I fell in love with tennis watching Graf play in the mid 80's. Her composure and focus always amazed me. That backhand is impossible to copy, pure technique. Her forehand graceful and on point. What a GREAT champion. Thank you Steffi!
Right I think she was so calm & focus and she never argued for a wrong point or made excuses when things went wrong for her. Definitely she is one of the best of all time.
31 years later and that quality of play would still land you in the top 5. I would love to see how today's players would handle Martina's tricky lefty serve and net rushing or Steffi's slice backhand, forehand, and relentless footwork. Today's players scream their heads off and spray balls all over the court.
That Graf could win 22 slams in that era with just a slice backhand speaks more to the lack of depth in the womens game back then if anything. Imagine anyone in the mens game ever winning 22 slams with only a slice backhand. Oh yeah a baseliner with a slice backhand only too lets forget, not a serve and volleyer.
@@richardross4677 That´s short-sighted view. Graf didn´t only have a slice bh, she used the top spin backhand every time it was needed, specially to pass or to volley, she just used the slice on a regular basis as a strategy. if good executed it can work great against any kind of players, keep the ball low to reduce the returner´s pace and open the court to prepare for the hard hit forehand. And all kind of players liked to test her bh a lot but failed. Even Seles wasn´t as successful and if you watch matches from the late 90´s you´ll see that the heavy hitters like Davenport and the Williams sisters suffered her slice bh a lot. I do agree though that Graf would have made some more adjudgments to her backhand had she played later into the middle to late 00´s if she changed to a bigger racquet, I think she still used the 85 sq inch frame which was pretty much obsolete in the late 00´s.
@@richardross4677 only a slice backhand? You must have never seen her play. She could hit drive backhands when she wanted. She used her slice to prepare for her forehand. Same thing as Roger Federer did years later.
I have always noticed that about her, love how she would applaud her opponent with her racket and hand and she's done that a thousand times in her career!
@@craigmills3583 Steffi was a class act on and off the court. That's why when she retired all the tennis players payed their respect at Madison Square Garden
Yes I totally agree with you, Steffi Graf won on all four grand slams surfaces at least 4 times and held the no.1 ranking for 377 weeks more than anyone else in history, and last but not least won all four grand slams and Olympic olympic gold medal in the same calendar year , the golden slam, that's why Steffi Graf is the greatest womens tennis player of all time 👍
when i was young i only heard about steffi..it hard to see steffi play tenis in indonesia.. but now i see way steffi is the greatest.. so good in ground stroke.. footwork was unbeleivei.ble
She did the golden grand slam in 1988 and her husband did the career grand slam and both where Olympic single champions both Andre and Rafa nasal only ones to do that and graf and Serena , for the women's so there careers are parallel.
This semi-final was so interesting and amazing to watch. Martina showed us how confident she felt from the start and wasn’t complaining about the wind but as soon as Steffi started hitting forehand winners especially at 7:03 and 10:47, the gusty conditions was an issue for Martina. Steffi could not care less how the wind effected the tennis ball. She adjusted and compensated like a seasoned veteran at such a young age (I think she was 17 at this time). Steffi handled the tough conditions so well yet Martina, with all of her experience, could not cope with it. Ultimately, it came down to Steffi able to hit through the wind with her forehand. Martina, who was #1 at the time, literally and figuratively got blown 🌬 💨 away in the semis. Definitely intimidating!!!
Incredible example of a blast from the past, BUT is also futuristic and "current" in many ways than meets the eye. Consider the "tennis content" and skill these two possess, and their movement and athleticism (that is not just standing flat and blasting a forehand/backhand), and the speed of their points while having more MINIMAL equipment and strings. Even smaller racquet heads. They are also fitter than many of today's players. They'd wipe the floor with today's tour if they were transported to today's game. Too much talent and movement/fitness they have.
chocolatesupport----Serena is mentally stronger than these players; does everything better than these players: she has speed; best returner in the game:hits with more pace; best serve ever; goes for winners anytime; most flexible woman ever; sexy & bold & has style; a sweetheart of a person; stop with this equipment bull. Serena could hit with a broomstick & still beat these players. ---Serena the GOAT.
.......and now the truth. Serena's ass is too big to keep up with Graf's speed and footwork...best ever! And Graf's forehand.....miles ahead of Serena's. Serena is just lucky to have peaked in an era with the weakest female players ever. If it wasn't for today's superior equipment, these shrieking bimbos nowadays wouldn't be hitting as hard. And that's all they can do...hit hard.They couldn't think their way out of a paper bag.
If these ladies play today, they will destroy everyone ! all this fake ladies today,serena will never won her GS even more 10, just 10!! or someone who grunting and screaming more than the ball, lazy in baseline hit the ball very hard with less precision and ability!won only 10 tittled but capture more 20 million dollar, , GRAF the GOAT!
So glad you did, that commercial is Everything! Even down to the cheesy singer, I would think it was a saturday night live sketch if I didn't know better LOL
amazing foot work from both players. Martina's footwork especially made me see how to balance yourself first before hitting the ball, it made great improvements in my game on the club. I'm so impressed with her movement, how she seemed to almost glide easily all over the court
Her backhand in the late 80s had a ton of block on it and she also got amazing extension on the shot. But after breaking her thumb in a skiing accident in early 1990, she started hitting it much closer to her body. It became a short and choppy slice backhand which left her vulnerable to chip and chargers. She was also hitting it cross court all the time as her down the line backhand almost disappeared. She finally amended these issues in 1995 though.
Wow! In the second set one almost feels sorry for Navratilova. She really got killed by Graf. Stunning! But to Navratilovas credit: She stroke back at Wimbledon and the US-Open that year. I love watching matches of these two all time greatest!
I saw an interview with Martina where she talked about how, with hindsight, she was burned out from the end of 1986 onwards. She only realised it with hindsight though when she realised she was looking to play as few tournaments as possible. 1987 was an odd year for Martina - she didn't win a single tournament until Wimbledon.
@@zeddeka True! That's why she could not defend the number one ranking in spite of winning Wimbledon and the US Open 1987. Here in Germany of course everybody was thrilled to see that it was a German girl that ended the dominace of Evert and Navratilova after so many years. in hindsight it looks like a natural developement. Every generation was a little bit better than the previous one. Court and King were better than the previous generation, Evert and Navratilova were better than them. Graf and Seles were better than Evert and Navratilova. And then the Williams sisters were kinda the next evolutionary step. Maybe I'm oldfashioned but I still love two rivalries in woman's tennis most: Evert-Navratilova and Graf-Seles.
@Illya Kuryakin They definately were. But the comparison is almost impossible. If the Williams sister had growm up under the training conditions of the 1960s who knows where they would have been? Not to mention the equipment in thise days. The power game of the Williams sister was practically developed in the 1980s and early 1990s by people like Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles. Before that nobody even knew this kind of women's tennis.
@Illya Kuryakin oh! That must be a misunderstanding. I am German and I'm a huge fan of Steffi Graf since my childhood. I even watched some of her matches in Stuttgart and Hamburg live at the court. The reason I didn't mention her in this particular context is that while she was capable of A L L kinds of tennis playing styles including power game she simply wasn't as much of a pioneer as Navratilova. When Graf had her first real breakthrough in 1985 in Berlin (only losing the final against Chris Evert) that kind of game had already been developed. That's all. You really got me wrong here. I am one of Steffis's biggest fans and always will be. 😊
@Ilya Kuryakin well if you read any tennis history and also interviews of older tennis players you might realize that Martina was the first to bring power game into tennis at that level. If you don't want to admit the facts and the testimonies, its another issue. Also Grafi has proclaimed Martina is the GOAT. you know better?
