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Martina Navratilova Admiration Thread

193K views 1K replies 122 participants last post by  Mark43 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I thought i would dedicate a thread to Martina Naratilova as she made me get into playing tennis.

I love u Martina Naritolva

Indexed in Martina Navratilova Homebase-Rollo
 
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#52 ·
Mark - Martina has actually named BJK and Monica as her two toughest opponents..

BJK cuz she knew exactly what Martina didnt like, and gave it to her constantly..

Monica cuz she was so strong and could pass off both sides, I think Martina always knew that if she could succesfully approach the net to Graf's backhand she stood a good chance of winning, but Monica wasnt weak on either side...
 
#53 ·
I haven't forgot this guys either, I've just been busy setting up the same thing for M.H fans in our forum as well :)

As far as the stats go that I've posted so far, the thing that stuck out to me was Martina's magnificent starts to the seasons and then rather average ends...but she wasn't at her fittest then...I wonder if she pondered over her results up until 1980 and seen what I can see and thought..."mmmm, I need to get fitter to win those long matches and win all season through intead of the first 4-5 months" ?
 
#54 ·
Adrian - It wasnt really thinking like that that tansformed Martina, she realised she was plain old wasting her potential and needed to change that, or waste her talent!!

Lets not forget about how these are the days when Martina was a foreigner, adjusting to a new country, a new language etc, without the guidance of a full-time coach or any contact at all with her parents!!

Who knows how much those distracitng factors affected her performance in the early years??

Im reading BJK's autobiography, and here is some of her comments on Martina:

"Take Martina for example, it has been tough on her being stateless, turning her back on the culture and country of her childhood, yearning to be accepted - formally and otherwise - by the land she wants to be part of. None of us really know how much her inconsitency in playing has been related to difficulties in her personal life.

She is so bright in so many ways, with a wondefully facile mind. Sher picks up languages with incredible ease, she can master and sort of word game or numbers game; there isnt a point she has played that she cannot punch back up on her computer mind".
 
#55 ·
1981...The Doubles....


Martina won the following:

Chicago
Pam Shriver

Dallas
Pam Shriver

New York
Pam Shriver

Orlando
Pam Shriver

Eastbourne
Pam Shriver

Wimbledon
Pam Shriver


Toronto
Pam Shriver

Minneapolis
Anne Smith

Stuttgart
Mima Jausovec

Sydney
Pam Shriver

East Rutherford
Pam Shriver
 
#56 ·
1981..The Singles...Part 1


Kansas City 12 Jan - 18 Jan Carpet


R32... Defeated Anne Smith 6-3 6-1
R16... Defeated Sherry Acker 6-4 6-2
QF..... Defeated Kate Latham 6-3 6-2
SF ..... Defeated Barbra Potter 6-3 6-2
F........ Lost to Andrea Jaeger 6-3 3-6 5-7


Cincinnati 19 Jan - 25 Jan Carpet

R32... Defeated Elizabeth Herr 6-1 6-3
R16... Defeated Iva Budarova 6-3 3-6 6-1
QF.... Defeated Barbara Potter 6-3 6-1
SF..... Defeated Joanne Russell 6-1 6-3
F....... Defeated Sylvia Hanika 6-2 6-4



Chicago WT 26 Jan - 01 Febr Carpet


R64... BYE
R32... Defeated Claudia Kohde-Kilsch 5-7 6-0 6-0
R16... Defeated Wendy Prausa 6-1 6-4
QF..... Defeated Anne Smith 6-2 6-1
SF..... Defeated Wendy Turnball 6-3 7-5
F.... Defeated Hana Mandlikova 6-4 6-2


Oakland WT 09 Febr - 15 Febr Carpet

R32... Lost to Claudia Kohde-Kilsch 6-2 4-6 6-7


Los Angeles WT 02 Mar - 09 Mar Carpet

R32... Defeated Kate Latham 6-4 6-2
R16... Defeated Roberta Mc Callum 6-1 6-1
QF..... Defeated Billie-Jean King 6-3 7-5
SF..... Defeated Bettina Bunge 6-4 4-6 6-2
F....... Defeated Andrea Jaeger 6-4 6-0
 
#60 ·
Nice thread with good stats Adrian:) Just one minor complaint. Under "exhibitions" for 1980, you have the Colgate Series final played in Washington. That was not an exhibition. It was VERY important, as the year-ending(for 1979) finale, and was played as a round robin, much like today's men's ATP final. When Martina won in Washington it put all doubts as to who was #1 for 1979 to rest. Thus those results belong more under "major events" than "exhibitions", which are more or less meaningless to competitors.

