 spot. At home, she was feted with the first-ever Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year award in honor of her incredible 1958 season.

In Hungary, she would win the national singles title six times, and the doubles or mixed doubles trophies on 10 occasions. She first won at home as a 16-year-old in 1940, taking the doubles and mixed doubles title.

From what is known, Kormoczy suffered with kidney stones throughout her career, which disrupted her ability to play at times. Following her career as a player, Kormoczy would become a coach at Vasas, her club, and the manager of the National Tennis Association.

Kormoczy passed away at age 82 on September 16, 2006. Tributes calling attention to her incredible life were offered by a number of players who followed her footsteps into professional tennis. Andrea Temesvari said, “This is a huge loss for the Hungarian tennis life. She belonged to the all-time greats.” Balazs Taroczy said, “The tennis and her family were her life. She loved her club, “Vasas” where I also played. I’m sorry for not being able to watch her play, but I know she was a big fighter, a wonderful player, and a great person.”

In 2007, Zsuzsa Kormoczy was posthumously inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Steve Flink Analyzes Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams in the “Greatest of All Time” Debate

September 18, 2013 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

The conclusion of the 2013 U.S. Open has caused for many tennis fans to take stock on its historical consequences. After the final two days of the tournament, many tennis observers began to suggest that the men’s and women’s singles champions, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, may be on their way to becoming the greatest tennis players of all time. The win for Nadal moved him into third-place alone with 13 major singles titles, one behind Pete Sampras and four behind Roger Federer. The win for Williams was her 17^th major singles title, one behind Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert in fourth place all time and seven behind all-time leader Margaret Court.

Steve Flink, the author of the book THE GREATEST TENNIS MATCHES OF ALL TIME (available here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Greatest-Tennis-Matches-Time/dp/0942257936/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379538310&sr=8-1&keywords=Greatest+tennis+matches+of+all+time) who just finished covering the US Open for a 40^th time, is a leading authority in “greatest of all time” debates in tennis. In his book, in addition to rating the greatest tennis matches of all time, he rates the greatest players of all time (Federer for men, Steffi Graf for women are rated No. 1) and the greatest individual strokes of all time. The significance of the US Open victories for Nadal and Williams was not lost on Flink.

“Winning a second U.S. Open is very significant for Rafa,” wrote Flink in an email to me after the US Open. “Not only does he move within one major of a tie with Pete Sampras for second place on the all-time list for singles majors, but it means the Australian Open is the only Grand Slam event he has not won at least twice. This raises his stock considerably. I still place him behind Federer, Sampras and Laver among the best of all modern players, but if he can move past Sampras and close in on Roger, everything changes. He will surely win at least one more French Open and he is bound to win again at the Australian Open. If his knees hold up on the grass, he can definitely win Wimbledon again, too. People forget too easily that between 2006 and 2011 — he missed the event in 2009 — Rafa won it twice and made it to three finals.”

“The bottom line is he is only 27 and has probably three big years ahead of him,” Flink continued. “Winning two more majors is almost certain for Nadal and he has a serious chance to catch Federer as well. If he does that, he would deserve to be considered the greatest ever since he has clear head-to-head leads over all of his main rivals including Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, plus a 21-10 record versus Roger.”

To boot for Nadal is the fact that he has won an Olympic gold medal in singles and helped Spain win the Davis Cup four times. Federer won Olympic gold in doubles and silver in singles and has yet to win a Davis Cup. Sampras helped the U.S. win the Davis Cup twice and only competed once in the Olympics, not medaling, and most notably failing to win the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam, a feat both Nadal and Federer have achieved.

As for the women, Flink said the Serena’s 17^th major singles win was “an important step” but she will have her work cut out for her to surpass Graf in his eye as the greatest of all time. While Court has more major singles titles than any other player (24), he discounts some of these due to many of her 11 Australian singles titles coming against weak fields.