She has said some pretty snarky things about her opponents when she lost. And in interviews she always claimed that she played badly and refused to give her opponent their due especially Steffi Graf. In the 1988 Wimbledon Final Martina said she was suffering from a virus that affected her play at the start of the second set (mind you Martina won the first set). After Graf raised her game and wipe the court with her, Martina blamed the virus not the great play from Graf.
Spencer Pierce News Flash Spencer all number one players are horrible losers. Borg took days to recover from a defeat but that is exactly why they are so great.Ali was the biggest baby after Frazier beat him,he blamed the judges and called them racists and said he didn't train etc...well you know about how John McEnroe reacted to losing hehe!
The beginning of #steffigraf @wta #legends #martinanavratilova All those wins in '86. That amazing match. (8-6 tiebreak. Those match points saved.) The congratulatory shoulder tap to the inconsolable. Steffi's dazed eyes afterward. Aww. RG87. :)
Great performance by Steffi here. You can still see a few instances though where her game hasn't developed 100%. Perhaps it's most noticeable in her service motion. It has that slight sort of wobble in the backswing that she had when she was younger, but which had disappeared within a year or so of this match.
Better tennis back then. So, today they grunt and see who can hit the hardest and demolish their bodies, but this is talent and miss it. Oh, didn't have to have special towels and drinks. They were tough.
Martina had played Graf at the US Open and in November at the Year-end championships, and she faired slightly better than Chris did. Chris played Graf in her 2nd tournament back, after being off the tour for 6 months with a knee injury. It had been 11 months since they last met, and Graf forehand and speed had improved immensely.
@trha2222 I don'tknow from where that legend is coming from. When Seles come along Steffi didn't lose a lot to Seles, she lost to Sabatini, Novotna, Navratilova and others the most. Grafs father and the family were in the press at that time, because Peter Graf had an affair with some kind of naked picture star and the boulevard press told the story this woman is awaiting a baby, father Peter Graf. When Steffi came to the German Tournaments the press was after her with stupid questions. So she lost her concentration a bit. Until the stabbing of Seles H2H was 6 to 4 for Graf.
You can see here that Stephanie Graf was not at her peek. Her serves were not nearly as potent at least in this match as they were as the years progressed. She got stronger and her serve and her forehand just amped up to be a beast.
@RivaRidge'72 I looked for the video of the 1991 U.S Open match where Navratilova defeated Graf for the first time in years. Graf smiled at Navratilova while shaking hands and Graf also put her arm around her. I don't see a cold-fish reaction from Graf nor a surprised reaction from Navratilova.
+jigsterify At the 1987 Lipton tournament or the 1991 U.S Open? I don't recall Steffi being ill for either one. After her loss to Navratilova at the 1991 U.S Open, I vaguely recall Steffi saying at how strong Navratilova played in an after-match interview. The tournament where Steffi lost to Navratilova where she was supposedly ill was I think the 1987 U.S Open. I find it interesting that a lot of tennis fans like to trash Steffi for quick and abrupt handshakes. But that was quite common back then. Seles often gave quick drive-by handshakes when she lost (e.g. 1989 French Open, 1989 Wimbledon, 1991 San Antonio, 1991 Hamburg, 1991 Rome, etc) as did Sabatini (e.g. 1988 U.S Open, 1988 Olympics, 1989 U.S Open, 1990 Zurich, 1990 Worcester). But I never viewed them as poor sports or 'bad people' because of that. I just assumed they were unhappy with the way they played or they were unhappy with the loss.
Steffi Graf defeating Navratilova and Evert Lloyd back to back in the same tournament. She's only one of a hand full of women to accomplish that feat. Steffi did this at The Lipton 88 and Wimbledon 89
So true! And then you fast forward 20 years later, and she does the same rare thing (one of a hand full) of beating the Williams sisters back to back. Graf on her way out, and the Williams sisters on their way up.
@@k1berryman There are more coincidences, her last year on tour. S. Williams also defeated Graf on US hardcourt, Graf about the same age as Navratilova and Serena as Graf in this Miami match. Serena ended up winning but it was a tight 3 set win. I think if Graf continued playing for a couple more years, she could have made it a lot more difficult for Venus and Serena than most people think today.
@@johnmonastirli1145 and in 1987 Helena Suková was the 4th player to ever defeat Navratilova (semis) and Evert (finals)at an event (Eastbourne 1987) back to back wins.
All court tennis, variety, one handed backhands, volleys, court craft, players using their brains....must be 80/90s tennis. These days it’s a never ending procession of two handed backhand brainless ball bashers with Queen ball bashed Serena who only ruled her generation due to strength combined with racket technology. Sports history is littered with examples of certain women winning due to strength enhancements, wonder how Serena got hers 🤨
Martina's concentration a bit suspect in this match. Sometimes she's there mentally and other times it looks like she being very wistful. The wind also perhaps playing a factor - Steffi was a very good wind player and Martina hated it. Steffi put in a really disciplined, aggressive performance here, punishing Martina all the way. She also really went after Martina's forehand at times, which could start to fall apart under pressure.
Surprisingly, the stadium was not full for this semi, but sure it was as Chris is to play Hana in the 2nd semi. Also very rare to see a player make Martina look slightly slower.
May I also add that I think that Billie Jean King was not only one of the greatest tennis champions of all time, but she was equally gifted as one of the most bright and articulate tennis play-by-play announcers ever? Billie Jean had it all.
Navratilova's 1987 reminds me a lot of Federer's 2009. They both won 2 Grand Slams and reached 2 Grand Slam finals that year. However, they were inconsistent the rest of the year, as they won only 2 other titles the rest of the year.
Much is made of Navratilova as the best athlete in women’s tennis history, but I think that appraisal ought to be modified. Martina was probably the hardest-working athlete in women’s ball, but, in my view, Graf was and remains the best/most gifted natural athlete ever, all things considered. Serena would be next in terms of natural athletic skill/talent (at her peak) and Navratilova after that, alongside Court.
They might not hit the ball as powerful as todays players. But its far more entertaining the variety of shots and movement, enjoyed the rallies much better and coming into the net fantastic
Inediblehulk muguruza and madison keys are gonna be the ones especially muguruza. she won 3 straight sets off of serena, 6-2. but honestly, i think the guard will change when serena retires
Inediblehulk she is too powerful she looks like a dude, i dont see anyone beating her routinely soon. I have often thought maybe players could change tactics up to take time from her though, such as serve and volley but dont see any women trying that, you see it kinda came back some on the mens side when you see Federer use aggresive serve and volley and net play though.
Actually it was in her prime,She was the number 1 player here and Graff was number 2 here ,Martina was on top throughout the 80's ,the reason why you think that is because you are looking at a young Steffi here and Steffi had been playing since she was 17 years old and won her first major grand slam tournament by age 18 at this point She had become a veteran by this still very young age,Martina started later in life so she looked like she was older and at the end of her career when in fact she was in her prime.
Great focused performance by Steffi in very bad windy conditions. Odd performance by Martina in many ways. At times she plays great, at other times she looks like her mind is a million miles away and she's very not really interested in the match. I read a while ago that Martina felt that she was pretty burnt out during this period (she didn't win a tournament until Wimbledon in 87) and that night have been reflected in her mental performance here. Interestingly, I think we could say the same for Steffi for the couple of years after 89. Pretty burnt out mentally after three great seasons.
