[alfajeffster]

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario vs. Gabriela Sabatini
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario vs. Conchita Martinez
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario vs. pretty much anybody
Tracy Austin vs. Chris Evert

When you look at todays big hitters- we really have come a long way!

 

[Dava]

Dont jib Arantxa shes cool!

But yes I hate moonballing, Pistolesi brings it back with a certain sense of dread. I wish she would just stick to her strengths rather then just hitting that god awful backhand.

 

[alfajeffster]

Dont jib Arantxa shes cool!

But yes I hate moonballing, Pistolesi brings it back with a certain sense of dread. I wish she would just stick to her strengths rather then just hitting that god awful backhand.

I remember a hardcourt match Arantxa and Conchita played the year Conchita just won Wimbledon, and it was the most awful display of playing not to lose moonballing by both players I've ever seen. I kept wanting to replace one of them with Seles or Graf just to get the ball down out of the sky with some mustard on it! :lol:

 

[Dava]

OK you have a point there.

 

[MLF]

Tracy and Chris didn't moonball against each other. They just had long, safe rallies.

Sabatini vs Sanchez was only a moonball fest on clay. On other surfaces Gaby was more aggressive and stormed into the net quite often from 1990 onwards.

 

[Diya]

It was fun to watch the ASV play against some players .........especially against Graf in the 1994 US Open final

 

[alfajeffster]

The 1979 U.S. Open Women's Singles Final (Austin def. Evert) was the single most boring major final I've seen to date.

 

[Dava]

I remember when Novotna did commentating for Wimby, she said that she hated playing Arantxa, cos she knew that she would get every ball back, even on grass, never mind clay.

 

[alfajeffster]

It was fun to watch the ASV play against some players .........especially against Graf in the 1994 US Open final

I'll say this, I always loved Arantxa's fight- she never gave up, but I couldn't stand her "lollypop style" as Cliff Drysdale once described it. To be fair, he went on to say "I suppose she has to dance with who brung her"!

 

[Diya]

Didn't they like play in the finals of RG and Wimby back to back for two consecutive years (1995-96)and if i am not wrong most of them were three setters

 

[Dava]

I think it was 1993-94 the back 2 back wimby finals anyway.

 

[alfajeffster]

I think it was 1993-94 the back 2 back wimby finals anyway.

If you're talking about Graf/Sanchez Vicario:

1995 French Open
1995 Wimbledon
1996 French Open
1996 Wimbledon

All won by Graf

 

[Joana]

I agree that matches featuring 2 moonballers can be boring. On the other hand, Graf-Sanchez Viacario matches were mostly good, as they had such different styles, and it was great to see Arantxa getting to balls nobody else wouldn't.

 

[Mateo Mathieu]

You guys forgetten Amanda Coetzer v Conchita Martinez at the US Open in 1998!

 

[Dava]

OMG now that was bad!

 

[Dava]

Anytime Conchi plays Manda is bad. BAD VERY BAD!

 

[Julian]

I really dont understand why Arantxa was known for moon balling. As a a big fan I dont think she moon balled as much as people think. And when she did it was only because she was losing pretty bad (i.e. 96 FO vs. Habsudova) or to get to impossible shots! Mostly her game was pretty loopy but not "moony" lol and her backhand was pretty solid and had a lot of variety (flat, topspin, slice).

But I agree that 94 USO, 95 Wimbledon, and 96 FO finals were probably the best finals I've ever seen from the Graf-ASV "rivalry"

 

[Dava]

Yeah Julian I agree, I dont remember many matches where Arantxa mooned

 

[Dava]

sorry Moonballed

LOL @ me I should never coin phrases.

 

[raquel]

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario vs. Gabriela Sabatini
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario vs. Conchita Martinez
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario vs. pretty much anybody
Tracy Austin vs. Chris Evert

When you look at todays big hitters- we really have come a long way!

Arantxa vs anybody? Arantxa did not just moonball every match. She did use it a lot more in the late 80's but was more aggressive in the 1990's and used the pace of harder hitters well. If she just moonballed there is no way she would have won 4 Slams, reached 8 other finals and beat everyone at the top of the game a few times each, apart from Hingis who she only beat twice.

Alfajeffster make up your mind. In this thread you say "When you look at todays big hitters - we really have come a long way" and in the "Tennis is becoming boring" thread you say you bring back Jana Novotna's serve volley style - "Anything to break up this boring baseline play" is what you said - http://www.wtaworld.com/showpost.php?p=2319835&postcount=3 . If we have really come such a long way now, why do you want the 'old' style back so much?