“Serena took an important step by winning her 17th major because now she needs only two more to get past Chrissie and Martina and three more to surpass Helen Wills Moody,” Flink wrote via email. “That would leave only Court (24) and Graf (22) ahead of her. Court’s record is misleading and I don’t consider her in the running for the greatest ever, but Graf is another story. Serena’s weakness is that this will be only the third year in her career that she will finish at No. 1 in the world. Evert was No. 1 for 7 years, Navratilova for 7, Graf for 8. They were all far more consistent than Serena, so Serena needs to pile up the majors to make up for that deficiency. Right now, I would still stick with my top five from the GREATEST TENNIS MATCHES OF ALL TIME book: Graf, Navratilova, Evert, Wills Moody, and Court. But Serena is closing in on the top five. If she surpasses Graf for majors, it would be worth another look. I fully expect that she will earn top five status by the end of her career, and some will say she is No. 1. To me, she could only be No. 1 if she surpassed Graf.”

Serena Williams

Serena Williams Becomes Oldest and Richest US Open Women’s Champion

September 8, 2013 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

You’ve come a long way baby.

Thus was the slogan of the founding days of the WTA tour, coined by the tour’s original sponsor Virginia Slims. It couldn’t be more appropriate to modern day women’s tennis.

Playing 40 years to the day of when Margaret Court collected the first equal first-prize paycheck in Grand Slam tournament history by winning the 1973 US Open singles title, Serena Williams collected the richest payout in tennis history – $3.6 million – by winning the 2013 U.S. Open women’s singles final with a topsy-turvy 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-1 win over Victoria Azarenka.

Williams earned the first-prize paycheck of $2.6 million and earned an extra $1 million bonus for winning the Emirates Airlines US Open Series title, making her the first woman – and only fourth player (man or woman) – to surpass $9 million in single season earnings ($9,065,086), joining Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, while also pushing her career earnings past $50 million. When Court won her singles title 40 years ago Sunday, she earned $25,000, historically the same amount of money that men’s singles champion John Newcombe earned, but $7,000 less than what first-round losers earned at the 2013 US Open.

Court’s victory 40 years ago over Evonne Goolagong gave her the distinction of being the oldest woman to win a major singles title, another ceiling that Williams shattered, taking that mantle from Court, winning the championship at 31 years, 256 days, being 211 days older than when Court won her fifth and final U.S. singles title. Court’s title, however, was her 24^th major singles title, a feat that Williams is now seven majors shy of equaling, but her fifth US Open singles title leaves her one shy of tying Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for fourth place all-time. Steffi Graf is No. 2 all-time with 22 majors and Helen Wills Moody is No. 3 with 19.

Williams led Azarenka in the final by a set and 4-1 – with two service breaks – and served for the championship two times in the second set at 5-4 and 6-5, but was unable to close out the pesky world No. 2 from Belarus.

The final was the longest on record at the US Open – two hours and 45 minutes – five minutes longer than the 1981 US Open final that saw Tracy Austin beat Martina Navratilova 1-6. 7-6, 7-6.

Beyond the “Open Era” of the tournament, Williams is the oldest U.S. women’s champion since 32-year-old Margaret Osborne duPont won the U.S. singles title in 1950.

Who Has The Best Volley In Tennis History?

June 27, 2013 by Admin

Sergiy Stakhovsky’s upset win over Roger Federer on Centre Court at Wimbledon showcased some of the best serve-and-volley displays seen at the All England Club in years.

His volleying prowess against the 17-time major champion – and seven-time Wimbledon champion – stirred up a debate as to who had the best volleys in the history of the sport.

Steve Flink, the well-respected tennis journalist and observer, rates the best volleyers of all-time in his book THE GREATEST TENNIS MATCHES OF ALL TIME ($28.95, New Chapter Press, available here www.NewChapterMedia.com and where ever books are sold)

Flink’s rankings – for both men and women, forehand and backhand volley – are excerpted below.