Both terrific players but Martina was NOT in her prime here. She was over 30 and her game was slowing down. It was only a matter of time before Graf would take the no 1 ranking.
I love watching these classic '80's matches with Martina & Steffi slicing, serve & volleying and running around their backhands to hit forehands. But one thing comes 2 my mind watching these great ladies play, how great Serena's serve is compared to theirs. And I noticed Martina has a terrible difficulty playing in the wind like she did at the 1987 French Open Final & Martina also has a problem hitting her forehands down the line. It's almost like watching Rafa ALWAYS hit his forehand cross court. Martina, hit your forehand down the line 2 Steffi's forehand. Steffi's just waiting for the ball 2 go 2 her backhand & then she runs around it & blasts her bad ass forehand at Martina. I do wish we could place these ladies in a time machine so they could play Serena, Venus(before her illness) & Justine & maybe Maria too at their peak. Steffi definitely has the best footwork ever, Martina's got the best volleys & net game, Serena's definitely got the best serve & Serena would've gone 2 town on her returns & on these ladies' 2nd serves. Like a shark, Serena would've attacked at every opportunity. Cindy C, do you have this entire Lipton semifinal match? What I saw was fun 2 watch.
Steven Michael Well, you have to consider the racquets and strings technology used to today. Having said that, I still think Serena has the best serve, because we can only relate to her era of competition, which her serve is way above others. As for return, I have to picture Serena playing with those heavy 80s racquet, so I dont think she will be as effective.
Steven Michael Have you also noticed that Serena and many of the Offensive Baseline First Strike players like her are considered morons at the net compared to the two players above? Have you also noticed that Graf won her 22 without THE AGGRESSIVE OFFENSIVE of Serena and the many players today? Do you imagine how Henin, the single backhander, gave so many heartaches to Serena? Just imagine. Serena is nothing but OBFS player borrowed from Seles who was originally the favorite in many draws including her first Slam at French Open. Just remember ... THE WTA AND THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA, following their American masters, WAS OUTRAGEOUSLY SLANDERING GRAF during her time.
FloridaIndependent What do you mean Graf didn't win her 22 Slams w/o playing Offensive tennis like Serena? Graf had her big forehand & fast feet. And in Graf's era except for Seles & later a young Davenport, there weren't any ladies that could hit the ball consistently as hard as Serena. And another thing, Serena isn't just a great player because of her power. Serena can actually play tennis. Serena is very smart tactically on a tennis court. I wonder when people are going 2 recognize that about Serena?
+Cindy C Hi Cindy, I second that, would love to see this match complete, lovely contrast in styles and generations which you just don't have any more ;-(
Martina was hardly finished at this point in time - there would be several more tournement wins to her credit over the next years. Martina would come back and beat Steffi again - I well recall the 1991 US Open semi-final when the so-called "finished" Navratilova whipped Steffi (and surprised everyone!) when she once again made it to a grand-slam championship match. Look up Steffi's hand-shake with Martina after this match - even Navratilova was embarrassed and surprised by such a cold-fish reaction. It's incredibly easy to be gracious in victory - and not so much in defeat. How best to define a true champion?
Illya Kuryakin. I find it interesting that people like to focus on the handshake so much. There are a lot of youtube comments about Steffi's handshakes when she lost but the handshake she gave wasn't all that different from many other players At the 1989 Australian Open, Graf defeated Sukova and they seemed to have had an abrupt handshake at the net. But you could clearly see them laughing and chatting with one another during the trophy presentation. Throughout almost all of their matches from 1988 to 1990 where Steffi defeated Sabatini (e.g. 88 and 89 U.S Open, 88 Seoul, 89 Washington, 90 Worchester, 90 Zurich, 88 French Open, etc) Sabatini gave Steffi curt handshakes but I never see anyone badmouthing her for it. I was just under the impression that the losing player (whether it be Graf, Sabatini, etc) was displeased with how they played. I find it almost amusing how people like to focus on such things.
While you are partly right it is worth noting that 91 U.S Open semi win over Graf was Martina's first win over Graf in FOUR whole years, an embarassingly long losing streak for even an aging great. And that was in Steffi's worst year of the entire 86-96 period, it would be the equivalent of beating Martina in 1980 where even a 15 year old Andrea Jaeger beat her a bunch of times, as well as a 37 year old King. And Martina was anything but a gracious loser herself at times. Particularly when losing to Steffi Graf, as the above footage even demonstrates. It is not exactly a secret the two were never buddy buddy.
Cindy C Hi Cindy - is there any chance I would buy a match or two off you? Would love to see the complete version of this 1987 Lipton SF Graf v Navratilova... thanks for your brilliant channel btw ;-)
Hi there, thank you for the compliment! Ah, all my matches are on old VHS tapes that i transferred to my pc, they're just on a hard drive, not really sure how i'd go about selling them hah
These GOAT matches are amazing. Serena and Steffi's match at Indian Wells was also amazing, getting to see the incumbent vs the next generation GOAT. We're not seeing that at the moment tho, there is no one at Graf, Martina or Serena's level coming through to challenge Serena. It's such a waste. We'll get her eventually but probably not in time to see her play Serena. I want someone to come along that makes Serena look like she plays an 'older style' game so people can see Serena's game is more than just power.
trha2222 And I would argue that Serena had & has a much better winning mentality than both Henin & Clijsters. Serena has the killer instinct & even when she isn't playing her best, which was often against Henin & Clijsters, Serena always found a way 2 beat them & win. I would also argue that Serena never ever reached her peak &/or Best form or played her best game vs Henin & Clijsters. They trained & reached as far as they could with their best but Serena never played her absolute 100% Best against Henin & Clijsters or Mauresmo or Capriati back in the early to mid 2000's. I'm not saying Serena didn't train hard, I'm just saying Serena never took it(her tennis career, her game, her body) as seriously as she has the last 3-4 years. After she came back from her cut foot & embolisium, Serena hasn't looked back. She's made it her business 2 really be the best year in & year out. I feel like when she was trying 2 get back 2 her 2002-2003 best form from all her injuries & family death & drama, Serena wasn't at her best against Henin in 2007, (especially). Serena wasn't fit & she was injured a lot. So, I don't see how you or anybody can say Justine & Kim were better than Serena cause she wasn't ever at 100% & Serena could still step on the court & dominate either of those girls or either be losing the match but find a way 2 come back & beat them. Frankly, I could care less what the public or fans have 2 say, I go by what former champions like Court, King, Evert, Navratilova & Graf say & also what Kim & Justine say. And they ALL SAY Serena is the Best & is going 2 break Steffi's Slam record. Kim & Justine both have said Serena is the Best they've ever played against. They both have said they have a ton of respect for her. Not just her serve or her powerful game but her will to win & her Champion's heart. You can't ever count Serena out & think cause you're winning that she's given up. That's why I love Serena & that's why some many Haters don't like her. The Haters can say this & that about her & her game & they think Henin or Clijsters is better but the proof is in the pudding or better yet in her trophy room. Serena's the Champion with the most prestigious hardware. So, who really cares what anybody thinks. Serena's a winner. Serena's the Best. Period.
trha2222 Better? How do you figure they both were better than Serena? They both improved & got better but Not better than Serena. If all 3 ladies were playing at their Best, Serena would destroy both Kim & Justine. Serena was not only athletically better than Kim & Justine, Serena was mentally better than both too. I'd say Justine was better than Kim. And Serena was better than both of them. Had Serena not suffered so many injuries during 2004-2007, she would've stayed number 1.
trha2222 Exactly. It's not just about the power, but the things you do on court and with the ball. Tennis content. Graf possessed the most amount of "tricks" in the book you can think of, and doing it with extreme poise and balletic. Federer is the one now like this in tennis, and he's for the men.
trha2222 So, I guess she just didn't know how 2 win cause she has only 4 Slams. Motherhood must've lit a fire in her ass & gave her focus. And Serena is just only power & power wins Slams. Is that what you're saying? Well, if I was a pro, then I'd take only power so I could have double digit Slams. lol.
i know Martina is playing against a great opponent but sometimes i think her approach shots were on the conservative side. obviously, they worked against most opponents but she probably needed to go for a little more against the very best. in other words, she should have used the net to close off points rather than start from scratch while there to players like Graf and Seles. she was probably so used to winning points at the net, no matter how she got there, that she didn't fully adjust to the new players, as well as what the new technology allowed her and others to do. a theory, anyway... i always admired Martina's game, of course.
