The Greatest Female Tennis Player of All Time

[kskate2]

RE: The Greatest Female Tennis Player of All Time

Q. Who among all the women you've seen play over the

last 50+ years could have handled Serena routinely


Billie Jean King: Nobody................Every Generation

gets better




http://espn.go.com/espnw/video/10275867/billie-jean-king-serena?ex_cid=2014_bnnr_ESPNWTDFY14_OutbrainD_aqsn

Who said anything about handling Serena routinely? It appears Serena has been her best "worst" enemy with layoffs, not being in condition, and illness! Illnesses may not have been avoided, but her lack of training certainly had something to do with being out of condition, possibe injuries, and losing to players I'd never heard of! She had a responsibility being the top ranked woman and I don't think she took it seriously until the last couple years, giving us players like Safina, Wozniacki, and Jankovic as WTA's #1 ranked women without a sniff of a major! That had never happened in the past and I lay that on the doorsteps of both Venus and Serena being part time players! They were touted as the best of all time, but didn't act like it when they could have done more! Again, illness did not have everything to do with this state of affairs, I know and you know that, so please don't take offense at this rebuke! Just stating the facts as a historian of tennis since the 70's! :nono :huh:

I know you have bug up your rear about the Williams not performing up to your very high level when they were younger, but you cannot blame the #1 revolving door on Venus and Serena. How about putting some of that blame where it belongs: Justine Henin. If Henin hadn't abruptly retired, the rankings wouldn't have been shook up as they were in 2008.

 

[RJD11]

RE: The Greatest Female Tennis Player of All Time

Serena Williams defying all odds

By Greg Garber | ESPN.com

Thirty-and-older players don't have a long history of Grand Slam accomplishments


Serena Williams' serve has been widely acknowledged as the most dangerous weapon in the history of women's tennis.

Perhaps we should be talking about her mind.

At the age of 32, she is proving the old Clairol hair-coloring slogan to be true: She's not getting older; she's actually getting better.

This defies the career arc of virtually every previous tennis professional who has come before her.

"I don't know," she told reporters after advancing to the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over No. 31 seed Daniela Hantuchova. "I feel like, you know, in life, 32 is young. In sports, it's old.

How have past champions done when they creep into 30-something territory? Not particularly well, especially relative to their glory days.

The great Steffi Graf played one Grand Slam after her 30th birthday, in 1999 at Wimbledon. She lost in a straight-sets final to Lindsay Davenport and promptly retired. Chris Evert played 16 majors after hitting 30 -- and won two, the French Open in 1985 and 1986. Martina Navratilova played 23 majors and won three Grand Slam singles titles, but two of those came in her 31st year. Margaret Court, who leads all women with 24 major championships, played eight past 30 and won three, all of them coming in her 31st year.

And then there's this: After their 32nd birthdays, Evert, Navratilova and Court won a combined total of only one major -- Navratilova's title at Wimbledon in 1990 at 33. The way Williams is playing, it wouldn't be terribly surprising if she won two or three this year.

Even when she's missing, you can see the wheels turning in her head. Against Hantuchova, she had a string of five consecutive unforced errors in the first three games.

"I was just trying to get my bearings, trying to figure out [how] to do the right thing," she said. "I wasn't fully on today, so I was just trying to see if I could just go for it and how far out they were going to be, trying to make them."

Like an expert marksman dialing in on a target, she soon got the calibration right -- and annihilated Hantuchova, who later opined on Facebook that Serena is the best women's player ever. Is the same punishment in store for Ivanovic? History says … yes.

Stosur was asked how she thought the match would go.

"Anytime you go on the court, there's always a chance," the Australian said, not sounding overly optimistic about Ivanovic's chances. "If [Ana] can keep serving well, be dangerous on her forehand, it will certainly give Serena something to think about."

That isn't likely to trouble Serena, an athlete who somehow has convinced herself that she's not getting older -- just better.

http://espn.go.com/tennis/aus14/story/_/id/10313528/australian-open-serena-williams-defying-all-odds

 

[tented]

RE: The Greatest Female Tennis Player of All Time

*bump*

 

[britbox]

Only really 5 realistic candidates in my opinion:

Graf, Serena Williams, Navratilova, Court, Evert...

I'm still edging toward Graf but Serena should top the bunch by the time she's done.  She's pretty close already and will likely be plenty of peoples candidate as it stands now... just not mine, yet.

