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Power to Martina | |
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Martina combined sublime technique with power
Martina Navratilova
Venus and Serena Williams owe much to Martina Navratilova. It was Navratilova who introduced power and aggression to the finesse of women's tennis in the late 1970's. Her all court game and amazing fitness sparked a new era in women's tennis. She was more muscular than many women on Tour and took training to a new level whether it was in the gym or on a basketball court. And she wasn't the type who held back against easy opponents. Instead she'd wipe the floor with them.
Navratilova was born and raised in Czechoslovakia, as it was then, but left the country to become an American in 1975. Her first introduction to grass court tennis lead her to fall in love with Wimbledon. She holds the record for Wimbledon singles titles (nine) winning six in a row between 1982 and 1987.
She matched another tennis legend, Billie Jean King, in 2003 by winning her 20th overall Wimbledon title in the mixed doubles. This at the age of 46 years old. She has said: "I hope, that when I stop, people will think that somehow I mattered." Verdict: The only regret for tennis fans is that she never got the chance to play the Williams sisters.
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