Martina didn't play a good match here and was very mentally unfocused at times. She was actually in a major slump in her career. She didn't win a single tournament in 1987 until Wimbledon in June that year. She said years later that she was very mentally burnt out from the end of 1986, but didn't realise it until she noticed much later that she was trying to play as few tournaments as possible.
They're like "top spin? Where do I buy that?" And all the hitting is coming from the arm, not the hips in modern tennis. A lot has changed in 30 years!
Does... Graf have a different stencil on her rackets or did she straight up change rackets in the middle of the match. Earlier, stencil is Wilson. Later on, I noticed a Dunlop?
Cliff is so for Martina. He is excited when Martina hits a winner and so silent when Steffi hits it. And he doesn't pronounce Steffi's last name right a single time.
How steffi hid midcourt ball, and passing shoot with that backhand..lol..i missed her game before 1990..she change with more slice..Martina!what a legend she is..who is the women now days play serve and volley? All the girls out there grunt everytime,less presison and ability in tahe baseline, lol..totally boring!
In this game we can clearly see why the playing of serve and volley has almost disappeared Martina lost many points trying to volley low balls close to the net.
Serve and volley is a game for gamblers. You win some, you lose some. The theory is that by coming in so much that you put so much pressure on your opponent that they start making mistakes and you don't actually have to play a volley. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Just Wonderful Display Of Ladies Lawn Tennis. Tennis At Her Best Victory To Lawn Tennis. Victory To Both The Participating Ladies ( In Secular Mother India, There Had Been A Saying, Both Madam Steffi Graf & Sir Borris Becker, Via Some Fluency In The Hindhi Language Could Have Had Been Bollywood Screen Super Star's ) Once Again The Sport's Lawn Tennis WIN'S 👪😍😍😍👪
it was strange Steffi did not play anywhere near as well vs Martina in any of their 3 slam finals this year, including the one they won. Obviously not used to the pressure of those big matches quite yet.
I fell in love with tennis watching Graf play in the mid 80's. Her composure and focus always amazed me. That backhand is impossible to copy, pure technique. Her forehand graceful and on point. What a GREAT champion. Thank you Steffi!
i too fell in love with tennis all thanks to graf..
Right I think she was so calm & focus and she never argued for a wrong point or made excuses when things went wrong for her. Definitely she is one of the best of all time.
@@evelynabreu9963 Say "the best of all time"!
The invisible trampoline under Steffi's feet is so much fun to watch
31 years later and that quality of play would still land you in the top 5. I would love to see how today's players would handle Martina's tricky lefty serve and net rushing or Steffi's slice backhand, forehand, and relentless footwork. Today's players scream their heads off and spray balls all over the court.
I agree. Some of those players if using today's racquet and string technology would be at the top I am sure.
If Martin I had today’s rackets rit should be the best player in the world way better than Serena
That Graf could win 22 slams in that era with just a slice backhand speaks more to the lack of depth in the womens game back then if anything. Imagine anyone in the mens game ever winning 22 slams with only a slice backhand. Oh yeah a baseliner with a slice backhand only too lets forget, not a serve and volleyer.
@@richardross4677 That´s short-sighted view. Graf didn´t only have a slice bh, she used the top spin backhand every time it was needed, specially to pass or to volley, she just used the slice on a regular basis as a strategy. if good executed it can work great against any kind of players, keep the ball low to reduce the returner´s pace and open the court to prepare for the hard hit forehand. And all kind of players liked to test her bh a lot but failed. Even Seles wasn´t as successful and if you watch matches from the late 90´s you´ll see that the heavy hitters like Davenport and the Williams sisters suffered her slice bh a lot. I do agree though that Graf would have made some more adjudgments to her backhand had she played later into the middle to late 00´s if she changed to a bigger racquet, I think she still used the 85 sq inch frame which was pretty much obsolete in the late 00´s.
@@richardross4677 only a slice backhand? You must have never seen her play. She could hit drive backhands when she wanted. She used her slice to prepare for her forehand. Same thing as Roger Federer did years later.
I love that Martina always acknowledged great shots from her opponents. One of the greatest women's players in history with heart.
IW Nunn yep, she was pure class
Yes I always appreciated that too. Couldn’t imagine Graf ever doing that.
I have always noticed that about her, love how she would applaud her opponent with her racket and hand and she's done that a thousand times in her career!
@@craigmills3583 Steffi was a class act on and off the court. That's why when she retired all the tennis players payed their respect at Madison Square Garden
Thanks so much for including the Lipton ad
This is such a cool video! Graf's passing shots are god damn incredible!
Right! She was great!
I love how Martina almost always pats the back of her worthy opponents. And of course how she applauds their winning shots. Class act.
Thats because she wanted to get in the shower afterwards with them
Wrong she very rarely gives opponents credit. It's almost always she played bad. Unless occasionally she did against chrissy
@@1TheWhiteKnight1 Is your swastika tattoo itchy again?
Not every opponent liked that patronizing gesture.
Steffi had what you cannot teach, what you cannot learn, true grit and mental strenght.
You are reminded at how good Steffi Graf was in her day. Solid tennis. Relentless.
Steffi is the GOAT of Women's Tennis
Yes I totally agree with you, Steffi Graf won on all four grand slams surfaces at least 4 times and held the no.1 ranking for 377 weeks more than anyone else in history, and last but not least won all four grand slams and Olympic olympic gold medal in the same calendar year , the golden slam, that's why Steffi Graf is the greatest womens tennis player of all time 👍
No matter what anyone says about Serena, Graf was a tennis technician with masterful precision. Simply the best ever!
Right! In Germany we sometimes called her "die Chirurgin" (=the surgeon) because of her precision.
Steve peak for peak Graf is not beating Serena
@@vivahernando1 She did in 1999. :-)
@@MarioStahl1983 lol 1999 is Serena's peak?
@Illya Kuryakin around 2003 ... Did I dream the Serena Slam?
Wonderful match and thank you for posting such a rare and precious footage!
no canso de disfrutar los partidos de Steffi G. definitivamente mi favorita por siempre
So nice to see a young Steffi without back problems hitting out and hitting so many top spin backhands.
Please it wasn't back problems that stopped Steffi from hitting the topspin backhand it was that the slice was better.
Agreed. I didn't mean that the former was due to the latter. Just observations from watching her move and hit.
Alright. Both of you take this in the MMA cage and settle it.
Thanks for leaving the ice tea commercial in.
It's cool seeing Graf play those volley players. You forget how great Graf was at shot making once all those baseline players came to prominence.
The GOAT period!