 

[Mastoor]

Monika Seles. She was a dominant players for 2 years in competition with Navratilova and Graf before a Graf's fan backstabbed her  because they didn't believe there was any way for Graf to comes back to #1 while Monika is playing healthy.

 

[britbox]

Nav was past her best and Graf was in a slump with off-court issues.  Graf still led the H2H with Seles before the stabbing and beat Seles 3 times out 4 in the two years Seles ended the year at #1. When they were both healthy - Graf won more of the clashes between the two.

What happened was a tragedy, but it's a big What If?  I think Seles would have won more, but she wasn't great on grass and she had plenty of other off-court issues unrelated to the stabbing - i.e. the death of her father and coach which caused a lot of distress and a weight gain spiral.

When she first came back from the stabbing she tore through the field without dropping a set at consecutive US Opens before facing Graf (who she never beat on a fast hard court) and she also won the AO.  Injuries and the death of her father shortly after are roundly overlooked in Monica's career trajectory...

 

[Federberg]

I'm going to side step the Seles-Graf debate. I'm a Seles supporter nuff said! But for GOAThood? There's really only tennis player. In my view Navratilova isn't just the female GOAT. She IS the GOAT... period

 

[britbox]

<cite>@Federberg said:</cite>
I'm going to side step the Seles-Graf debate. I'm a Seles supporter nuff said! But for GOAThood? There's really only tennis player. In my view Navratilova isn't just the female GOAT. She IS the GOAT... period

 

I usually base it on Singles, so Graf is #1.  If I take doubles into account then Nav tops Graf, but Serena tops Nav.  So Nav ain't getting my vote in any event.

 

[Federberg]

Even basing it just on singles, which I agree has the potential to alter things, I still personally go for Martina...

Navratilova stats:
1,442–219 (86.8%)</td>
career titles 167 WTA, 1 ITF (<a title="Tennis players with most titles since 1968" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_players_with_most_titles_since_1968">Open era record</a>)

 

Graf stats:

900–115 (88.67%)

career titles 107 <a title="WTA Tour records" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTA_Tour_records">(3rd all-time)</a>

Just my opinion. The focus on the slams these days is all well and good, but folks like Navratilova have set records that will never be beaten. Frankly even when Serena surpasses Graf's slam record she'll be no where near Martina's totals. Those will last

 

[britbox]

Based on singles, 4 slams is too big of a divide IMO, not to mention Steffi was playing a structured tour not too disimilar to what we have today. Nav won tons of tournaments at places like Eastbourne, which is little more than a garden fete.  Even the local vicar probably got a wildcard.  I used to be able to live with the #1 Graf (Singles only) and #1 Nav (All round inc. doubles) but Serena has surpassed Nav on the the latter (and in Singles slams), so can't see how Nav is the GOAT by any measurement.  For me, it's either Graf or Serena - just depends on the measuring stick.

 

 

 

[Federberg]

Yup I can understand why you say that even though I don't agree with it. You do what you have to do in your era. Navratilova for me is the winningest tennis player ever. It's not clear to me that the quality of the tournaments she played in is that far removed from what Graf had to face, and in my opinion she faced tougher peak opposition than Graf had to... apart from Seles and I've already said I wouldn't go there... Evert, Austin, Goolagong, Mandlikova et al vs the likes of Sanchez-Vicario and Sabatini is a no brainer for me. But hey.. it's just opinions

 

[britbox]

Nav also sat out the European clay tour for some years completely, picking her battles well... otherwise she'd probably be on the wrong end of the H2H with Chris Evert.

 

[Federberg]

For my part I've never really felt the h2h to be that relevant when all is said and done. For me it's about titles and Martina and Chrissy have them by the truck load. I was always a Chrissy fan vs Martina (thought she was super hot  B-) ) but looking at the body of work Martina put together... it's something else

 

[teddytennisfan]

before serena -- there was GRAF for me. before graf, there was navratilova as i only began to notice tennis in her mostly later years agianst the rising graf...

 

so it's natural for me to say "graf" -- ''just because"..

but time doesn't stand still -- and even from the very beginning, just like with graf -- i was CERTAIN that what i saw in serena in 1998 - and a match against steffi in indian wells...i was certain serena was going to be MY next favorite...

as of today -- it's basically just NUMBERS in majors and whatever close differences there are for ''accountants''...respecting of course that they played in different eras and all that kind of argument.

