Game, Set and Bitch!

   I see YouTube has finally gotten a clip of (what was once) one of the saddest days of my life, the 1981 Wimbledon quarterfinal when Pam Shriver finally ended her 1,000-match losing streak to Tracy Austin. Tracy was my fave and just returning from a back injury when she squared off against the legend of Lutherville, who came into the match with a full-on-attack plan. That one inside-in forehand passing shot Tracy hit when down match point rivals the Roger Federer match-point-down-backhand vs. Rafael Nadal back in 2008, but it was too little too late. (LOVE the hand "shake"!!!) After the streak was broken -- and Pam cursed her out later that summer in Toronto for being "too happy" about exacting revenge -- the childhood rivals ended up becoming friendly, even playing doubles during one of Tracy's ill-fated comebacks in the late '80s. I, too, eventually came to appreciate Pam (as a commentator), even if it was too late to retract that vicious letter to the editor in World Tennis I wrote as a young boy ("Pam Slammed") saying she would never win a major singles title! (I was right, but still.)