European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 09, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse Mike Lupica new Day Zina Garrison Jackson walked out of the stadium and out of the kind of match that was supposed to be in the past for1 her and handed the afternoon Over to Monica Seles Garrison is 31. Seles is 21 Seles still has a Chance to be the Best women s player of them All. Garrison has had Days to remember in Tennis and made it auth Way to the Wimbledon final once but never had it in her to be the Best her own Best Days Are behind her. Just not All of them. Nineteen year old Lindsay Davenport had found that out in the stadium. It Garrison s Day now at the . Open. So the last cheers from the stadium chased her Down the narrow corridor that takes you off the court and out of the Sun and into the shadows where Seles waited with her opponent Erika Delone. Seles could have the stadium now the next hour at the open. In a moment she would hear her own cheers. They just did not match the ones for Zina Garrison last week. The open has known her longer. This place has some memory Garrison said while she waited to go inside the interview room. She was Seles age once and if was not in her dreams she still had her dreams. She " first played in the open in 1981, and was ranked no. 4 in the world once. She was the first african american woman to play in the Wimbledon final 1990 since a Ltha Gibson won Wimbledon in 1957 and 58r. And Garrison has been More than that in Tennis. She has come out of the Public Parks of Houston to Start programs of her own for inner City kids establish foundations in her name for the homeless. A distinguished career has become a distinguished Tennis life. If you want to compare her ideals to another Tennis figure you can Only go with Arthur i be never met anyone who does t. Admire Zina television broadcaster Joanne Russell a former player said. It s Why we re All glad she decided not to retire. Forget about the player she s " been. Tennis can t afford to lose this Type of Zina Garrison Jackson age 31 height 5-4 weight 135 pounds Hometown Houston world ranking 33 career singles titles 14 career doubles titles 20 1995 prize Money $163,079 career prize Money $4.4 million " is Zina Garrison Jackson after upsetting Lindsay Davenport last week. But Garrison had decided to retire at the end of this year. This was to be her last open. Then she changed her mind mostly because her heart said she was not ready to go that she had More Day left in her. Now she had beaten Davenport 6-1, 6-3 and was even talking big about making More trouble in the draw the rest of the Way. If i play like i did today i am definitely. Going to have to be dealt with she said. She was. Conchita Martinez had the honors monday dealing a 7-6 7-57-5 defeat to Garrison. Four Days before Garrison beat a 19 year old then passed the 21-year-old Seles on her Way off the court. Well done,.Zina," Seles said and Garrison smiled and turned to her left toward the interview room where Davenport was . While Garrison waited she did some stretching exercises against a Wall. An old Friend Badee Bryant held her rackets. When Davenport came out of the room Garrison went in and first spoke of her first round match out on court 22, where she came Back and won a third set tiebreaker from Kristie. Boogert. People Hung on fences to cheer her on at the end of that one. A lot of people with memories rhe great Bud Collins leading the Way were offended that Ziti Garrison had been relegated to a court nearly in that first round match. Collins made a lot of noise about that on do radio program last week. Maybe if had nothing to do with the schedule for her Davenport match. I happen to think it did. Garrison was Back on the court where she ended Chris Vert s career in the . Open of -.19.89 and once inside her Tennis was As big As it has Ever been. Someone asked if she was surprised. Garrison smiled and said not Davenport is the kind of rising Young american Tennis Star that Garrison was a Long time ago but the no. 10 seed. Never had a. Chance. _ after Tho Davenport match Garrison spoke in wonderful detail of the conversation with Billic Jean King that turned her around on retirement. Garrison said she had become More and More depressed at the thought of quitting a sport she has played since the age of 10. She spoke of emotionally finally there came a Day at her Houston Home when she could not Stop crying. King happened to Call that same Day. She is like Zirvas How Are you doing " Garrison said. I said of i am Fine you know out but not Down Zina Garrison Jackson s embraceable run at the . Open ended monday when she was beaten 7-6 7-57-5 by Conchita martini1?., but there is still a Chance she will be Buck at Flushing Meadow next year Garrison had announced her retirement Currier in the year but she announced her a retirement after her first round open match. With each Victory it the open she became an increasingly appealing figure both to fans and Media. After her match with Martinez Garrison would Only go so far As to say she is looking Forward to playing her next tournament. Asked if she would be Back next year she said i m not answering still the chances appear better after the Way she was embraced by fans and she said that realization was a big plus it s unbelievable it s better than a dream Garrison said of the reaction she got from fans As she walked off the court it s better than anything you could actually imagine i Don t know what has Uken me so Long to realize people enjoy my Tennis but at least i have " _ Scripps Howard news service finally i broke Clown and said i Don t know what i m Koin i to � with the test of my lift i still want to Phil " a. The two of them kept talking and when they finished Zina Garrison decided she did not want to retire after All. In to lick nor malic the kind of news l that Seles comeback has made. But it was still a very big Clay for Tennis which kept her As a player As a person. -. Or Nam will be remembered in Tennis when she finally does Stop playing for Good because of the Zina Garrison Tennis Academy in Houston and the Zejna Garrison All court Tennis program in Houston for inner City kids she got her Chance in Tennis from John Wilkerson s Public Parks program in Houston and has not Ever forgotten. She is a bit More than a woman who got to no. 4 in the world once. Who beat Chris Evert in a famous match at thy open. Who upset Lindsay Davenport at this open. The older you get Garrison afterwards every win is just very important.". With her win Over Davenport Garrison remembered How you Are supposed to play a match in Louis Armstrong or Adi urn. The place let her know it had not forgot Tell her. Day a Grace at the open. . 9-15, 1995 Page 5