 

but purely on their persoal qualities as athletes, champions,...

 

i'd say serena is very much right up there WITH graf already. 22 is basically a ''done' deal - even if serena hanged up the racket NOW. AS IT's now a question of having ascended to well beyond where MN AND EVERT were...PLUS -- serena actually has SEVERAL DOUBLES majors over graf.

22 or 23 to me just makes it ''official" that serena is the absolute best athlete and player in all women's era. imo. -- and i am saying that as someone that holds ''records" very highly in my own assessment-- such as for the likes of MN, COURT, ETC..their general dominance over their fields. whatever.

serena has proven just about every area she is second to NONE. AT the very least as good as graf as an athlete in pure terms of coordination. movement, power, quickness, speed, balance, etc..although different in ''styles" of athleticism.

for MY personal part-- i've had a pretty good batting average...my picks ALWAYS are acknowledged as hands and shoulders the BEST athletes in their profession -- MN, GRAF and SERENA.

AND the athleticism was complemented BY the achievements. or rather the achievements were as great as they were BECAUSE they WERE the supreme athletes -- period.

 

rivalries are a completely separate and distinct issue.

great rivalries there are -- BUT the BETTER athlete that is also a great competitor ALWAYS will be the greater champion.

 

that is the case between MN /EVERT -- GRAF /SELES -- SERENA /EVERYONE ELSE.

 

the pattern itself proves it.

 

[teddytennisfan]

i just reminded myself that many years ago -- when the internet itself was STILL young as a ''web'' -- and it was mostly those AOL? CHAT ROOMS?

 

i got to briefly know steffi's own mother  heidi..she was a member of our tennis chat groups -- and regularly posted with us -- often saying hi -- and wishing someone happy birthday and holidays from steffi like in christmas...

 

and she'd chat with seles fans in their forums - with some of them throwing cruel insults at her - but she'd just try to be patient with them...and eventually her ''favorite" seles fan -- was a boy - who was SOOOOOOOOOOO notorious in all the chat rooms for posting huge letters to heckle graf fans -- and heidi -- and 'SHOUTING...

 

"DIE - DIE DIE STEFFI , DIE HEIDI...you stabbed m,y monika...DIE"?..

 

oh my goodness...so - we graf fans tried to ''take care''' of him - when I privated HEIDI that the boy kept ''intruding"' to me in private to shout at me - and her and steffi - and i'd try to calm him down...

until one day -- he made his typing with the tiniiiiiest fonts available....like  ''secret whisper"''...

 

after shouting MONIKA IS THE BEST -- STEFFI STOLE HER TITLES...!!! DIE STEFFI, DIE........."

 

TO ...''BUT i really like steffi...please don/t tell the other seles fans.......but WHY did they stab monika? ....shhhh please don't tell others i like steffi - but why -- WHY did heidi not send me electronic christmas cards like to all of you? ..."

AND I ''whispered it to heidi"..and she responded quickly - in IM -- \\\"OH -- actually i sent him several christmas cards and there are some from steffi herself -- i don't know why he didn/t get them because he was the first we sent to"..

 

and a few minutes later this boy - apparently a very lonely , bullied ''gay'' type in school who only had one girl friend...but an AAA Student --

IM'S me with the biggest colored letters:

 

'steffi and heidi -- SENT ME CHRISTMAS CARDS - YAY!!!! I AM SOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!!!! YAY"..\

AND HE WENT RUNNING TO THE PUBLIC BOARDS TO SHOW OFF...LOL.

MONTHS later -- heidi invited him to meet them in indian wells when he had a summer vacation there -- to see monica where heidi introduced him to monica (and steffi of course) -- and he reported to us how he spent the whole day with heidi and steffi , practicing with steffi -- and also hitting with monica and he sat with monica all afternoon....

and how "i TOLD MONICA she has to do this and that when she plays steffi to beat steffi"

and heidi again arranged another trip he had to meet monica in florida - but he missed her even after heidi stood in front of the player lounge with a huge card with his name - to bring her to monica...

 

because he instead went to the beach. haha.

we used to follow that up hour on the hour where he was. lol. it was so much fun. we'd fight with the seles fans -- and then make-up and fight and make up . lol.