FOREHAND VOLLEY

Men

1. JACK KRAMER The Californian believed fervently that a good offense would always overcome a tough defense. That is why he designed his game to go to the net whenever he had an opportunity. From close range, he was convinced that on a fast surface no one could stop him. Kramer volleyed phenomenally off both sides and had no weaknesses in the forecourt. But his forehand volley was the guiding light of his game, punched with not only control but power. He could handle the high forehand volley, dig out the low ones and close in tight to put away the sitters. Kramer did this better than anyone else.

2. JOHN NEWCOMBE The Australian’s philosophy was not far away from Kramer’s. He made his living at the net. He was comfortable and confident in that territory. He trusted his volley thoroughly. The seven-time Grand Slam singles titlist was quick to read the battle plan of his opponents whenever he was up at the net and was decisive in his execution, particularly on the forehand volley. Confronting great rivals like Laver and Rosewall, Newcombe knew he would have to make more than his share of difficult low forehand volleys. He was seldom found wanting in that department.

3. ROY EMERSON The reason this proud Australian captured no fewer than twenty-eight major titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles was because of his renowned fitness and his uncompromising serve-and-volley style. Emerson was a terrific athlete and once he got his hands on a volley, he was not often going to make a mistake. Emerson volleyed with firmness and conviction and he had an awfully good forehand volley that was one of his primary attributes as a player.

4. PATRICK RAFTER In his two U.S. Open championship runs, and his two journeys to the finals of Wimbledon, Rafter exhilarated the galleries in New York and London with the spring he had in his step. He would propel himself forward swiftly behind his kick serve to play his first volley—no one could surpass him in that endeavor. I will never forget Rafter’s forehand volley display in dissecting Michael Chang in the semifinals of the 1997 U.S. Open. Rafter cast aside Chang in straight sets and, in my mind’s eye, I still see him punching away one forehand volley after another with absolute assurance.

5. JOHN MCENROE The New Yorker did wondrous things on the volley, off either side. What I liked about his forehand volley was his incomparable feel. Not only would he make his signature drop volleys off that side, but his touch was so astounding that he could take the low forehand volley off his shoelaces and deposit it at impossible angles and improbable spots. He kept his volleys low, making it difficult for his rivals to pass him. McEnroe was inventive at the net, a master of finesse and a genius in many ways.

FOREHAND VOLLEY

Women

1. JANA NOVOTNA The 1998 Wimbledon champion became one of the most proficient players ever at the net. She was agile in the forecourt, her technique was excellent and she was decisive in her execution. I felt her forehand volley was the best ever among the women because she could punch it with speed, depth, and precision—and she did it all in textbook fashion.

2. LOUISE BROUGH The winner of six major singles titles, and another twenty-nine in doubles and mixed doubles, Brough was one of the great female players of the late 1940’s and 1950’s. The primary reason she was so successful was her prowess on the volley. She was solid off both sides. Her forehand volley was first rate. She could make the low forehand volley more regularly than just about anyone in her era.

3. MARTINA NAVRATILOVA Early in her career, the forehand volley could be a glaring weakness for Navratilova, but during the 1980’s she improved that shot significantly. From that juncture forward, it became almost technically flawless.

4. MARGARET COURT. In her heyday, Court was always among the best on the volley. She had remarkable range at the net, and it was exceedingly difficult for opponents to find openings to drive the ball past her with more than sporadic success. They nicknamed her “The Arm” because of her capacity to cover the net so thoroughly. Her forehand volley was exemplary in every way.

5. BILLIE JEAN KING Like Navratilova, King could have off days when her forehand volley would let her down. But the fact remains that, at her best, King could get down to make the forehand volley better than anyone. She was never lazy in her approach to volleying, sticking assiduously to the fundamentals and producing those volleys as if she had been born to make them. No one understood good technique on the volley better than the ever inquisitive King.

