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
The Big Muddies: Two of the Muddiest Games in NFL Playoff History
The NFL saw two of its muddiest playoff games of all time during the
Sports History On This Day: June 12
June 12, 1955 – Tragedy occurred at one of the racing world’s greatest spectacles, the
Sports History On This Day: June 11
June 11, 1903 – It was a matter of sibling rivalry, well sort of. At
Sports History On This Day: June 10
June 10, 1944 – The youngest player in MLB history makes his debut. Relief pitcher
Super Bowl XXXVI (Rams vs. Patriots): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXXVI, which was held on February 3, 2002, at
Sports History On This Day: June 9
June 9, 1930 – The “Flying Finn,” Paavo Nurmi ran 6 miles at a world
Sports History On This Day: June 8
June 8, 1920 – Sinatra tells us in his song New York, New York that
Riding the Back Roads: My Life in Sprint Car
It sounds like a nightmare… When your race car transport truck stops for gas,