 

the last thing i remember before that aol basically wore down..

was HEIDI AND STEFFI had sort of ''adopted'' him -- in the sense that HE GOT their HOME NUMBERS AND PHONES to call them whenever he wanted...lol!! he bragged about it no end!

 

B UT I REMEMB ER most what heidi said to me briefly in that IM -- that i told her ''there is this boy - the one that shouts at you -- and he is so sad that he didn't get a christmas card from you and steffi..."..

 

and her first response was:

"he is just a lonely boy -- all he needs is understanding and love"..

and that's when we all began-- the steffi fans -- to make a ''project" of somehow taking care of him online -- and remind him of keeping up his good grades, don/'t worry about the bullies -- come to us to talk about his heartaches and all that.

 

i think HEIDI must have mentioned things to MONICA -- because a bit soon after those - we all got christmas greetings from MONICA Herself...and she was very nice with it to everyone.

 

and he ended up being the DARLING  spoiled -- but darling of everyone. lol.. he told us -- STEFFI LOVED TO play practical jokes...and liked to tease with him. that was mostly in 1998.

 

[Mastoor]

<cite>@britbox said:</cite>
Nav was past her best and Graf was in a slump with off-court issues.  Graf still led the H2H with Seles before the stabbing and beat Seles 3 times out 4 in the two years Seles ended the year at #1. When they were both healthy - Graf won more of the clashes between the two.

What happened was a tragedy, but it's a big What If?  I think Seles would have won more, but she wasn't great on grass and she had plenty of other off-court issues unrelated to the stabbing - i.e. the death of her father and coach which caused a lot of distress and a weight gain spiral.

When she first came back from the stabbing she tore through the field without dropping a set at consecutive US Opens before facing Graf (who she never beat on a fast hard court) and she also won the AO.  Injuries and the death of her father shortly after are roundly overlooked in Monica's career trajectory...

 

Brit, that's exactly what i said. Graf had issues before Monika was stabbed and after that she didn't have any and returned to #1.

She lead their h2h barely and only because she won first 3 matches being 4 years older than Monika and before the stabbing the h2h was 6-4.

I don't think it would be hard to say what would have happened in the stabbing never happened because Monika won 3 slams and world tour final in each 1991 and 1992 as well as Australian Open in 1993 and there was no indication she would ever stop winning.

So, at least for that period between stabbing and Karolj's dead she would (and consequently Graf wouldn't) easily win 3 out of 4 slams.

 

 

 

[britbox]

<cite>@teddytennisfan said:</cite>
i just reminded myself that many years ago -- when the internet itself was STILL young as a ''web'' -- and it was mostly those AOL? CHAT ROOMS?



i got to briefly know steffi's own mother  heidi..she was a member of our tennis chat groups -- and regularly posted with us -- often saying hi -- and wishing someone happy birthday and holidays from steffi like in christmas...



and she'd chat with seles fans in their forums - with some of them throwing cruel insults at her - but she'd just try to be patient with them...and eventually her ''favorite" seles fan -- was a boy - who was SOOOOOOOOOOO notorious in all the chat rooms for posting huge letters to heckle graf fans -- and heidi -- and 'SHOUTING...



"DIE - DIE DIE STEFFI , DIE HEIDI...you stabbed m,y monika...DIE"?..



oh my goodness...so - we graf fans tried to ''take care''' of him - when I privated HEIDI that the boy kept ''intruding"' to me in private to shout at me - and her and steffi - and i'd try to calm him down...

until one day -- he made his typing with the tiniiiiiest fonts available....like  ''secret whisper"''...



after shouting MONIKA IS THE BEST -- STEFFI STOLE HER TITLES...!!! DIE STEFFI, DIE........."



TO ...''BUT i really like steffi...please don/t tell the other seles fans.......but WHY did they stab monika? ....shhhh please don't tell others i like steffi - but why -- WHY did heidi not send me electronic christmas cards like to all of you? ..."

AND I ''whispered it to heidi"..and she responded quickly - in IM -- \\\"OH -- actually i sent him several christmas cards and there are some from steffi herself -- i don't know why he didn/t get them because he was the first we sent to"..



and a few minutes later this boy - apparently a very lonely , bullied ''gay'' type in school who only had one girl friend...but an AAA Student --

IM'S me with the biggest colored letters:



'steffi and heidi -- SENT ME CHRISTMAS CARDS - YAY!!!! I AM SOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!!!! YAY"..\

AND HE WENT RUNNING TO THE PUBLIC BOARDS TO SHOW OFF...LOL.

