[Strib] Rochester Mayo, helped by seventh-grade girl Ingrid Neel, who is playing boys’ tennis this season, knocked off defending Class 2A champion Eden Prairie in the quarterfinals this morning at the U of M Baseline Tennis Center.
[Strib] Rochester Mayo, helped by seventh-grade girl Ingrid Neel, who is playing boys’ tennis this season, knocked off defending Class 2A champion Eden Prairie in the quarterfinals this morning at the U of M Baseline Tennis Center.
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June 7, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Quoted from the article linked-to above: “In that first year, Christensen engaged a 6-year-old Neel in a basic drill: Just get the ball over the net 10 times in a row. She couldn’t do it. Finally, the frustrated coach pointed to a baseline and told the tiny girl to simply stand there and hit the ball straight into the net.
“Instead, Neel ripped a laser 1 inch over the lattice. Christensen couldn’t help but stare.
“‘Do that again,” he said stiffly. And Neel obliged with the same shot, 10 times in a row.
“‘And that’s how I found her stroke,’ Christensen said. ‘Everything changed after that. Even the way I looked at tennis, and at teaching, changed.'”
June 7, 2011 at 12:34 pm
Yawn. Billy Jean King was beating male tennis players since 1973. Backwards, and wearing heels!
June 7, 2011 at 12:39 pm
@justpbob: Oh, you’re a tough customer to please. Was Billie Jean beating the boys in seventh grade? And flying to France for tournaments? 😉
June 7, 2011 at 1:24 pm
I just had to mention BJK. She was born a Moffitt, you know.
June 7, 2011 at 1:29 pm
No kidding! In the same family wing or just a distant relative of some sort?
June 7, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Alas, no. Nor am I related to Peggy Moffitt, the famous topless swimsuit model (NSFW).
June 7, 2011 at 4:55 pm
Billy Jean King was beating male tennis players since 1973.
If you’re referring to this Bob. Yes indeed, she beat a 64-year-old man.
Rod Laver would have wiped up the court with her at the time.
June 7, 2011 at 7:20 pm
riggs was a prodigious gambler. wouldn’t be surprised if he won a hefty sum on his defeat.
June 7, 2011 at 7:30 pm
If you see any old videos of it, Riggs looked pretty sad. Throwing the match? — back then, I bet you could away with things like that.