Chris Evert Biography
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Chris Evert, nicknamed Little Ice Maiden, emerged onto the tennis scene in a small tournament in North Carolina in 1970. In 1971, she became the youngest ever player to reach the U.S. Open Semis at the tender age of 16. Chris Evert was born on December 21, 1954 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Jimmy Evert and Collette Thompson.
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Her father, Jimmy, was a professional tennis coach. Tennis was the way of life for the family as Chris and her sister Jeanne Evert became professional tennis players. Even her brother was on a full athletic scholarship for intercollegiate tennis at the Auburn University. Chris graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale in 1973.
At the age of 16, Evert became the youngest tennis player to reach the US Open semifinals. She won 125 matches on clay consecutively between 1973 and 1979. She was nicknamed Little Ice Maiden for her calm and cool composure on the court. However, her fans considered her play quite monotonous. She secured the number one position in the World Top Ten for over 15 years and was number one between 1975 and 1981.
Evert also competed in the 1988 Olympics, but, unfortunately, did not win a gold medal.
Chris Evert was also known for her romantic relationships with many sportsperson. Her relationship with top men’s player Jimmy Connors was talked about quite a lot. They had plans to marry but unfortunately their wedding was called off on November 8, 1974. Her romantic links with several other high profile men including Adam Faith, Burt Reynolds and even John Gardner “Jack Ford”, son of former U.S. president Gerald Ford. She is now married to golfer Greg Norman, which drew a lot of media attention after Norman's former wife accused Evert of stealing her husband.
Evert has a tennis academy bearing her name in Boca, Florida. She also coaches the high school tennis team of Saint Andrew’s.
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Donald Rumsfeld was a Navy pilot, Secretary of Defense under US President Ford’s presidency, and a White House Chief of Staff. He was also the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, under the presidency of Richard Nixon. Rumsfeld, as the 21st Secretary of Defense, was responsible for directing forces to attack Afghanistan and was a strong supporter of the Iraq War that was instrumental in toppling Saddam Hussein in 2003.