BACKHAND VOLLEY

Men

1. STEFAN EDBERG The Swede was his era’s best at the net, by a considerable margin. He was the quintessential serve-and-volleyer, with a heavy kick serve designed to allow Edberg to get exceedingly close to the net for his first volley. His forehand volley was awfully good, but his backhand volley was stupendous. Edberg was supremely confident on the backhand volley, which he could “stick” better than anyone. Either high or low on the backhand volley, Edberg always had all of the answers, displaying finesse, precision and the capacity to put it away whenever possible.

2. TONY ROCHE The formidable Australian’s backhand volley was virtually on a par with Edberg’s—some would say that Roche’s was even better. His shoulder turn and soundness were his enduring virtues as a player. No one wanted to allow Roche to hit that backhand volley if they had a choice because he invariably would keep the low ones deep and put the high ones away emphatically. Roche played the backhand volley with clinical efficiency.

3. KEN ROSEWALL While the understated Australian was more revered in some circles for his backhand ground stroke, the fact remains that his backhand volley was every bit as impressive. Rosewall altered his game when he left the amateur ranks and turned pro, realizing he had to approach the net more frequently. Once that change occurred, Rosewall put his stellar backhand volley on display with growing assurance. It was ineffably good.

4. ROD LAVER The two-time winner of the Grand Slam was spectacularly versatile, capable of taking his place alongside any of the great shot makers of all time. But I believe no one gave him the plaudits he deserved for his backhand volley. This deeply humble left-hander had good feel and great control on that side and he never wavered when he was set up for a backhand volley.

5. PETE SAMPRAS Over the second half of his career, the American became more committed to following his second serve in at almost all times. Sampras made serious strides in his ability to volley with the best in his business. He had a very good forehand volley as well, but his backhand volley was outstanding. Even when he was stretched out or reaching down to his shoelaces, he would make even the toughest backhand volleys look remarkably easy.

BACKHAND VOLLEY

Women

1. MARTINA NAVRATILOVA This outstanding left hander’s athleticism was displayed most convincingly when she was stationed up at the net. Her speed and anticipation was second to none and her long reach on the backhand volley was phenomenal. It seemed almost impossible to get a ball by her on that side. Navratilova could not only pound her volleys for winners at sharp angles but also could use her touch for some astounding drop volleys.

2. BILLIE JEAN KING Her technique and flair on the backhand volley was comparable to Navratilova’s. King had a much better backhand than forehand off the ground. On the volley she was highly skilled off both sides, but her backhand volley was more of a weapon. She would knife it away with total conviction, go down the line as well as crosscourt and her footwork and forward movement was outstanding.

3. EVONNE GOOLAGONG Goolagong was very comfortable at the net, relishing the challenge to end points with her dazzling athleticism and staggering grace. Goolagong’s backhand volley was awesome. Navratilova and King were more adept at making the low volley in many ways, but Goolagong was the best on high backhand volleys and backhand overheads. She would leave audiences gasping when she played that shot.

4. MARIA BUENO The Brazilian’s elegance and grace were reminiscent of Goolagong. This fierce competitor hit a heavy ball off the ground, but her forte was the volley. Bueno had wonderful touch and vision at the net, which made her such an estimable grass court player. She knew exactly what to do with the backhand volley and had one of the best ever.

5. VIRGINIA WADE The winner of three singles majors on grass courts—including Wimbledon in 1977—Wade possessed a terrific first serve. It was among the most potent of her time and she followed it in persistently. Up at the net, she was comfortable and usually in command, exhibiting very good lateral movement. Her backhand volley was first rate. Wade could knife that shot crosscourt with extraordinary regularity.

50-Year Anniversary of First Fed Cup Final

June 20, 2013 by Admin

It was 50 years ago on June 20, 1963 that the Fed Cup was awarded for the first time.

