On This Day In Tennis History

Today, April 14, has some interesting anniversaries in tennis history, as excerpted from my book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.tennishistorybook.com). Two significant matches were played at the Family Circle Cup, which is being contested this week in Charleston, S.C. and 15-year-old Ryan Harrison had a stand-out win at the 2008 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston. Enjoy!

1985 – Chris Evert-Lloyd defeats 14-year-old Gabriela Sabatini 6-4, 6-0 in the final of the Family Circle Cup in Hilton Head, S.C. The title is Evert-Lloyd’s eighth at the Family Circle Cup and Sabatini’s first career WTA Tour singles final. Says Evert-Lloyd of the young Argentine, “Everyone loves to see a new face and certainly at 14, she is very advanced. She moves very, very well. For 14, she’s got almost everything except probably a really tough first serve.”

1992 – Thirty-five-year-old Bjorn Borg, 10 years removed from his glory years of tennis, is defeated by Olivier Delaitre of France 7-5, 6-2 in 78 minutes in the first round of the ATP Nice Open in Nice, France. The match is the start of a second comeback to professional tennis for the five-time Wimbledon champion. The previous year, Borg plays an ill-fated comeback match against Jordi Arrese of Spain in the first round of the Monte Carlo Open. “The important thing is to play points and matches in front of people again,” says Borg, playing in his third tournament match since 1984.

1996 – Pete Sampras wins back the No. 1 ranking, defeating Michael Chang 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to win the Salem Open in Hong Kong. Sampras again claims the top ranking from Austria’s Thomas Muster, who, on the same day, wins the singles title at the Estoril Open in Portugal with a 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over Andrea Gaudenzi of Italy. Says Sampras of the No. 1 ranking, “As I have said before, it is the rankings at the end of the year that count.”

2007 – Jelena Jankovic wins an epic 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) thriller over Venus Williams in the semifinals of the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C. Leading 6-5 in the final set tie-break, Jankovic hits a winner passed Williams to win the match, but only after the chair umpire confirms the call by inspecting the ball mark that catches part of the sideline. “She kind of like was going to shake my hand and then she was in doubt,” Jankovic says of Williams reaction to match point. “So I was really lucky on that one to win. It was great.”

2008 – Fifteen-year-old Ryan Harrison beats No. 95-ranked Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the U.S. Clay Court Championships and becomes the 10^th player in the Open era to win main draw match on the ATP Tour before his 16^th birthday. Harrison wins 17 or 18 points at one stage during the first set. Says Harrison, “I’m pretty sure when I get alone by myself later, probably just laying around the hotel, it’ll really kind of sink in what’s happened.”

1998 – Ivo Heuberger of Switzerland ends the career of one of Japan’s greatest tennis players, Shuzo Matsuoka, defeating the former world No. 46 ranked player 6-3, 6-3 in the first round at the Japan Open. Courtside ceremonies featuring Prince Akishino, the son of the emperor of Japan, mark the retirement of Matsuoka.