Thank you so much for posting this! It's a match I had wanted to re-visit :)
You're welcome BlueEyes!
when i was young i only heard about steffi..it hard to see steffi play tenis in indonesia.. but now i see way steffi is the greatest.. so good in ground stroke.. footwork was unbeleivei.ble
She did the golden grand slam in 1988 and her husband did the career grand slam and both where Olympic single champions both Andre and Rafa nasal only ones to do that and graf and Serena , for the women's so there careers are parallel.
Watching Steffi is never ever enough...
This semi-final was so interesting and amazing to watch. Martina showed us how confident she felt from the start and wasn’t complaining about the wind but as soon as Steffi started hitting forehand winners especially at 7:03 and 10:47, the gusty conditions was an issue for Martina. Steffi could not care less how the wind effected the tennis ball. She adjusted and compensated like a seasoned veteran at such a young age (I think she was 17 at this time).
Steffi handled the tough conditions so well yet Martina, with all of her experience, could not cope with it. Ultimately, it came down to Steffi able to hit through the wind with her forehand. Martina, who was #1 at the time, literally and figuratively got blown 🌬 💨 away in the semis. Definitely intimidating!!!
Wonderful. There aren't enough Navratilova videos out there.
You are right! Most videos try to humiliate Navratilova at her losses. Unfair
Incredible example of a blast from the past, BUT is also futuristic and "current" in many ways than meets the eye. Consider the "tennis content" and skill these two possess, and their movement and athleticism (that is not just standing flat and blasting a forehand/backhand), and the speed of their points while having more MINIMAL equipment and strings. Even smaller racquet heads. They are also fitter than many of today's players. They'd wipe the floor with today's tour if they were transported to today's game. Too much talent and movement/fitness they have.
+chocolatesupport lmao your comment is a MAJOR JOKE!
chocolatesupport----Serena is mentally stronger than these players; does everything better than these players: she has speed; best returner in the game:hits with more pace; best serve ever; goes for winners anytime; most flexible woman ever; sexy & bold & has style; a sweetheart of a person; stop with this equipment bull. Serena could hit with a broomstick & still beat these players. ---Serena the GOAT.
.......and now the truth. Serena's ass is too big to keep up with Graf's speed and footwork...best ever! And Graf's forehand.....miles ahead of Serena's. Serena is just lucky to have peaked in an era with the weakest female players ever. If it wasn't for today's superior equipment, these shrieking bimbos nowadays wouldn't be hitting as hard. And that's all they can do...hit hard.They couldn't think their way out of a paper bag.
If these ladies play today, they will destroy everyone ! all this fake ladies today,serena will never won her GS even more 10, just 10!! or someone who grunting and screaming more than the ball, lazy in baseline hit the ball very hard with less precision and ability!won only 10 tittled but capture more 20 million dollar, , GRAF the GOAT!
Your spelling is even worse and falser than your opinion.
A match-up of the greatest players ever in tennis, women's side.
The Lipton commercial is so 80's! really glad it's on here LOL!
Hah i know right?! I normally edit out commercials, but it was Chrissie, so i had to include it! :D
So glad you did, that commercial is Everything! Even down to the cheesy singer, I would think it was a saturday night live sketch if I didn't know better LOL
The clean clean taste of Lipton tea!
Love how Steffi holds one ball in her left hand during her service games. Incredible!!!
OMG, I never noticed that, thanks for pointing it out!! Amazing
hollowman290 Simply Amazing!!!
???
hollowman290
She seemed to stop that practice by ‘89.
Gabriela Sabatini used to do it when she was younger too
La grande storia del tennis femminile! Martina era fantastica. Grazie per aver caricato questo spettacolo.
amazing foot work from both players. Martina's footwork especially made me see how to balance yourself first before hitting the ball, it made great improvements in my game on the club. I'm so impressed with her movement, how she seemed to almost glide easily all over the court
Steffi's backhand in this match was much better than her matches after 1989.
Her backhand in the late 80s had a ton of block on it and she also got amazing extension on the shot. But after breaking her thumb in a skiing accident in early 1990, she started hitting it much closer to her body. It became a short and choppy slice backhand which left her vulnerable to chip and chargers. She was also hitting it cross court all the time as her down the line backhand almost disappeared. She finally amended these issues in 1995 though.
STEFFI GRAF STEFFI GRAF......."THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS"...
Have always wanted to see this! Thanks Cindy!
You're welcome Tom :)
Wow! In the second set one almost feels sorry for Navratilova. She really got killed by Graf. Stunning! But to Navratilovas credit: She stroke back at Wimbledon and the US-Open that year. I love watching matches of these two all time greatest!
I saw an interview with Martina where she talked about how, with hindsight, she was burned out from the end of 1986 onwards. She only realised it with hindsight though when she realised she was looking to play as few tournaments as possible. 1987 was an odd year for Martina - she didn't win a single tournament until Wimbledon.
@@zeddeka True! That's why she could not defend the number one ranking in spite of winning Wimbledon and the US Open 1987. Here in Germany of course everybody was thrilled to see that it was a German girl that ended the dominace of Evert and Navratilova after so many years. in hindsight it looks like a natural developement. Every generation was a little bit better than the previous one. Court and King were better than the previous generation, Evert and Navratilova were better than them. Graf and Seles were better than Evert and Navratilova. And then the Williams sisters were kinda the next evolutionary step. Maybe I'm oldfashioned but I still love two rivalries in woman's tennis most: Evert-Navratilova and Graf-Seles.
@Illya Kuryakin They definately were. But the comparison is almost impossible. If the Williams sister had growm up under the training conditions of the 1960s who knows where they would have been? Not to mention the equipment in thise days. The power game of the Williams sister was practically developed in the 1980s and early 1990s by people like Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles. Before that nobody even knew this kind of women's tennis.
@Illya Kuryakin oh! That must be a misunderstanding. I am German and I'm a huge fan of Steffi Graf since my childhood. I even watched some of her matches in Stuttgart and Hamburg live at the court. The reason I didn't mention her in this particular context is that while she was capable of A L L kinds of tennis playing styles including power game she simply wasn't as much of a pioneer as Navratilova. When Graf had her first real breakthrough in 1985 in Berlin (only losing the final against Chris Evert) that kind of game had already been developed. That's all. You really got me wrong here. I am one of Steffis's biggest fans and always will be. 😊
@Ilya Kuryakin well if you read any tennis history and also interviews of older tennis players you might realize that Martina was the first to bring power game into tennis at that level. If you don't want to admit the facts and the testimonies, its another issue. Also Grafi has proclaimed Martina is the GOAT. you know better?
As dominant as Martina was, she doesnt get enough credit for being a good loser, as evident in her kind gestures during handshakes.
Not a Martina fan, but I totally agree
She has said some pretty snarky things about her opponents when she lost. And in interviews she always claimed that she played badly and refused to give her opponent their due especially Steffi Graf. In the 1988 Wimbledon Final Martina said she was suffering from a virus that affected her play at the start of the second set (mind you Martina won the first set). After Graf raised her game and wipe the court with her, Martina blamed the virus not the great play from Graf.
She was an absolute gentleman!
Spencer Pierce News Flash Spencer all number one players are horrible losers. Borg took days to recover from a defeat but that is exactly why they are so great.Ali was the biggest baby after Frazier beat him,he blamed the judges and called them racists and said he didn't train etc...well you know about how John McEnroe reacted to losing hehe!
Winners tend to rarely lose that is why ,losing to them is like asking them to give up a wisdom tooth ,it really hurts them.
