1980 Wimbledon Ladies Final : Evonne Cawley Vs. Chris Evert

[Vince Evert]

 

[BTURNER]

EVONNE GOOLAGONG CAWLEY (Australia) 26:13

1972 Wimbledon SF L 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Grass
1972 Bonnie Belle Cup F W 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 Hard
1972 Indianapolis, IN F W 7-6, 6-1 Clay
1973 Sarasota, FL F W 6-3, 6-2 Clay
1973 Miami Beach, FL F W 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 Clay
1973 St. Petersburg, FL F W 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 Clay
1973 Italian Open F L 7-6, 6-0 Clay
1973 Cincinnati, OH F L 6-2, 7-5 Clay
1973 Johannesburg, South Africa F W 6-3, 6-3 Hard

1973 Bonnie Belle Cup L 6-4, 6-3 Grass
1974 Melbourne, Australia F L 7-6, 4-6, 6-0 Grass
1974 Sarasota F W 6-4, 6-0 Clay
1974 U.S. Open SF L 6-0, 6-7, 6-3 Grass
1974 Denver F L 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 Indoor Carpet
1974 Slims Championships/L.A. F L 6-3, 6-4 Indoor Carpet
1974 Hilton Head, SC SF W 6-2, 6-1 Clay
1975 Boston, MA SF L 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 Indoor Carpet
1975 Houston, TX SF W 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 Indoor Carpet
1975 Slims Championships/L.A. SF W 6-1, 6-4 Indoor Carpet
1975 Amelia Island, FL SF W 6-1, 6-1 Clay
1975 U.S. Open F W 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 Clay
1975 Hilton Head, SC F W 6-1, 6-1 Clay
1976 Austin, TX F W 7-5, 6-1 Hard
1976 Sarasota, FL F W 6-3, 6-0 Indoor Carpet
1976 San Francisco F W 7-5, 7-6 Indoor Carpet
1976 Philadelphia F L 6-3, 7-6 Indoor Carpet
1976 Slims Championships/L.A. F L 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 Indoor Carpet
1976 Wimbledon F W 6-3, 4-6, 8-6 Grass
1976 U.S. Open F W 6-3, 6-0 Clay
1978 Boston F L 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 Indoor Carpet
1979 Wimbledon SF W 6-3, 6-2 Grass
1979 Indianapolis F W 6-4, 6-3 Clay
1979 U.S. Open QF W 7-5, 6-2 Hard
1980 Chichester, England F W 6-3, 6-7, 7-5 Grass
1980 Wimbledon F L 6-1, 7-6 Grass
1980 Tokyo Lion (Emerson) Cup SF/3rd place W 6-4 6-0 Indoor Carpet
1981 Sydney, Australia QF W 6-2, 6-0 Grass
1982 Palm Beach Gardens SF W 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 Clay
1983 French Open 3R W 6-2, 6-2 Clay

Grass 4- 5, Hard 4-0, Clay 13-2, Indoor Carpet 5- 6.
I will give my impressions in a separate post tomorrow.

 

[BTURNER]

First a few notes. With 39 meetings, Only Martina, and Virginia Wade played Evert more often than Evonne did
1. Goolagong is one of three women to have two consecutive victories on clay against Evert in Rome and Cinncinati of 1973 with Nancy Richey doing it way back in 1970 and those two wins by Martina in 1984, a decade later. However thereafter, Evert won the last nine meetings on clay against Evonnie with the loss of only one set!

2. Despite the fact that both women had victories on all surfaces, and Goolagong's did have an edge on grass, and carpet, Evert's domination on hard and clay courts was far more decisive.

3. Almost all the really epic dramatic matches between these two, were on fast courts. 1972 Wimbledon SF L 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Grass, 1975 Houston, TX SF W 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 Indoor Carpet, 1976 Wimbledon F W 6-3, 4-6, 8-6 Grass, 1976 Slims Championships/L.A. F L 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 Indoor Carpet, 1980 Chichester, England F W 6-3, 6-7, 7-5 Grass, with their final clay meeting being the lone exception 1982 Palm Beach Gardens SF W 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 Clay

I think this may be my favorite rivalry. The big difference between Navratilova/ Evert and Goolagong/ Evert, was that Evonne really could not overpower and bully Chris like Martina did from 1982-1984. It was truly cat and mouse tennis. Evonne was one of the few players who could hang with Chris from the baseline and her chief asset in long rallies was the dependability of her slices off both wings ( I Never saw a player more dependent on a forehand slice as a rallying shot, even on clay) and her incredible footspeed. Evert liked to drive that two hander deep hard, and wide, and Evonne could manage to cover so many of Chris' most potent drives and slice them back. When Evonne was concentrating well, she drove Evert to explore shots and patterns Chris rarely employed against other players. Chris ended up charging the net more often, trying more dropshots and angles than she really felt comfortable playing. Evonne for her part, had to stay present and focused. Whatever 'walkabouts' she could afford against other players, she knew that she dare not let any lapses last much longer than a game or two, if she had a prayer of surviving. Against Chris, there was no point in even putting on the Tingling dress, if you did not stay focused and present.