MONTHS later -- heidi invited him to meet them in indian wells when he had a summer vacation there -- to see monica where heidi introduced him to monica (and steffi of course) -- and he reported to us how he spent the whole day with heidi and steffi , practicing with steffi -- and also hitting with monica and he sat with monica all afternoon....

and how "i TOLD MONICA she has to do this and that when she plays steffi to beat steffi"

and heidi again arranged another trip he had to meet monica in florida - but he missed her even after heidi stood in front of the player lounge with a huge card with his name - to bring her to monica...



because he instead went to the beach. haha.

we used to follow that up hour on the hour where he was. lol. it was so much fun. we'd fight with the seles fans -- and then make-up and fight and make up . lol.



the last thing i remember before that aol basically wore down..

was HEIDI AND STEFFI had sort of ''adopted'' him -- in the sense that HE GOT their HOME NUMBERS AND PHONES to call them whenever he wanted...lol!! he bragged about it no end!



B UT I REMEMB ER most what heidi said to me briefly in that IM -- that i told her ''there is this boy - the one that shouts at you -- and he is so sad that he didn't get a christmas card from you and steffi..."..



and her first response was:

"he is just a lonely boy -- all he needs is understanding and love"..

and that's when we all began-- the steffi fans -- to make a ''project" of somehow taking care of him online -- and remind him of keeping up his good grades, don/'t worry about the bullies -- come to us to talk about his heartaches and all that.



i think HEIDI must have mentioned things to MONICA -- because a bit soon after those - we all got christmas greetings from MONICA Herself...and she was very nice with it to everyone.



and he ended up being the DARLING  spoiled -- but darling of everyone. lol.. he told us -- STEFFI LOVED TO play practical jokes...and liked to tease with him. that was mostly in 1998.

Hey @teddytennisfan - that's an amazing set of events.  Steffi Graf was always pure class on and off the court. Sounds like she inherited those genes off her mother! 

 

[britbox]

<cite>@Mastoor said:</cite>


Brit, that's exactly what i said. Graf had issues before Monika was stabbed and after that she didn't have any and returned to #1.

She lead their h2h barely and only because she won first 3 matches being 4 years older than Monika and before the stabbing the h2h was 6-4.

I don't think it would be hard to say what would have happened in the stabbing never happened because Monika won 3 slams and world tour final in each 1991 and 1992 as well as Australian Open in 1993 and there was no indication she would ever stop winning.

So, at least for that period between stabbing and Karolj's dead she would (and consequently Graf wouldn't) easily win 3 out of 4 slams.

Easily win them? On what basis?  She beat a semi fit Graf 9-7 in a French Open decider? Graf was going to withdraw from that event and only made the decision to play it at last moment.  So no, I don't think she'd have easily beaten Graf in Paris... and certainly not a fully fit one.

She'd never beaten Graf on a fast hard court and never would... before, during, after....   I don't think Seles easily beats Graf in NY. I have huge doubts.

The AO would be the biggest opportunity.  Seles and Rebound Ace were made for eacher.

 

[teddytennisfan]

I KNOW - isn't it amazing to at least ''know" a bit about her in ways that the usual media won't really reveal..(not that they're not trying) --

 

but it's just nice to see that -- there was indeed a bit more, and better, than the usual portrayal of a ''cold, aloof" steffi.

 

i don't know if i should say this -- but maybe it's ok -- but out of those years -- i got to have some 'online' friends enough that were quite close with steffi and family themselves...(2 online friends")

and naturally they were very selective of who to tell stories to -- me being one -- and i was lent a private tape of steffi and her family - made by her brother to document themselves - u know like many people do?

 

and in it (these were still those old video tapes because from the 1990's ) ...

 

and i know now that steffi cafed so much about her family, her mom, that when her dad had those scandals from his drinking, womanizing, the tax evasion for which he was of course jailed , and more years later the collapse of his marriage...

 

and the first three ALL coincided , as one might note; WITH THE ''RISE OF SELES DOMINATION OVER STEFFI" AS SO many blithely say..

Before steffi learned to take the reins of the business, the taxes to fix, keeping the family; together - really being like the bread-earner for everyonoe - her mother's ''confessor''.. her younger brother's regualr baby-sitter...VISITING her dad the allowed once-monthly in jail...on TOP' of her career , practicing, increasing injuries and knee breakdown...AND the demonizing ''for stealing monica's titles"...

