Can You Put Up With Being Stared By These Top Queens?

This photograph of three Wimbledon tennis Queens (Chris Evert, Virginia Wade, Martina Navratilova) during the women's Centenary presentation at last year's Championships was taken by contributing photographer Roy Peters and won for him the Courage Sports Photograph of the year award. Roy has also received an award in the nationwide Canon/UK Press Gazette Sports Photography competition. ("Tennis" May, 1985)

"Tennis is almost too easy for Hana" by Martina

"Tennis is almost too easy for Hana. That's why she would lose matches she had no right to lose, simply because she would get disinterested."

- Martina Navratilova

(ref. "HANA" p40)

She Is So Happy Playing On The Grass Court Of Wimbledon 2009!

Yes! Yes! Yes! Hana is vigorous and bouncing!

At the Invitation Doubles, Hana played with Jo Durie against

Martina Navratilova and Helena Sukova.

- Martina and Hana, 2009 -

Two beautiful tennis legends of 80 to 90s.

We tennis fans always love you two forever and ever.

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A Japanese tennis lover, Naoko who's living in England visited 2009 Wimbledon allowed me to use these beautiful pics to my Hana Blog due to my ardent begging. (^O^)　I'm so grateful to her contribution. Aren't they super beautiful? They're just amazing! Many, Many, Many thanks to Naoko. You know what? You're doing an incredibly beautiful thing not only to me, but to all the Wimbledon and Hana & Martina freaks!

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Surprisingly, Naoko had never known about Hana well before we got to know each other, although she knew Martina as a queen of tennis. Maybe Naoko is too younger than me to encounter this tennis legend, Hana Mandlikova. She said that my blog is far and away HOTTEST what so ever! So now that I can be in so good mood to make this comment today!

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Naoko enjoyed watching the Wimbledon Invitation Doubles and told me how fantastic it was. She said as below.

"There were no killer serves or smashes at all, but they hit any ball back to one another perfectly and seldom net. Isn't it amazing? They do it with no problem. Is it just because they're the masters in tennis? God, it's huge. Don't you think it's so elegant in a way everytime they happened to return the ball little too hard, they screamed, like, "oh, my God, so sorry! I didn't mean that."?

Or you can enjoy totally another phase - relaxed tenderness - of Wimbledon. It especially appears here in Invitation Games while you are supposed to be polite audience, like, no clapping to miss shots or making sounds in main tournament. The game was so relaxed and full of joys. Here I can tell you some:

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Jo Durie made us hell laugh speaking to us, like, "what's going on in centre court? Oh, you better hurry go see that instead of staying here, aren't you?" S.Williams and Elena Dementieva were on at centre court making dead heat match then, we laughed and enjoyed Jo's funny jokes. It was totally different atmosphere of Wimbledon. It's a lovely moment. When Martina made a flashy smash and got cheered from the audience, like, "you're all doing so well, girls!", she quickly answered back to them "oh, we're still girls!!!" When a volley happened to hit Martina's leg, a player another court bothered to rush to Martina to take care of her, crying with a laugh, "SO SORRY~!" Jo Durie made a fun of ball boys and demanded more balls. And she finally could gather 6 balls together from two ball boys and looked quite satisfied with it. At the very last serve, Jo shouted and wanted us to cheer her up, "can't hear you! Say JOOOO!" Funny, isn't it? Jo and Hana lost the match in straight set, though, there were so many laughs and cheers between the serves. It's incredible. I've never thought Wimbledon would be like this. You could feel the seniors and old fans were totally enjoying the tennis as one. Yes, this is another Wimbledon you can also enjoy."

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Naoko, thanks for letting us share this beautiful story you had in Wimbledon. You never know how much I envy you. I recall I went to see Wimbledon centre court for a graduation trip once when I was 24, but it was out of season for tournament, and I've never ever been able to make it since. It's unbelievably dreadful. (＾-＾；) I wish I can go see the tournaments in near future. I mean I want to go see Invitation games where Hana and Martina would be on before I die, hopefully.

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Once again, thanks Naoko for your contribution.

It's wonderful.

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http://naokt.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2009/07/post-1258.html

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'Hana, you are the other way. It takes you a long time to trust anyone...'

'I'm not very good at holding grudges and I've been told in the past that I am too lenient with people. Hana, you are the other way. It takes you a long time to trust anyone and then if you get hurt you have the memory of an elephant. I don't forget - but I do forgive. I forgave you because I have always felt a kinship towards you and when we shook hands all that stuff was in the past.'

by Martina Navratilova, 1984

(ref. "HANA" p90)

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New VIDEO! "Hana's Hurrah!!! US Open Final 1985" (Japanese Ver.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VncRIygVFlY

Thank you so much, Hana and Martina!

