Hana Mandlikova’s triumph at the 1984 VIRGINIA SLIMS OF WASHINGTON tournament was a turning point in her career. Despite her previous struggles, she won the event, earning $31,500 and ending a title drought since 1981. Her victory, achieved without dropping a set, catapulted her to 9th in the world rankings and 3rd in the Virginia Slims Points Standings. Despite her humility and focus on improvement, Mandlikova’s win signaled her return to form and potential resurgence among the top-ranked players in women’s tennis.
With the absence of Navratilova, Evert, Austin and the early loss of the number 1 seed, Andrea Jaeger, the players at GWU Arena felt it was anyone’s tournament from the initial serve of the week. So why not Hana’s week?
Round 1 &2 vs Camille Benjamin & Terry Phelps
Mandlikova wins by her own
Prior to her quarterfinal match, Hana Mandlikova embarked on her journey in the tournament with a newfound sense of independence, traveling alone without her longtime companion Betty Stove. Despite feeling slightly out of form during her first-round encounter against Camille Benjamin, Mandlikova embraced the opportunity to take control of her destiny on the court. Despite nerves creeping in, she was confident in her ability to fight through any challenges. Mandlikova’s resilience and determination were evident as she defeated Benjamin 6-4, 6-2, relying on her fighting spirit rather than her best tennis. This same mindset propelled her to victory in the second round against Terry Phelps, securing a 7-6, 6-1 win. Mandlikova’s unwavering belief and willingness to battle demonstrated her readiness to compete at the highest level.
QUARTERFINALS VS Bonnie Gadusek
“Mandlikova’s Mastery: Gadusek’s Quarterfinal Journey Ends in Defeat”
The first upset of the week saw Gadusek defeating Bunge. Known as “Animal” for her aggressive style, Gadusek reached the quarterfinals before being defeated by Hana Mandlikova. Gadusek acknowledged Mandlikova’s improvement, attributing it to her dedication over the Christmas break. Mandlikova’s dominance was evident as she broke Gadusek’s serve multiple times and secured the victory with another service break, leaving Gadusek feeling like she was playing catch-up throughout the match.
« Hana must have been practicing over the Christmas vacation. » said Gadusek. « She’s 30 to 40 percent better than last year. I think she wants to win again. »
Semifinals vs Helena Sukova
“Mandlikova’s Command: Overwhelming Sukova in Semifinal Showdown”
The semifinals pitted Garrison against Casale then Mandlikova against Sukova. The two Czechs met on a Saturday afternoon, then played as a team that night on the doubles semis.
In the match, Mandlikova dominated early, winning eight straight games after Sukova broke her serve in the first game. Mandlikova’s varied shots and wide serves kept Sukova on the defensive, even when Sukova attempted to capitalize on her height advantage at the net. Sukova struggled to find her rhythm, while Mandlikova’s every move seemed to work in her favor.
“I had a slow start and couldn’t get into the match.” said eigth-seeded Helena Sukova. “Anything I tried to play didn’t work for me. Every point she tried worked for her.”
Despite Sukova’s brief comeback to lead 5-4 in the second set, Mandlikova held firm, saving crucial points and ultimately securing the victory to advance to the final.
Finals vs Zina Garrison
“Mandlikova Triumphs Over Garrison with Strong Net Game and Consistent Service”
Hana Mandlikova, seeded sixth, used a strong net game and consistent service to beat Garrison for the fourth time in five meetings. Mandlikova pulled out of a 1-1 tie in the first set by breaking Garrison’s serve twice, and won the last four games of the second set.
Mandlikova said a change in attitude has helped.
she was just as nervous going out the court at GW’s Smith Center 5.000 seats arena as she was when she played in the US Open finals in 1980 and 1982.
« I was confident, but I was never sure until the second game of the final set. » she said , « I don’t win in so long I wanted it more than anything ».
An exemple of Mandlikova’s new outlook came in the fourth game of the opening set. With Garrison serving, Hana questionned the umpire after one of her passing shots was ruled wide. Hana recovered to break serve and won 12 of the next 14 points the rest of the set.
“I’m relieved,” said Hana. “I’ve been working hard, but could not finish a whole tournament. I was winning matches, but not tournaments.”
Hana Mandlikova perhaps had a bit more to prove than the others, as she noted early in the week
« I set a goal to myself over Christmas – to return to the top five. »
But Hana did not go out and celebrate. She merely changed into a bathing suit and took a swim at the GWU swimming pool!
The 1984 Virginia Slims of Washington tournament may not have had all of the biggest names in women’s tennis, but it is almost a certainty that the tennis world will be hearing a lot more of Hana Mandlikova through the rest of the year.
And if Hana makes good on her vow to return to the top five, then the fans in Washington will know where it all started.
SCOREBOARD
VIRGINIA SLIMS OF WASHINGTON
- Washington D.C. – Jan 2-8, 1984
- $150,000 – GWU Charles Smith Center – Indoor Sporteze
singles #6
- R1 : + Camille Benjamin 6-4 6-2
- R2 : + Terry Phelps 7-6(4) 6-1
- QF : + Bonnie Gadusek 6-2 6-4
- SF : + Helena Sukova 6-1 7-6(5)
- F : + Zina Garrison(5) 6-1 6-1
doubles w/ Helena Sukova
- R1 : + Joanne Russell/ Pam Shriver(1) 7-6 6-4
- QF : + Bonnie Gadusek/ Christiane Jolissaint 6-3 6-3
- SF : – Barbara Potter/ Sharon Walsh 3-6 7-5 1-6
