virgini wade

[gillywilly96]

Did Virginia Wade win Wimbledon in 1977 because several really good players did not participate that year or am I a victim of false memory syndrome?

[glasman]

Well, she beat Rosie Casals in the quarters and Chris Evert in the semis. Not exactly pushovers, I'd have thought.

[SpodoCommodo]

An, as Kenny Everett so aptly dubbed her at the time, Betty Boilerhouse in the final.

[dr b]

Wade was seeded 3rd. The only real break she got was that Betty Stove (7 seed) beat Martina (2 seed) in the quarters. Casals was the 6 and Evert the 1 seed.

[gillywilly96]

Thanks folks. I now have to eat humble pie to my mum (84) who obviously has a better memory than me!

[Haggisdj]

..as a twenty-year-old lad I was praying for a Chris Evert v Sue Barker final... they both lost in the semis :(

[R1Geezer]

FFS why do you have to try denigrate her performance? she won because she beat every one she played, end of!

Every time a British person or team wins something all the anti British J arthurs try and make out it's somehow less valuable than when any other nation wins something.

[janzman]

The same could be argued this year. Was it just because Nadal wasnt playing that Murray got close or would he have got there anyway on his own merit.Personally I think the former is true...for this year..Murray's time will come and he will be Wimbledon Champion

[New Judge]

Unfortunately, janzman, your contention regarding Andy Murray does not hold true.

Nadal was seeded number one at Wimbledon and the seedings were not amended following his late withdrawal. Had he played he was due to meet Murray in the semi finals. By that stage Murray was out, having been beaten in the quarter finals by Andy Roddick.

So Nadal�s absence at the championship had no bearing on how far Murray got.

My own opinion (for what it�s worth and I hope I�m wrong) is that Murray will never win a Grand Slam event and certainly will not win Wimbledon. He may reach a final or two, but that�s the best I believe he will do.

This year's event showed that Murray is still a level below those players who are struggling to get near to Nadal and Federer.