As seen in the new THIS DAY IN TENNIS mobile app (www.TennisHistoryApp.com), the United States won the inaugural staging of the international team competition for women– then dubbed by its longer name, the Federation Cup, by claiming a 2-1 win over Australia at Queen’s Club in London. The Federation Cup, the women’s equivalent of the Davis Cup that started 1900, was founded as a part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the International Tennis Federation. Billie Jean King, then known by her maiden name Billie Jean Moffitt, paired with Darlene Hard clinch the title for the United States in the decisive doubles match in the best-of-three match series, defeating Margaret Court, then known by her maiden name Margaret Smith and Lesley Turner 3-6, 13-11, 6-3.

Hall of Fame tennis journalist and personality Bud Collins discusses the Fed Cup – and its curious naming – in his volume THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS, available here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0942257707?tag=tennisgrancom-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0942257707&adid=1Q446RE4XRBX0SYN215X&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennisgrandstand.com%2F Bud’s summary and take on the “Fed Cup” from the book is excerpted below.

It was a splendid idea with a lame name—twice. That’s the Federation/Fed Cup, the world team competition for women—a la the Davis Cup that has been running in a variety of formats since 1963. It was best-of-three matches until 1996, then best-of-five (like Davis Cup, except curiously playing the doubles last, usually meaningless). The International Tennis Federation, the proprietor, named the Cup unimaginatively for itself. Plenty of excellent names such as Suzanne Lenglen, Helen Wills, Alice Marble were available. In 1995, a name change was advised, and—eek!—it was shortened to Fed. Wonder how much that consultation cost. King or Court Cup (for Billie Jean King or Margaret Court), stars of the event, would have been just fine.

The idea for a female team competition, complementing the Davis Cup, sprang from “Lady Tennis,” American Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, an all-time champion, who provided a Cup. But in the 1920s, there wasn’t enough broad interest. Thus the Wightman Cup became a prize for a U.S.-Great Britain rivalry, launched in 1923 at Forest Hills and lasting through 1989 when the Brits ran out of talent.

Australian Nell Hopman (wife of her country’s Davis Cup captain, Harry Hopman) and Englishwoman Mary Hardwick Hare, a former Wightman player, successfully lobbied the ITF on behalf of the widening women’s game for a world-wide team tournament, realized in the Fed Cup. Sixteen countries entered at the 1963 start, the U.S. defeating Australia, 2-1 at Queen’s Club, London, the final indoors because of rain.

Court, leading Australia to four Cups, had a 20-0 singles record. King played for six Cup winners, posting a 26-3 singles record; 26-1 in doubles. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez carried Spain to 10 finals, winning five Cups. Arantxa tops the chart, playing 100 matches: 50-22 singles, 22-6 doubles. Conchita was right behind her, 47-18 and 21-5—and they were 18-3 together in doubles. Martina Navratilova is the only Cup winner for two different countries: Czechoslovakia in 1975 (prior to her defection that year), and the U.S. in 1982, 86, 89, and was perfect, 20-0 singles, 16-0 doubles. What about her name on the Cup?

The Top 10 Women Tennis Players of All Time…Where does Serena Williams rank?

August 21, 2012 by Admin

With devastating performances in winning Wimbledon and Olympic singles and doubles gold medals this summer, Serena Williams has had some in the tennis world whisper that she could make a claim to being the greatest woman tennis player of all time.

Tennis historian and journalist Steve Flink, in his May-released book THE GREATEST TENNIS MATCHES OF ALL TIME (28.95, New Chapter Press, available here on amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Tennis-Matches-All-Time/dp/0942257936/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345565182&sr=1-1&keywords=the+greatest+tennis+matches+of+all+time) places Williams safely in the top 10 of all time in his special chapter ranking the greatest tennis players of all time. Flink’s top 10 women of all time are laid out below in this special book excerpt.

1. STEFFI GRAF

The game’s greatest female player for eight years, she recorded twenty-two major championship victories beginning in 1987 and ending in 1999. She became only the third woman (in 1988) to win a Grand Slam, and yet her presence was felt for more than a decade thereafter. Although Margaret Court won more majors, Graf is the only player— male or female—to win every Grand Slam event at least four times in singles. Her incomparable forehand, her extraordinary coordination and an unmatched zest for competition lifted Graf to her preeminent level.