 

STEFFI -- you COULD see s she drove -- would be, for example, talking to her brother in the car on the way to the prison visit (only 30 minutes allowed) -

and she'd be crying, really tears flowing, while driving...and still saying "why -- did he have to do that? if he was in such trouble and couldn't handle the pressure - from the beginning why not just be honest and tell? we could have helped him manage things and he didn't have to commit these crimes> i am SO ANGRY at him for NOT trusting me enough to be able to accept his mistakes and HELP and have the authorities assist us in doing things the right way!!! ". ...

 

"but -- he's our dad...he has to know what he did was wrong ...but he also needs us as his children. ".

 

------

 

or another part of the tapes (i had 2) -

showed her and her mom unable to sleep nights during a wimbledon -- i think 1995.96 ...as she was so severely with cold and asthma (she actually had something like that) -- and could barely breathe and so not stkleep...all her mom could do was put pails and pails and pails of boiled water all over the floor to steam it - heavy curtains down to keep th eheat in -- while steffi lie down on a table covered with hot towels to clear her lungs...all the while she was worrying , talking out:

 

"how am i going to survive tomorrow? KIMIKO (Date) is such a great player and she can beat me "...

--------

or , was it 1996 wimbledon also?" she was again in severe distress -- her knee was this time TRULY in imminent danger of collapse...she secretly took a plane to germany OVERNIGHT - between matches (i think before the semis) -- to ask permission for her doctor to let her play or not> and was told "you play -- you could end your career tomorrow"...

 

anyway she survived - but since THAT year she was ORDERED by her doctor to practice only 1 hour per day -- divided into 30 minute or 15 minute segments . because of that tendon -- that by 1997 finally collapsed completely. so -- from 1996 -- the only ''practice" she had all those remaining years before she came back one more time in 1998 -1999 --

 

was the MATCHES themselves plus the one-hour or so limit., plus no more than an hour of running on the sand on beaches - not allowed on hard ground.

 

THOSE are things most of tennis never really knew about her and how she kept them away .

 

i also saw how she'd be HIDDEN BY her friends - to lie down flat on the floor of a van - to escape paparazzi guarding her hotel entrances and exits...and they'd have to smuggle her out by the back alleys --

 

and whenever they managed a successful ''escape" -- she'd be laughing like a little girl - like she won hide and seek...

or i also saw her visiting her office of her business that was growing -- the office workers -- to learn the ropes and they'd explain to her how things work -- and she'd do her part to ''train" - and once in a while -- she'd play girlish practical jokes on her employees...and she loved hide and seek -- and running around the office -- like grabbing some design being worked on and hide it and say ;; "you can't catch me "!!! and then pke her head back in and stick her tonque out for fun -- and they'd all be laughing so hard...

 

and i saw her practice sessions -- where she'd apply a SHOT she RARELY used -- and people often criticized her ''weak backhand - just a slice" -- for..

 

a VERY, VERY HEAVY TOPSPIN -- which people always wondered why she 'didn't have it" -- but in fact was a MASTER at it. i still can not understand why she didn't in fact use it more (i recognized it immediately in that GAME CHANGING TOPSPIN PASS she made at martina hingis 1999 FO that was teh EXACT moment HINGIS LOST HER COOL -- because she realized steffi had something she NEVER saw before! ) --

 

and she talked about "i wish we had more time and practice -- but there's just not time to bring up my TWO-HANDED BACKHAND"...

SOMETHING NO ONE ever thought she HAD in tons! and i saw that too from her.

 

she had a german shepherd  that she loved so much -- she took it in during one cold season - i think in thE MOSCOW OPEN AND after winning it - on her way home at the airport -- she saw a stray dog (common in moscow) -- AND saw it was cold and nhungry and came to her -- so she asked the russian police "can i bring it home?"

 

and they said yes -- she paid the fare -- and it became her dog! lol. which i saw she'd swim with in her swimming pool.

 

i also saw her how she LOOOOVED baby-sitting her brother's fist boy...whenever she was home -- and he's at work -- and she loved cuddling the baby in her arms and legs,...rocking it up and down gently...while the family chatted by the swimming pool. ..

