Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova Discuss a Friendly 80-Match Rivalry

[DaveO]

A discussion by Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova about one of their epic matches and then further discussions about today's competitors and comparing tennis players over the eras and with different equipment. Interesting story:

A U.S. Open To Remember: Navratilova and Evert To Look Back by James Kaplan on nytimes.com

[DaveO]

@ Don:  thanks for moving this to its own thread.  Its interesting on several levels.   Navratilova and Evert played one another 80 times.  Is that a record for two players competing against one another the most times ever?  If not, its got to be near the record.

The overall record was pretty even though they each had their streaks of dominance;  Evert in the earlier years and Navratilova in the latter years.  They were also friends.  They reviewed one epic match and went on to discuss players of their era, the era that followed them and today's players.

The discussion on players and equipment addresses issues that were brought up in the Nadal thread earlier concerning who is the best player ever.

[DonRocks]

Navratilova and Evert played one another 80 times.  Is that a record for two players competing against one another the most times ever?  If not, its got to be near the record.

Yes, and no.

[Steve R.]

Tangential comment (gee, what a surprise):  I still get a little twinge every time I see charts like this, that break things down into "pre-Open" and "Open" eras.  I don't feel like I'm really that old, to have lived (and played) in 2 tennis eras.  Of course, I do have my Tad Davis Imperial and my Wilson T2000 rackets (both strung and ready) hanging just behind me as I type this but...