The beginning of #steffigraf @wta #legends #martinanavratilova All those wins in '86. That amazing match. (8-6 tiebreak. Those match points saved.) The congratulatory shoulder tap to the inconsolable. Steffi's dazed eyes afterward. Aww. RG87. :)
Two great players. Maybe the two best ever.
Great performance by Steffi here. You can still see a few instances though where her game hasn't developed 100%. Perhaps it's most noticeable in her service motion. It has that slight sort of wobble in the backswing that she had when she was younger, but which had disappeared within a year or so of this match.
Steffi looks so much bigger and stronger here than she did in their 1986 matches
This was a classic beatdown....and I am glad that Steffi beat Martina
Better tennis back then. So, today they grunt and see who can hit the hardest and demolish their bodies, but this is talent and miss it. Oh, didn't have to have special towels and drinks. They were tough.
Martina's impressive physical display in all matches. How many uploads to the net.
Martina had played Graf at the US Open and in November at the Year-end championships, and she faired slightly better than Chris did. Chris played Graf in her 2nd tournament back, after being off the tour for 6 months with a knee injury. It had been 11 months since they last met, and Graf forehand and speed had improved immensely.
Sick and amazing.
@trha2222 I don'tknow from where that legend is coming from. When Seles come along Steffi didn't lose a lot to Seles, she lost to Sabatini, Novotna, Navratilova and others the most. Grafs father and the family were in the press at that time, because Peter Graf had an affair with some kind of naked picture star and the boulevard press told the story this woman is awaiting a baby, father Peter Graf. When Steffi came to the German Tournaments the press was after her with stupid questions. So she lost her concentration a bit. Until the stabbing of Seles H2H was 6 to 4 for Graf.
You can see here that Stephanie Graf was not at her peek. Her serves were not nearly as potent at least in this match as they were as the years progressed. She got stronger and her serve and her forehand just amped up to be a beast.
I was there with 3 of my friends it was great seeing all of the women play
@RivaRidge'72 I looked for the video of the 1991 U.S Open match where Navratilova defeated Graf for the first time in years. Graf smiled at Navratilova while shaking hands and Graf also put her arm around her. I don't see a cold-fish reaction from Graf nor a surprised reaction from Navratilova.
+gk891 If I recall Steffi was suffering from a bad case of flu this tournament
+jigsterify At the 1987 Lipton tournament or the 1991 U.S Open? I don't recall Steffi being ill for either one. After her loss to Navratilova at the 1991 U.S Open, I vaguely recall Steffi saying at how strong Navratilova played in an after-match interview. The tournament where Steffi lost to Navratilova where she was supposedly ill was I think the 1987 U.S Open.
I find it interesting that a lot of tennis fans like to trash Steffi for quick and abrupt handshakes. But that was quite common back then. Seles often gave quick drive-by handshakes when she lost (e.g. 1989 French Open, 1989 Wimbledon, 1991 San Antonio, 1991 Hamburg, 1991 Rome, etc) as did Sabatini (e.g. 1988 U.S Open, 1988 Olympics, 1989 U.S Open, 1990 Zurich, 1990 Worcester). But I never viewed them as poor sports or 'bad people' because of that. I just assumed they were unhappy with the way they played or they were unhappy with the loss.
gk891 A
Steffi Graf defeating Navratilova and Evert Lloyd back to back in the same tournament. She's only one of a hand full of women to accomplish that feat. Steffi did this at The Lipton 88 and Wimbledon 89
So true! And then you fast forward 20 years later, and she does the same rare thing (one of a hand full) of beating the Williams sisters back to back. Graf on her way out, and the Williams sisters on their way up.
@@k1berryman There are more coincidences, her last year on tour. S. Williams also defeated Graf on US hardcourt, Graf about the same age as Navratilova and Serena as Graf in this Miami match. Serena ended up winning but it was a tight 3 set win. I think if Graf continued playing for a couple more years, she could have made it a lot more difficult for Venus and Serena than most people think today.
Hana Mandlikova achieved that feat in 1985 when she won the US open, beating both players in 3 sets.
@@johnmonastirli1145 and in 1987 Helena Suková was the 4th player to ever defeat Navratilova (semis) and Evert (finals)at an event (Eastbourne 1987) back to back wins.
At wimbledon 89 graf beat 4 past or future No 1 in a row as I was reminded some time back. Sanchez Seles Evert and navratilova
steffi forehand can do damage in today's time too with modern equipment
Only Graf was able to crush 2 legend back to back .Evert and Martina both great champions
Tracy Austin had done so, too. And that when Evert and Navratilova were still young.
Well both chris and martina were definitely not in their prime, especially chris. Chris came on tour in the early 70s.
All court tennis, variety, one handed backhands, volleys, court craft, players using their brains....must be 80/90s tennis. These days it’s a never ending procession of two handed backhand brainless ball bashers with Queen ball bashed Serena who only ruled her generation due to strength combined with racket technology. Sports history is littered with examples of certain women winning due to strength enhancements, wonder how Serena got hers 🤨
Martina's concentration a bit suspect in this match. Sometimes she's there mentally and other times it looks like she being very wistful. The wind also perhaps playing a factor - Steffi was a very good wind player and Martina hated it. Steffi put in a really disciplined, aggressive performance here, punishing Martina all the way. She also really went after Martina's forehand at times, which could start to fall apart under pressure.
WOULDN'T YOU GO FOR THE CLEAN, CLEAN TASTE?! OF LIPTON TE-E-E-A!
:D
look, it's yonex rexking r-22 vs. dunlop 200g max :) classic sticks. Great upload, thanks
My ratings of GOAT.
1-Martina Navratilova
2-Steffi Graf
3-Serena Williams
4-Margaret court
5-Monica Seles
6-Cris Evert
1. Steffi
2. Navratolova
3. Evert
4. Court
5. Serena
6. Monica
1-Court
2-Graff
3-S.Williams
4-Navratilova
5-Evert
@Ilya Kuryakin And? Martina owns the best records in tennis! and she's won 6 straight slams.
@Ilya Kuryakin Well calendar slam looks better on paper but it's harder to win 6 straight than 4 straight.
@Ilya Kuryakin There's no such thing as 8 out of 9 in a row. Either it's 8 straight or not. You're too funny man!
Surprisingly, the stadium was not full for this semi, but sure it was as Chris is to play Hana in the 2nd semi. Also very rare to see a player make Martina look slightly slower.
Thanks for posting Cindy-- any chance you may have the 1986 US Open SF between Graf & Navratilova? I havent seen it anywhere !
old is gold ,today there are not good players like these
Wow. Steffi destroyed Martina in her prime. Not many people on earth can say that.
+23landcruiser Martina got pasted a couple times in '87... she also lost 2-6, 1-6 to Chris in Los Angeles.
Martina was in her prime mostly beginning 80’s
Steffi was from West Germany ?
Steffi graff g o a t martina 2nd of all time chris evert 3rd of all time
May I also add that I think that Billie Jean King was not only one of the greatest tennis champions of all time, but she was equally gifted as one of the most bright and articulate tennis play-by-play announcers ever? Billie Jean had it all.
Thank you! Salamat! Gracias! Merci! Arigatou!
My pleasure!
As i am watching this match and compare it to the female players of now ,tennis has hit an all time low.
Please upload full match Graf vs navartilova
Navratilova's 1987 reminds me a lot of Federer's 2009. They both won 2 Grand Slams and reached 2 Grand Slam finals that year. However, they were inconsistent the rest of the year, as they won only 2 other titles the rest of the year.
