Chris Evert d. JoAnne Russell - 1978 World Team Tennis

Many of you will remember JoAnne Russell as the tennis commentator in many of Chrissie's mid-80s classic matches on American NBC TV. Well JoAnne was also a top 5 American-ranked singles player and had plenty of game. The serve & volley style was benefited even more on those indoor carpets of World Team Tennis, and because WTT format was only 1 set per match, this could create riveting tension for upsets. Chris wins 7-6 in a thrilling 9-point tiebreaker, and this footage is a good chance to see JoAnne Russell through a not-as-customary lense, as a top tier competitor on the ladies tour. Also of note, Ilie Nastase is the captain for Chrissie's team, and as always, gets in the picture a bit. :)

Charlie Jones & Julie Heldman on commentary. This dvd footage is presented courtesy of chrisevert.net for your enjoyment.