Tennis Prose




Jul/16

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1981 Tokyo WTA Final Serve and volleys galore

Bettina Bunge's photo.

Do you want to see the ladies play vintage serve and volley tennis? Take a look at this video of the 1981 Toray Silk Final in Tokyo between Bettina Bunge and Ann Kiyomora – it’s virtually serve and volley on ever single point – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKYqacbljzw&app=desktop

Bunge’s words about this video: First time I am watching this after all these years…Ann was such a great serve and volleyer! She won Wimbledon doubles, one of the best doubles players I have ever seen. I was so happy for her, even though she beat me – Next year I did win the title though. Beat Hana Mandlikova and Barbara Potter in the final. I loved Japan. Craving some amazing Toro sashimi just about now. What people don’t realize is that this carpet back then was lightning fast, and VERY dangerous. Virginia Ruzici and Greer Leo-Smith blew their knees out on this, and many others too. Now of course you won’t find this surface anywhere. It was so hard on your joints too, as they sometimes would lay it on plain cement. The good old days – They switched to “supreme”, which was more of a rubber like surface. The guys were playing on this a lot more. Still, now no one would play on this crap. Oh well, at least I didn’t blow out my knee like others did.

Bettina was also asked which player she had the higest respect for on a personal level? I would have to say Steffi. From her coming to train with myself and Claudia when she was about 13 or so, and already seeing that she would be something VERY special. And just how she always treated me, she was focused but never stopped being kind and caring. And that was with all the pressure that was on her, on and off the court. Yes, I would have to go with Steffi for sure.

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8 comments

  • Scoop Malinowski · July 24, 2016 at 8:33 am

  • Andrew Miller · July 24, 2016 at 1:47 pm

    Classic and classy anecdote. Thanks Scoop. Just saw it. That was beautiful. Maybe some tennis dad out there or mom, like Hingis’ mom, is scheming about how to revive an all court game on the WTA.

  • Scoop Malinowski · July 24, 2016 at 8:21 pm

    Bettina also said she played her best doubles with a nice friendly person and that’s why she rejected Navratilova’s request to play with her at Roland Garros in 84 🙂 Quite a nice and very high praise of Steffi by Bettina which I will definitely add to my Facing Steffi feature or book –

  • Scoop Malinowski · July 24, 2016 at 8:22 pm

    Think there’s a LOT of tennis parent and coaches out there plotting how to revive the all court style but it’s a heckuva lot easier plotted and said than done –

  • Jg · July 25, 2016 at 12:32 pm

    Love the “red head” racquet Bunge was using, those were awesome racquets.

  • Scoop Malinowski · July 25, 2016 at 12:58 pm

    I still see those red Heads on occasion in Goodwill store hunts – would you like one jg?

  • Jg · July 25, 2016 at 1:28 pm

    No but thanks, the one problem with them was it had a short handle which made it difficult for two handers, most racquets back then had that issue

  • catherine bell · July 26, 2016 at 3:37 am

    I thgink it’s the grip that was short – surely raquets have to be the same length or have I been mistaken all these years ?

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