We grew up watching you two, and it was our whole-hearted happiness. You never know how much you inspied us to follow our dreams. I love Czech-born tennis athletes more than ever and the best of all!

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The photos uploaded below are the ones I took from the TV at home in Japan. Almost 24 years ago! God. I feel like I'm old...

I can remember the camera I had then was so DUMB! It was totally a toy camera which my father got from some little golf tournament or somewhere. I couldn't afford to get better one by myself. 'Cos I was a student so that I didn't have money.

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Obviously the photos taken by me were deadly poor, like, those in some hot tennis magazines. Dumb camera lacked functions of adjusting exposure, forcusing, avoiding camera shaking, and so on. I wished I had money! Oh, you should never ever copy them, 'cos it's too dumb to show them in public!

But I can say these Hana photos were definately made me happy, encouraged me, inpired me every day. I was just HAPPY that she won and I could share the very moment in real time even though there was a long distance from Flushing Meadows NY. I used to file and carry them to everywhere I go. These dumbs are incredibly precious to me. It still never ends shining!

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VncRIygVFlY

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Mandlikova defeated Navratilova, 7-6, 1-6, 7-6

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Hana Is Playing Against Martina In Wimbledon Invitation Doubles Today!

Hana vs. Martina, Wimbledon Semifinal, 1981

Hana won 7-5, 4-6, 6-1

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London is 9 hours behind Japan. So now it must be around 9 o'clock in the morning in London. Our Hana is playing Invitation Doubles with Jo Durie against Helena Sukova and Martina Navratilova today!
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God, this card is abso, abso, abso, absolutely Must-See! You can't miss it at any cost! I wish we could watch the game, but unfortunately they wouldn't broadcast it here in Japan. 'Cos less people are playing tennis and tennis is called as one of those "dying sports" as rare animals. I think even Federer, Nadal, or whoever kool can't do anything about it.
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I can say that Japan used to be called as "the country where sun rises", but not anymore. It's definately "the country where sun goes down." I don't think our country will be vigorous again as much as it used to be, sad to say though.
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Let’s talk something brighter.
Our Hana is playing against Martina on court 3 at 12:00.
I love these two monsters than anything else. You do too?
Yes, they are scary and … so precious!
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Result : M. Navratilova & H. Sukova df. H. Mandlikova & Jo Durie

6-4, 6-1

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English Translation of "TK Sparta Praha Hana Mandlikova"

Isn't she lovely? I love Hana smiling in training wear.
Yesterday, I've received a beautiful e-mail from Czech friend named Tom Pavlica, and he offered me this wonderful English translation of the video that I introduced here last time ("TK Sparta Praha Hana Mandlikova" by PETRLUXA). I screamed like "someone help me understand what Hana's saying here~~~~!!!" Then Tom appeared like a knight and helped me figure it out. Isn't it so sweet??? I pay a big respect to somebody who can do this selfless thing to somebody at anytime. Thank you so much, Tom, my dear!

Tom said that when he was child like 12, Hana was young and pretty, so that he too fell in love with her especially when he saw Hana smiling at court. And he's still in love with Hana! God, see? everybody can't stop loving this cute superstar from Czechslovakia!!! I know how he's been thinking about Hana. It's exactly the way I've been. We've hopelessly been in this pure crazy admiration hell for Hana, no matter if the earth starts turnning opposite way. Call it a fate.

I'm jealous of everyone of Czech people. 'Cos they can understand Hana. Hana shows up in Czech media lot more than any other country. She speaks Czech, then non Czech speaker, like me, would be totally lost... But Tom said he would love to help me if I scream again like "help me again~" anyway. I think I'll count on him.

Or should I learn Czech? What do you think? I, this over 40 woman, starting learning Czech? It maybe laughable. God... It's totally an adventure! I've heard that Czech is as much difficult as Russian. I think I shouldn't start it without some iron-will. Right now, I'm not confident of it at all. I don't know...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVPqTyeAzjU

※Tom, as for your request, I put Hana's image to Český Wikipedia. Also, I put it to every International Wikipedia such as Nederlands, Deutsch, Espanol, Norsk, Polski, Suomi, Chinese, etc... It's FUN! I want people to remember her graceful appearance for good.

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English Translation dedicated by Tom Pavlica

HM : Hi, I am Hana Mandlikova and I came back to Sparta Tennis Club where, actually, I grew up. Also Martina Navratilova and Helena Sukova grew up here, and we were super team. I haven´t been here for many years and I can say that this place (Sparta) is a lot better now; there are such conditions for tennis that you can´t find anywhere else, not even in tennis clubs in the States, and I can recommend to children and parents to come here and look at it here and to see these tennis-encouraging conditions with their own eyes.