Much is made of Navratilova as the best athlete in women’s tennis history, but I think that appraisal ought to be modified. Martina was probably the hardest-working athlete in women’s ball, but, in my view, Graf was and remains the best/most gifted natural athlete ever, all things considered. Serena would be next in terms of natural athletic skill/talent (at her peak) and Navratilova after that, alongside Court.
They might not hit the ball as powerful as todays players. But its far more entertaining the variety of shots and movement, enjoyed the rallies much better and coming into the net fantastic
Full match upload
Dos grandes jugadoras!!!
Martina and Chrissy played a style from a different era. They just didn’t look like modern players compared to Graf and Seles
The changing of the guard!
Yes but where is our new guard to replace Serena?!
There doesn't seem to be anyone. Serena is just too good!
Inediblehulk
muguruza and madison keys are gonna be the ones especially muguruza. she won 3 straight sets off of serena, 6-2. but honestly, i think the guard will change when serena retires
Inediblehulk she is too powerful she looks like a dude, i dont see anyone beating her routinely soon. I have often thought maybe players could change tactics up to take time from her though, such as serve and volley but dont see any women trying that, you see it kinda came back some on the mens side when you see Federer use aggresive serve and volley and net play though.
roter13 maybe Halep slowly?
Martina - “Who is this kid?”, Andre - ”Would you please one day be the mother of my kids?”
Is that what now is the Grandstand in Key Biscayne?
yes right. but since 2019 not more in Key Biscayne
Actually it was in her prime,She was the number 1 player here and Graff was number 2 here ,Martina was on top throughout the 80's ,the reason why you think that is because you are looking at a young Steffi here and Steffi had been playing since she was 17 years old and won her first major grand slam tournament by age 18 at this point She had become a veteran by this still very young age,Martina started later in life so she looked like she was older and at the end of her career when in fact she was in her prime.
1987 was not Martina's prime. I would say 1987 was the first year of her eventual decline. Her prime was 1982-86.
I love when Steffi played with open hair. She looked so much like a Walkyrie princess....
Steffi Craf the best player ever..Her fast movements athleticism made her the legend
I remember these old commercials.
Big John, what big the thing you are having?
Siddharth I’m tall in stature!
Great focused performance by Steffi in very bad windy conditions. Odd performance by Martina in many ways. At times she plays great, at other times she looks like her mind is a million miles away and she's very not really interested in the match. I read a while ago that Martina felt that she was pretty burnt out during this period (she didn't win a tournament until Wimbledon in 87) and that night have been reflected in her mental performance here. Interestingly, I think we could say the same for Steffi for the couple of years after 89. Pretty burnt out mentally after three great seasons.
Steffi had a great day and Martina had a crap day. Steffi's standard on the day was way higher.
Both terrific players but Martina was NOT in her prime here. She was over 30 and her game was slowing down. It was only a matter of time before Graf would take the no 1 ranking.
In reality Martina is Ivan Lendl, with a blonde wig and glasses.
Danilo Bonina nope...Lendl’s eye hand coordination and footwork were poor compared to Martina’s.
I love watching these classic '80's matches with Martina & Steffi slicing, serve & volleying and running around their backhands to hit forehands. But one thing comes 2 my mind watching these great ladies play, how great Serena's serve is compared to theirs. And I noticed Martina has a terrible difficulty playing in the wind like she did at the 1987 French Open Final & Martina also has a problem hitting her forehands down the line. It's almost like watching Rafa ALWAYS hit his forehand cross court. Martina, hit your forehand down the line 2 Steffi's forehand. Steffi's just waiting for the ball 2 go 2 her backhand & then she runs around it & blasts her bad ass forehand at Martina. I do wish we could place these ladies in a time machine so they could play Serena, Venus(before her illness) & Justine & maybe Maria too at their peak. Steffi definitely has the best footwork ever, Martina's got the best volleys & net game, Serena's definitely got the best serve & Serena would've gone 2 town on her returns & on these ladies' 2nd serves. Like a shark, Serena would've attacked at every opportunity. Cindy C, do you have this entire Lipton semifinal match? What I saw was fun 2 watch.
Steven Michael Well, you have to consider the racquets and strings technology used to today. Having said that, I still think Serena has the best serve, because we can only relate to her era of competition, which her serve is way above others. As for return, I have to picture Serena playing with those heavy 80s racquet, so I dont think she will be as effective.
Steven Michael Hi Steven, sorry i didn't see the question you'd asked, yep I do have the entire match, i'll have to upload it soon
Steven Michael Have you also noticed that Serena and many of the Offensive Baseline First Strike players like her are considered morons at the net compared to the two players above? Have you also noticed that Graf won her 22 without THE AGGRESSIVE OFFENSIVE of Serena and the many players today? Do you imagine how Henin, the single backhander, gave so many heartaches to Serena? Just imagine. Serena is nothing but OBFS player borrowed from Seles who was originally the favorite in many draws including her first Slam at French Open. Just remember ... THE WTA AND THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA, following their American masters, WAS OUTRAGEOUSLY SLANDERING GRAF during her time.
FloridaIndependent What do you mean Graf didn't win her 22 Slams w/o playing Offensive tennis like Serena? Graf had her big forehand & fast feet. And in Graf's era except for Seles & later a young Davenport, there weren't any ladies that could hit the ball consistently as hard as Serena. And another thing, Serena isn't just a great player because of her power. Serena can actually play tennis. Serena is very smart tactically on a tennis court. I wonder when people are going 2 recognize that about Serena?
+Cindy C Hi Cindy, I second that, would love to see this match complete, lovely contrast in styles and generations which you just don't have any more ;-(
Martina was hardly finished at this point in time - there would be several more tournement wins to her credit over the next years. Martina would come back and beat Steffi again - I well recall the 1991 US Open semi-final when the so-called "finished" Navratilova whipped Steffi (and surprised everyone!) when she once again made it to a grand-slam championship match. Look up Steffi's hand-shake with Martina after this match - even Navratilova was embarrassed and surprised by such a cold-fish reaction. It's incredibly easy to be gracious in victory - and not so much in defeat. How best to define a true champion?
STeffi was sick with Flu in the 91 USO semi and that was clear to see if you saw the match
Illya Kuryakin. I find it interesting that people like to focus on the handshake so much. There are a lot of youtube comments about Steffi's handshakes when she lost but the handshake she gave wasn't all that different from many other players At the 1989 Australian Open, Graf defeated Sukova and they seemed to have had an abrupt handshake at the net. But you could clearly see them laughing and chatting with one another during the trophy presentation. Throughout almost all of their matches from 1988 to 1990 where Steffi defeated Sabatini (e.g. 88 and 89 U.S Open, 88 Seoul, 89 Washington, 90 Worchester, 90 Zurich, 88 French Open, etc) Sabatini gave Steffi curt handshakes but I never see anyone badmouthing her for it. I was just under the impression that the losing player (whether it be Graf, Sabatini, etc) was displeased with how they played. I find it almost amusing how people like to focus on such things.
They exchanged friendlier handshakes when Steffi matured, but Graf's cold-fish reaction surprised me too, never mind Martina!
While you are partly right it is worth noting that 91 U.S Open semi win over Graf was Martina's first win over Graf in FOUR whole years, an embarassingly long losing streak for even an aging great. And that was in Steffi's worst year of the entire 86-96 period, it would be the equivalent of beating Martina in 1980 where even a 15 year old Andrea Jaeger beat her a bunch of times, as well as a 37 year old King.