At its best, this rivalry was filled with very compelling tennis with no shot, no spin, no angle, no pattern left unexploited, and every match was played with great sportsmanship, and mutual respect. These were matches where the umpire could fall asleep if he chose, only to be awakened as the ladies reached for his hand at the end.

 

[BTURNER]

 

[BTURNER]

Or if you prefer... Clay!

 

[Kieran]

First a few notes. With 39 meetings, Only Martina, and Virginia Wade played Evert more often than Evonne did
1. Goolagong is one of three women to have two consecutive victories on clay against Evert in Rome and Cinncinati of 1973 with Nancy Richey doing it way back in 1970 and those two wins by Martina in 1984, a decade later. However thereafter, Evert won the last nine meetings on clay against Evonnie with the loss of only one set!

2. Despite the fact that both women had victories on all surfaces, and Goolagong's did have an edge on grass, and carpet, Evert's domination on hard and clay courts was far more decisive.

3. Almost all the really epic dramatic matches between these two, were on fast courts. 1972 Wimbledon SF L 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Grass, 1975 Houston, TX SF W 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 Indoor Carpet, 1976 Wimbledon F W 6-3, 4-6, 8-6 Grass, 1976 Slims Championships/L.A. F L 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 Indoor Carpet, 1980 Chichester, England F W 6-3, 6-7, 7-5 Grass, with their final clay meeting being the lone exception 1982 Palm Beach Gardens SF W 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 Clay

I think this may be my favorite rivalry. The big difference between Navratilova/ Evert and Goolagong/ Evert, was that Evonne really could not overpower and bully Chris like Martina did from 1982-1984. It was truly cat and mouse tennis. Evonne was one of the few players who could hang with Chris from the baseline and her chief asset in long rallies was the dependability of her slices off both wings ( I Never saw a player more dependent on a forehand slice as a rallying shot, even on clay) and her incredible footspeed. Evert liked to drive that two hander deep hard, and wide, and Evonne could manage to cover so many of Chris' most potent drives and slice them back. When Evonne was concentrating well, she drove Evert to explore shots and patterns Chris rarely employed against other players. Chris ended up charging the net more often, trying more dropshots and angles than she really felt comfortable playing. Evonne for her part, had to stay present and focused. Whatever 'walkabouts' she could afford against other players, she knew that she dare not let any lapses last much longer than a game or two, if she had a prayer of surviving. Against Chris, there was no point in even putting on the Tingling dress, if you did not stay focused and present.

At its best, this rivalry was filled with very compelling tennis with no shot, no spin, no angle, no pattern left unexploited, and every match was played with great sportsmanship, and mutual respect. These were matches where the umpire could fall asleep if he chose, only to awakened as the ladies reached for his hand at the end.

That's great stuff! Evonne was another favourite of mine back then, I never warmed to Chrissy. I loved the way Evonne played, and her reputation for going walkabout only increased my interest...

 

[BTURNER]

Just cuz I like doing this now

Goolagong entered 35 majors between 1967-1983 (17 years) and won 7 with an 82.5% win/loss match ratio.
she won 20 % of those 35 and reached the finals 51.4% of the time with a finals conversion rate of 39.9 %. Goolagong reached the semifinals 62.9% of the time she entered a slam with a SF conversion rate of 81.8% and the QFs 74.3% with a QF conversion rate of 84.6%

Evonne's underbelly: I am just putting aside what happens in the fourth round, and looking downwards now, Goolagong lost in Rds 1, 2, or 3 f a major 9 times or 25.7% of the time she played one, with no 1st Rd losses, 5 2nd Rd losses and 4 Rd 3 losses.

All of Evonne's numbers are lower because she loyally showed up at the Australian, when she really wasn't in a position to be competitive. 5 of her 9 early round losses happened at Kooyung because she was too immature, coming off a pregnancy, and once in December 1980 she was 5 months pregnant and lost in the second round ! In fact, despite her 4 wins and total of 7 finals, Goolagongs lowest career win/loss stat is in her own back yard with 80%. She did better by that stat at the US Open with 81.3% at Wimbledon with 84.5% and evenRG at 84.2% ( I could win a lot of bets with this little factoid! )

By the way, that semifinal conversion ( winning that semi to reach the final) rate of 81.8% is shocking. Its better than Evert at 65.4, Navratilova at 72.7 or Steffi Graf at 81.1%. So far, only Serena does a better job of winning the penultimate match. As for that finals conversion 39.9% rate, almost all of those finals she lost, had either Court, or King taking her down on grass, and Evert taking her down at the Open on clay. Goolagong was negatively impacted by French Tennis Federation's decision to ban her and Connors from competition in 1974 secondary to their participation in WTT. Goolagong chose to boycott RG for the next decade, despite her early successive finals there in 1971 and 1972. Certainly Evert would have had a more complicated final against Goolagong than she did against Morozova.