I was lucky enough to see some of the matches:) 9,200 came out to see the final despite a big snowstorm:)
 
#66 ·
Do what you want Adrian-but it comes down to this, do you consider the Sanex WTA finals an "exhibition"? That's the equivalent of what you are doing. By definition exibitions usually don't count towards rankings. The Colgate Finals did, and was the ancestor of today's WTA finals.

Sorry to be picky, but I remember these years and matches, and while you can do as you like I don't want others to be misled. Blindly trusting some fan website from a fan who probably doesn't remember from the 70's, but rather from the 90's, can have it's drawbacks.


I hope you recall this Adrian if 20 years from now someone dimisses Martina Hingis' two tour ending title wins as "exhibitions"
merely because they have no memory of them and 3 matches looks skimpy on paper. Memories have a way of getting short.

Unlike 2002, when Martina won that title it was arguably the 3rd
biggest, after Wimbledon and the US Open. Hardly an exhibition.
She deserves better recognition than that:)


If you don't believe me check an independent source- a good tennis magazine or newspaper from early 1980.
 
#68 ·
Hi Adrian:wavey: :wavey:

Please keep the stats coming now and then. They are fascinating to see her fabulous record.

Hey one day would you like to post her 2001 and 2002 doubles on here.
That would be so great!

Thanks Adrian:wavey:

Countess Shannon
 
#69 ·
In the very near future, I will be starting a new thread that will cover the entire Career of Martina's. From Go to Now. These results are being provided to me by someone that Knows better then anyone else what is right and what is wrong. It will all be Totally credited to this person and I'm sure you all are going to be pretty excited about it all :)
 
#70 ·
Looking forward to it Adrian. I've always been curious to know if Martina's first event win(Pilzen in 1973) was a pro or amateurs only event.

In the meantime check back with the site you listed. She's changed the Colgate to a tour event and added the surface. She'll be adding other surfaces soon:)
 
#71 ·
:) Hi all! Great details in this thread. I'm a huge steffi fan (surprise!) and have always tended towards a slight dislike of martina - mainly 'cos she used to beat up on chrissie at wimbledon. but i have to say, i have just watched for the first time the '87 french final vs. steffi, where martina applauded steffi's good shot 7 (seven) times! in a grand slam final!!that is class of a kind you won't see today. cheers to all and much respect to MN.:)
 
#72 ·
YAY MARTINA:bounce:
 
#73 ·
My gosh this thread is dead! We have to put some pep into it. What should we talk about? Surely something about Martina. If the Gabby and Austin threads can have replies Martina's for sure can. ;)

What do you think was Martina's wors loss and best win.

Worst losses I would chose:
'84 OZ SF
'88 Wimbledon Final
'94 Wimbledon Final
'87 RG Final

Some best wins
'91 US Open SF win
'93 Paris Indoor F Win
'94 Wimbledon QF & SF Win (especially against the QF against Novotna)

So what others? I haven't seen any of her matches so I am going by significance I guess.
 
#75 ·
I loved the 1994 Wimbledon quarterfinal against Novotna and after that first set, she was really in the zone for the next two sets.

The most dominating performance from what I've seen would be the 1983 U.S. Open final. Though I'm sure she was just as good - if not even more brutal at the 1983 Virginia Slims Ch'ships final and 1984 Amelia Island.

Toughest losses: Martina recently pointed out her top 3 in that category. 1984 Australian Open semifinal; 1985 U.S. Open final; 1994 Wimbledon final. I have to agree, except I'm slightly inclined to replace the 1985 U.S. Open final with the 1987 Roland Garros final. There is no way in hell she should have lost that match had she not choked so badly throwing in two double faults when serving for the match. The 1989 U.S. Open final would be close behind. 6-3 4-2, what were those demons she saw at that point? The 1981 U.S. Open final should be up there as well as Roland Garros 1985.

Still, nothing beats the 1986 US Open semifinal in terms of excitement and drama. An all-time favorite of mine.
 
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