That ‘70s Style Is Back in Fashion

If you close your eyes, it’s the 1970s all over again.

Disco came back, as did a host of bad clothing styles. So why not women’s tennis from the ‘70s?

The women in today’s Wimbledon final--third-seeded Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic and 16th-seeded Nathalie Tauziat of France--can play a creative brand of serve-and-volley tennis, using finesse instead of sheer power.

In the ‘70s, many players had all-court games. And in 1977, one prime example was the Wimbledon final, in which Virginia Wade defeated Betty Stove. That was the last time two female players age 29 or over reached the Wimbledon final.

The combined ages of Stove and Wade were 63 years. Tauziat is 30, and Novotna 29. The presence of Novotna is not entirely surprising, considering she lost in the 1993 and 1997 Wimbledon finals and the 1991 Australian Open final.

It took 43 Grand Slam events for Tauziat to reach her first final. She is the lowest-seeded female Wimbledon finalist in the open era.

“I have nothing to lose,” said Tauziat, the first Frenchwoman to reach the Wimbledon final since Suzanne Lenglen won in 1925.

“For me, it’s going to be a nice present to be there, to be on this Centre Court. If I play my best tennis, I think I can win.”

Her statement is not rash if you look at their previous matches. This will be their ninth meeting and the series is 4-4, with Tauziat winning three of the last four. But they have never played on grass.

Novotna, who lost to Martina Hingis in the last year’s final, may be a year older but does not consider age to be a factor.

“I feel so much better,” she said. “I felt so much younger, really. It does not really matter how old you are, or what is says on paper. The most important is how you feel.”

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Today’s Final

* WHAT: Wimbledon women’s singles championship.

* WHO: Jana Novotna vs. Nathalie Tauziat.

* WHEN: 6 a.m.

* TELEVISION: Channel 4.