Wimbledon Review 1974
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There were two factors in particular which were unique about
the 1974 Championships. The titles were won by an engaged
couple, Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert, both of the United
States, and in playing terms they attracted particular attention
because both were double-fisted on the backhand side. That
Americans won both singles titles was not unusual because
that happened in 1972, 1955 and 1953, and for every year between
1951 and 1947.
Even before play began Wimbledon was entitled to feel more
than a degree of satisfaction because for the first time since
1971 there was a full entry in the men's championship. In
1972 contract professionals, as they were then called, were
barred and the following year the majority of men boycotted
Wimbledon. Against that Wimbledon had one of its wettest years
and play had to begin at noon on all but one day in the second
week.
As Connors and Rosewall headed for their final there were
two distinct groups of supporters behind them. Connors was
both brash and abrasive and from his body language he was
a definite street fighter. He never let up on the ball, hit
winners from his left hand on the forehand side and double
fisted backhand shots. Meanwhile, 39-year-old Ken Rosewall
stunned the field and captivated the crowd by reaching the
final for the fourth time - and 20 years after his first appearance
in the final.
There was little doubt that the sentiments of the crowd at
the final swung towards Rosewall who, clearly, had earned
his last chance of winning the title. But Connors, brash,
hungry,and supremely confident, was in an unstoppable mood
as he raced through to title 6-1, 6-1, 6-4 against an opponent
who was obviously tired after the rigours of the previous
two rounds. For Rosewall it was a match too far.
Chris Evert was second seed behind Billie Jean King for the
championship. Evert had already been a semi-finalist at her
first Wimbledon in 1972, losing to Evonne Goolagong, and finalist
in 1973, losing to King. She was due to play them in sequence
in 1974 but both were beaten in earlier matches.
For the British fans there was genuine excitement as Virginia
Wade advanced to the semi-finals for the first time. There
the fifth seeded Wade took the first set 6-1 against the Russian
Olga Morozova, who had beaten King, but was then overhauled.
Evert beat the Australian Kerry Melville, who had beaten Goolagong,
in the other semi-final.
"Was somebody on my side up there in those dark clouds?,"
Evert would ask later. "How else could Kerry Melville
have beaten Evonne on grass and Olga snap Billie Jean's fifteen
match Wimbledon streak? It was like the silver plate was being
offered to me on a silver platter, if I wanted to fight for
it."
Evert had never lost to Morozova so went into the final full
of confidence. She won the title for the first time with victory
by 6-0, 6-4.
The bookmakers had quoted odds of 33-1 on a "love double"
for the engaged couple. In the end, Connors and Evert did
not marry.
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