 

and tghere was that time when she went to africa to check on the health clinic , schools and community centers she built with her money for communities ravaged by war and famine...building colorful little centers etc...and as she was leaving -- the little children would follow her -- and a gilr would be grabbing her skirt...and steffi - abotu to go to the helicopter or a van...would ask : "so...what do i do now? it hurts to leave them ....but i can't bring them"...

 

one part she was sort of musing - as her mom was remarking mildly , trying to sympathize about yet more tabloid splashed news about ''bad steffi" -

and how navratilova was commenting during a steffi wimbledon match - after steffi cancelled their doubles that NAVRATILOVA wanted to keep going until they won the doubles also (1996, i think) -

and then steffi would win the singles only.

 

and navratilova says" "she says she can;t play doubles because of her knee but then she goes out there running like a gazelle"...

and steffi would say to her mom: ''mom -- martina knows better than to say such things...but there's nothing we can do..there's just no pleasing everyone".

 

a small matter about ANOTHER PLAYER IS THIS:

 

AND CONFIRMED BY the player herself --

 

JENNIFER CAPRIATI EVENTUALLY WON HER AUSTRALIAN OPEN -- after she returned to the game after so much scandal that nearly destroyed her career after 1991...

IT WAS IN FACT steffi that approached her privately t encourage her to focus and return. and jennifer at some point when it surfaced -- acknowledged that YES it was indeed steffi that helped her salvage her career and eventually made her bleieve she could win a major despite everything before.

IT WAS ALSO STEFFI that was instrumental - directly -- in helping save MIRJANA LUCIC'S VERY life -- to escape from her father and keep her dreams alive - so that we see her today - still doing some nice playing from time to time..she said it was steffi who asked her:

 

:"let's practice -- you were so good - " and wouldn't let her give up.

 

but to MANY -- steffi was a ''selfish" , cold ''uncaring" woman.

little do they remember that SHE was the prime INSPIRATION for her future husband andre's OWN famous ''sschools for disadvantaged" because of HER preceding programs for children's causes -- especially those from war-torn and traumatized countries -- including rebabilitation and counseling and schooling clinics in germany ...and HINGIS herself -- as her career wound down - despite HER previous animosity and putdowns of the struggling steffi in 1998 -

eventually ADMITTED after that humiliation in FO 1999...by the ''old woman"...why 'is she still playing-- the game has passed her by?":

 

''i WANT TO BE LIKE STEFFI...i always wanted to be like steffi". AND set up HER own children;s causes thing.

 

steffi also was a pioneer among tennis stars for NATURE and wildlife conservation -- with her posing with elephants, lions, in a calendar...

 

MANY of the causes that are worthwhile that have become ''trendy": for stars today -- in fact STEFFI had pioneered LONG AGO ...with little of it to do with HER ''GREATNESS"..

 

but simply because -- as she sometimes said, when asked why she did what she did with the ostracized jennifer or forgotten lucic , or the dog in moscow...

 

"with those that are alone -- i can't help but try and do something".

 

and this is the woman that considered in her CAREER "BEING ALONE ON COURT -- ESPECIALLY ON CENTER COURT -- was where i felt happiest -- and there was no high comparable to it -- to perform before people with my best i could and know that they appreciated something of it"..

 

but -- WHEN SHE GOT MARRIED and had her first baby -- she said: \

\

"I never imagined that anything could give a high  as playing on centre court to win a good game...I never thought anything could SURPASS that satisfaction -- but being a MOTHER is beyond compare above all -- it is the mos satisfying thing that ever happened to me".

 

thjat's THE STEFFI that many people thought was a cold-hearted 'ROBOT' ...

 

 

[Billie]

<cite>@britbox said:</cite>
Easily win them? On what basis?  She beat a semi fit Graf 9-7 in a French Open decider? Graf was going to withdraw from that event and only made the decision to play it at last moment.  So no, I don't think she'd have easily beaten Graf in Paris... and certainly not a fully fit one.

She'd never beaten Graf on a fast hard court and never would... before, during, after....   I don't think Seles easily beats Graf in NY. I have huge doubts.

The AO would be the biggest opportunity.  Seles and Rebound Ace were made for eacher.

LOL never say never.  I heard the same story with Nole, he never beat Nadal here, there, or Federer etc.....things change.  Who pictured Bartoli winning Wimbledon?  Well if she could win 1 why Monika wouldn't be able to?

Let's just call her situation unfortunate and leave it at that?