May 12, 1979 – Women’s tennis star Chris Evert Lloyd had her amazing run of 125 matches won on clay courts come to an end. The streak lasted for over six years as Ms. Lloyd could not be beaten on the clay surface until Tracy Austin defeated her 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 at Foro Italico during the Italian Open.
At the time it was the longest string of victories ever recorded in tennis. Lloyd was admittedly tired after the over three-hour match when the 25-year-old succumbed to the teenager Austin in the final hard-fought set.
During her illustrious career, Evert won 18 Grand Slam singles championships, including a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the U.S. Open.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network

Blackjack Mulligan: The Meanest Outlaw In The Ring
I think I was eleven, lying on my stomach watching the TV. Black and

NFL Gratitude to Greats Project (with John Vairin)
John Vairin was diagnosed with a rare occurrence of oral squamous cell cancer. He

NFL Players Who Stepped Into the Boxing Ring
In this segment, I will be speaking of NFL Players who stepped into the

Super Bowl XXI (Broncos vs. Giants): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXI, which was held on January 25, 1987, between

Emmitt Smith: Why Do People Diminish His Accomplishments?
Emmitt Smith could do it all–run, catch, and block. He’s the NFL’s all-time rushing

Joe Savoldi: From NFL Scandal to Super Spy in World War II
Welcome to this episode of “When Football Was Football.” We hope that you enjoy

Why The Mike Webster Story Is So Important!!!
If you were an NFL fan during the late 1970s and early 1980s, you

The Top Pound-For-Pound Boxers of All-Time
I am going to focus on 3 of the top men who ever laced