And Martina was anything but a gracious loser herself at times. Particularly when losing to Steffi Graf, as the above footage even demonstrates. It is not exactly a secret the two were never buddy buddy.
It is only by people who dont like Steffi so are desperate for negative things to focus on.
Taking Martina down in her prime- Amazing!
MN was not in her prime. She didn't win a tournament in 87 until Wimbledon.
LOL Tina was 30 back then, hardly "in her prime".
Martina is pass her prime in 1987, although she still was able to beat Graf at Wimbledon and Us Open in 1987. Martina's prime was 82-86.
where did you find all those old highlights?
mshfer94 Hah i actually recorded them :D I have all my old vhs tapes from when i was a kid
ohh great! i hope you'll upload all of them :) thank you
You're welcome! And yep i definitely will, until i run out :D
Cindy C Hi Cindy - is there any chance I would buy a match or two off you? Would love to see the complete version of this 1987 Lipton SF Graf v Navratilova... thanks for your brilliant channel btw ;-)
Hi there, thank you for the compliment! Ah, all my matches are on old VHS tapes that i transferred to my pc, they're just on a hard drive, not really sure how i'd go about selling them hah
La nueva reina vs la leyenda !!
it might be her 'arrival' but Martina still crushes her in back to back slam finals dont forget
These GOAT matches are amazing. Serena and Steffi's match at Indian Wells was also amazing, getting to see the incumbent vs the next generation GOAT. We're not seeing that at the moment tho, there is no one at Graf, Martina or Serena's level coming through to challenge Serena. It's such a waste. We'll get her eventually but probably not in time to see her play Serena. I want someone to come along that makes Serena look like she plays an 'older style' game so people can see Serena's game is more than just power.
trha2222 And I would argue that Serena had & has a much better winning mentality than both Henin & Clijsters. Serena has the killer instinct & even when she isn't playing her best, which was often against Henin & Clijsters, Serena always found a way 2 beat them & win. I would also argue that Serena never ever reached her peak &/or Best form or played her best game vs Henin & Clijsters. They trained & reached as far as they could with their best but Serena never played her absolute 100% Best against Henin & Clijsters or Mauresmo or Capriati back in the early to mid 2000's. I'm not saying Serena didn't train hard, I'm just saying Serena never took it(her tennis career, her game, her body) as seriously as she has the last 3-4 years. After she came back from her cut foot & embolisium, Serena hasn't looked back. She's made it her business 2 really be the best year in & year out. I feel like when she was trying 2 get back 2 her 2002-2003 best form from all her injuries & family death & drama, Serena wasn't at her best against Henin in 2007, (especially). Serena wasn't fit & she was injured a lot. So, I don't see how you or anybody can say Justine & Kim were better than Serena cause she wasn't ever at 100% & Serena could still step on the court & dominate either of those girls or either be losing the match but find a way 2 come back & beat them. Frankly, I could care less what the public or fans have 2 say, I go by what former champions like Court, King, Evert, Navratilova & Graf say & also what Kim & Justine say. And they ALL SAY Serena is the Best & is going 2 break Steffi's Slam record. Kim & Justine both have said Serena is the Best they've ever played against. They both have said they have a ton of respect for her. Not just her serve or her powerful game but her will to win & her Champion's heart. You can't ever count Serena out & think cause you're winning that she's given up. That's why I love Serena & that's why some many Haters don't like her. The Haters can say this & that about her & her game & they think Henin or Clijsters is better but the proof is in the pudding or better yet in her trophy room. Serena's the Champion with the most prestigious hardware. So, who really cares what anybody thinks. Serena's a winner. Serena's the Best. Period.
trha2222 Better? How do you figure they both were better than Serena? They both improved & got better but Not better than Serena. If all 3 ladies were playing at their Best, Serena would destroy both Kim & Justine. Serena was not only athletically better than Kim & Justine, Serena was mentally better than both too. I'd say Justine was better than Kim. And Serena was better than both of them. Had Serena not suffered so many injuries during 2004-2007, she would've stayed number 1.
trha2222 Exactly. It's not just about the power, but the things you do on court and with the ball. Tennis content. Graf possessed the most amount of "tricks" in the book you can think of, and doing it with extreme poise and balletic. Federer is the one now like this in tennis, and he's for the men.
trha2222 So, I guess she just didn't know how 2 win cause she has only 4 Slams. Motherhood must've lit a fire in her ass & gave her focus. And Serena is just only power & power wins Slams. Is that what you're saying? Well, if I was a pro, then I'd take only power so I could have double digit Slams. lol.
trha2222 ....Like Serena Williams has.
i know Martina is playing against a great opponent but sometimes i think her approach shots were on the conservative side. obviously, they worked against most opponents but she probably needed to go for a little more against the very best. in other words, she should have used the net to close off points rather than start from scratch while there to players like Graf and Seles. she was probably so used to winning points at the net, no matter how she got there, that she didn't fully adjust to the new players, as well as what the new technology allowed her and others to do. a theory, anyway... i always admired Martina's game, of course.
Martina didn't play a good match here and was very mentally unfocused at times. She was actually in a major slump in her career. She didn't win a single tournament in 1987 until Wimbledon in June that year. She said years later that she was very mentally burnt out from the end of 1986, but didn't realise it until she noticed much later that she was trying to play as few tournaments as possible.
They're like "top spin? Where do I buy that?" And all the hitting is coming from the arm, not the hips in modern tennis. A lot has changed in 30 years!
I love how they didn’t disqualify Graff for hitting the lady.
It's only a disqualification if the ball was hit in anger.
Does... Graf have a different stencil on her rackets or did she straight up change rackets in the middle of the match. Earlier, stencil is Wilson. Later on, I noticed a Dunlop?
her rackets had a secret mechanism which explains about 90% of her success
Because you're jealous?
Nope? Steffi used Dunlop. You're not getting confused with the advert for Lipton Tea in this video with Chris Evert? She used Wilson.
Cliff is so for Martina. He is excited when Martina hits a winner and so silent when Steffi hits it. And he doesn't pronounce Steffi's last name right a single time.
Why can't Steffi play like this regularly?
1987 was a bad year for Navratilova cause she didn't win a tournament until Wimbledon, she was really burnt out. As she admitted herself years later.
How steffi hid midcourt ball, and passing shoot with that backhand..lol..i missed her game before 1990..she change with more slice..Martina!what a legend she is..who is the women now days play serve and volley? All the girls out there grunt everytime,less presison and ability in tahe baseline, lol..totally boring!
In this game we can clearly see why the playing of serve and volley has almost disappeared Martina lost many points trying to volley low balls close to the net.
Serve and volley is a game for gamblers. You win some, you lose some. The theory is that by coming in so much that you put so much pressure on your opponent that they start making mistakes and you don't actually have to play a volley. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
The equivalent of Becker/Edberg
If reincarnation is real, I want to come back as Andre Aggasi so I can marry Steffi.
Just Wonderful Display Of Ladies Lawn Tennis. Tennis At Her Best
Victory To Lawn Tennis.
Victory To Both The Participating Ladies
( In Secular Mother India, There Had Been A Saying, Both Madam Steffi Graf & Sir Borris Becker, Via Some Fluency In The Hindhi Language Could Have Had Been Bollywood Screen Super Star's )
Once Again The Sport's Lawn Tennis WIN'S
👪😍😍😍👪
👪😍👪
👪😍👪
it was strange Steffi did not play anywhere near as well vs Martina in any of their 3 slam finals this year, including the one they won. Obviously not used to the pressure of those big matches quite yet.
Steffi's backhand side and her suicide.