2. MARTINA NAVRATILOVA

No woman player has had a more complete game. A magnificent athlete, she was virtually unbeatable for five years in her prime. From 1982-86, she lost only fourteen matches. She secured a record nine Wimbledon singles championships, accounting for half of her Grand Slam singles crowns on that celebrated ground. No woman packaged the serve with the first volley so unremittingly.

3. CHRIS EVERT

Her durability and determination set Chrissie apart from all rivals. In fifty-six career Grand Slam tournament appearances, she missed the semifinal cut only four times. In nineteen consecutive U.S. Open appearances, she never failed to advance to at least the quarterfinals. For thirteen consecutive seasons—1974 to 1986—she set a record that may never be broken by winning at least one major title every year. She collected a record seven French Open championships and won 125 straight matches on clay courts to establish herself as the premier player of them all on that surface. No woman in history has played the game better for longer than Evert.

4. HELEN WILLS MOODY

In a much honored career, she won nineteen Grand Slam tournaments, one more than both Navratilova and Evert. Her eight Wimbledon singles tournament triumphs have been eclipsed only by Navratilova. Although the majority of critics placed Suzanne Lenglen above her as the best female player of the first half of the Twentieth Century, she is the better player in my estimation because she sustained her talent in top-flight tennis for longer than Lenglen or any other woman of her time.

5. MARGARET SMITH COURT

The best Australian female tennis player of all time, she has collected more Grand Slam singles titles than anyone, securing twenty-four majors from 1960 to 1973. Eleven of those triumphs were at her native Australian Championships, however, where her opposition was frequently undistinguished. Nevertheless, the towering serve-and-volleyer managed to rule on the red clay courts of Roland Garros five times, demonstrating her versatility and resolve indisputably.

6. SERENA WILLIAMS

On ability alone, Williams would be much higher on this list. A prodigious athlete universally admired for her unshakable drive and immense willpower, she has won majors in three different decades. Heading into 2012, she had won thirteen majors, including a career Grand Slam. A good many experts believe that, at her best, Williams could defeat any woman player in history. She is an overpowering physical force, with an overwhelming serve and a sizzling ground game. All she has lacked is consistency, but who knows precisely what is in store for Serena in the years ahead?

7. SUZANNE LENGLEN

A fragile and emotional competitor, she never lost a match at Wimbledon or her native French Championships. But in her only appearance at Forest Hills in 1921, she retired after losing the first set to Molla Mallory and did not return to the U.S. Championships. A ballerina on a tennis court, she soared gracefully past one opponent after another through a glorious career. Most who watched her during her prime, including the esteemed tennis historian Ted Tinling, were convinced she was the greatest female tennis player of all-time.

8. MAUREEN CONNOLLY

The first woman to win a Grand Slam (1953), she seemed destined then to dominate the game for as long as she wanted. An accident when she was riding a horse the following year ended her career, but did not diminish her stature. A hard-hitting, unrelenting baseliner, she cut down her foes with powerful shots off both sides and an immense will to win.

9. BILLIE JEAN KING

Much like Gonzales in men’s tennis, she was the competitor you would select to play for your life in a one-match situation. Devoid of fear on the big occasions, she won six Wimbledon singles championships and twelve majors altogether, joining the career Grand Slam club. A brilliant volleyer, she controlled points with an intelligent attacking style and a powerful personality. Had she not been driven by a multitude of causes, she might have added even more luster to her record.

10. MONICA SELES

Before she was stabbed in the back at a German tournament in the spring of 1993, she seemed certain to take the women’s game into another realm. Her two-fisted strokes off both sides were devastatingly potent and her intensity was unmatched. At nineteen, she had already won eight major titles. After the stabbing, she did not return for nearly twenty-eight months. Despite securing one more major singles title in 1996, she was never the same player. Yet she must be graded among the ten best of all time.