Q : What do you think a good tennis club should have?

HM : At least ten courts, definitely, and you can find them here, at least three indoor courts, you can also find them here at Sparta, good rehab and relax centre, good coaches and instructors, and I can guarantee that all this you can find here at Sparta. And also, parents support, I must say.

Q : You are an experienced person, you have seen a lot of tennis clubs around the world. Can you say that Sparta is comparable with the best of them?

HM : Let me put it that way : There are not such tennis clubs in the States, which is pity, because there are not such conditions for tennis; there are country clubs, where I, as a parent, must bring kids in and out, and if I don´t care, they do not play tennis.

It is an advantage here: they have a park aside, they have great courts here, indoor courts, simply all they need. I wish it would be the same in the States, but it is not, so I think that we will spend more time with our kids here, not only during summers, but even winters.

Q : Thank you.

HM : You´re welcome.


(End)

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One word more.

To someone who's Hana's life partner,
You should make her go in a good diet.
You should do it for us!
We want our Hana to make it to 100!
You're the one who's with her all the time.
So you've gotta do it!
Go take care of her, please.

I don't want to see her dying of metabolic syndrome.

I'm worried...

- etsuko209

Hana Pulls Her Face Like a Child in 86 Wimbledon Single Final!

Hana pulled her face like a little child after she was defeated by Martina Navratilova 7-6, 6-3, in 86 Wimbledon Single Final. And I think this face is cute! than any angel. Don't get Hana wrong, she celebrated Martina's winnning from the bottom of her heart. Hana always pays a huge respect to this tennis champion Martina.

Then why she pulled her face like this? It is just because she didn't wanna lose any match since she's born as athlete. And Wimbledon was the only major slam title that she couldn't get through in her tennis life. No wonder Hana desparately wanted it. And after this, she never came back to Wimbledon Final, though she said she would at the interview. It totaly killed me...

I'm positive that this senior male interviewer with beard was obviously Hana's fan. He tried to be closer to Hana as much as he could. Look at his face. It's only 2 inches far from Hana's nose. And I don't like his blatant attempt at all!!! Hmmmmmm~

Martina, you're the champion of the champions!

I started this Hana things, because...

Because I was so disgusted about the fact that there is only one video related to Hana in Youtube, and there wasn't no proper Hana Fan Site on internet... however there are many Martina's and others. This is kind of a huge shocking thing for me when I found it a few months ago. I just couldn't stand it. Hana Mandlikova had contributed so many things in the tennis world. Not only as an honorable tennis player, but also as a successful coach. What she's made in this field is just HUGE!!! She kept on challenging this two tennis monsters (Martina & Evert) and that gave us so much exciting moments. Just look what she's done. Hana ended Martina's 54 consecutive winning in Aussie Open '84, and also Evert's 72 on clay in French Open '81.

　Oh, my God, everytime Hana raised to break this tennis monsters, we got ××××ing CREAMED!!! Made us extremely EXCITING!!! We should never forget this. We should thank for Hana Mandlikova. Who could ever replace Hana? Who could ever be like Hana? Hana was the only one. Only one who could give us this pulse-pounding monent in women's tennis world in 80's! It meant a lot to us. Just consider the fact that media paid little attention to this great achievement, it's SOOOOOO disgusting. So I started this Hana things, and am sure to keep on doing this. You watch me.

To someone who said somewhere in a website, you think that I might be called Etsuko Inoue. I'm not Etsuko Inoue (she is a former tennis player in Japan). I'm just a woman in the street who's been grateful to Hana Mandlikova. But thanks anyway, I was so happy that you mentioned this Hana Blog in TENNIS FORUM. Thank you so much indeed. And you watch me. I'll get my English better little by little... etsuko209

http://www.tennisforum.com/showthread.php?p=13720551

'I never could understand that...'

'Martina Navratilova has said that she always felt she belonged in the United States. I never could understand that...'

- Hana Mandlikova

(ref. "HANA" p3 / at her, 15-year-old first stay in USA in 1977)

Look at Hana's So-Much Lovely Smile!!!

Who said that Hana greeted peole with stern face? After defeating Pam & Mary-Joe 5-7 6-4 6-4 in '89 US Open Doubles Final, Hana, with her doubles partner Martina Navratilova, gave a wonderful winners, which pleased all the fans so much. I wish I was there.

Look at her lovely smile! She had hard look on her face while playing match, but turned to be a holy angel after match. You should keep it in mind!