Evert, Navratilova Film To Air On ESPN On September 14

© FanPix.net

(July 29, 2010) A legendary sports rivalry will be revived on ESPN in September.

The week after its US Open coverage ends, ESPN will air Unmatched a film examining the 80-match saga that was the Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova rivalry. Directed by Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winters and produced by Hannah Storm, who served as host of ESPN's Wimbledon coverage, the film will air on Tuesday, September 14th at 8 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN.

Both Evert and Navratilova are interviewed extensively in the film, which is part of the critically acclaimed film series 30 for 30 Presented by Cadillac.

The network's synopsis of the film is here:

"The first time Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova stepped onto a tennis court together, the world scarcely noticed. Only a few hundred spectators saw the pert 18-year-old beat the scrappy 16-year-old Czech in 1973. 'I remember that she was fat,' Evert recalled. 'She was very emotional on the court, whining if she didn't feel she was playing well. But I remember thinking, if she loses weight, we’re all in trouble.' Said Navratilova, 'My goal was for her to remember my name.' Eighty matches later – amid the extraordinary growth of women’s tennis – Evert not only remembered, but became a tried and true friend and confidante, remarkable considering the two appeared to be polar opposites in upbringing, life styles and personal relationships. Through a series of personal conversations between Evert and Navratilova, filmmakers Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winters, along with producer Hannah Storm, will tell the story of one of the greatest one-on-one sports rivalries and capture these two extraordinary athletes’ views on tennis and an ever-changing world."