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Professional
Written shortly after he won the singles title at Wimbledon in 1956, this piece provides an insight into the early life and lawn tennis career of the great Australian Lew Hoad (1934-1994).
Success Story
By Lew Hoad, from the "Dunlop Lawn Tennis Annual and Almanack" (1957)
"I began hitting a tennis ball around when I was nine years old. My mother gave me a racket for a birthday present to keep me from playing in the streets, and although the present was more like a string bag than a racket, I had a lot of fun with it.
In the beginning I had no choice but to play up against the backyard fence as only very occasionally could I find anyone to join with me on the public court which was adjacent to our house. My height was only a little over four feet and I found things most difficult. A year later I entered a few junior tournaments with no success – in fact I was always beaten in the first round and could do nothing against Ken Rosewall who defeated me more than once 6-0, 6-0. This discouraged and when I was eleven I decided to give tennis up and stick to other games which at the time seemed to suit me better.
For four years I scarcely touched a racket and concentrated instead on football, cricket and table tennis, and I reached the final of the Australian Junior Table Tennis Championships when 14. But I returned to lawn tennis a year later and soon found myself making encouraging progress. In the same year I was chosen with Ken Rosewall to represent New South Wales in the Senior Inter-State Competition and this provided both of us with our first trip to Melbourne.
My play began to attract attention and I was offered a job in the Dunlop Sports Company, first in the office and then in the stringing department. I was allowed a couple of afternoons off a week for practice and I started to take things more seriously – visiting the gymnasium regularly and practising at every opportunity.
In 1951 and when I was 16 I won the Australian Junior Championships, beating Ken for the first time. I joined up with Ken to play doubles and we remained unbeaten together in junior tennis. My confidence improved after my championships victory and in the same year I won all the junior state singles titles.
Things seemed to move fast. At 17 I won the Australian Hard Court Championships and this was largely responsible for my being chosen on the Australian team for Wimbledon. Going overseas was my first big thrill, and although my singles performances were not impressive, I reached the doubles semi-final with Ken at Wimbledon, and in the French and American Championships.
The following year, in 1953, we were again selected on the team for overseas, but I lost to Vic Seixas in every major event. However, Ken and I were able to add the Wimbledon and French doubles titles to the Australian doubles which we had won a few months previously in Melbourne. We were both 18 years old.
The following summer at home I won the Queensland, New South Wales, Victorian and South Australian Championships, but was called up a week before the Australian to do my national service. My biggest thrill that summer was, of course, getting on the Davis Cup team for the Challenge Round against the Americans in Melbourne. I played the opening match against Seixas and won in straight sets, but this was overshadowed by my three-hour battle with Tony Trabert on the third day when I won by 7-5 in the fifth. Ken’s victory over Vic gave us the title by 3-2 and so we retained the Cup which everybody thought we were bound to lose when Frank Sedgman and Ken McGregor turned ‘pro’. The moment I beat Trabert I looked up at my parents who had done so much to encourage and who had travelled 600 miles to see the match – they too were thrilled.
During national service I played only once and that was in an international against South Africa when Her Majesty The Queen was present. My form was understandably poor but it continued to be poor when I got back into civilian life. I went overseas again in 1954 but could do nothing right. I was lethargic, moody and fed up – so much so that I thought seriously of packing up. My parents and friends encouraged me to persevere and I tried all I could, but was unable to win a match in the [Davis Cup Challenge Round of 1954].
In 1954 I made my fourth trip with the team overseas in an effort to regain the Davis Cup from the Americans. Just before Wimbledon I married Jenny [Staley] whom I had been taking out for three years, but I was unable to win the singles as a wedding present. Budge Patty beat me in the quarter-finals, but I had a consolation prize in winning the doubles with Rex Hartwig.
I now realized that I would have to settle down and concentrate and so when I went from Wimbledon to America I trained hard and was able to help in regaining the Davis Cup by 5-0. I also think I was helped by the fact that I had just stopped growing and was feeling in wonderful physical condition. I returned home with a new outlook. I had, above all, increased interest and confidence and I won all the state singles championships together with the Australian Championships.
In 1956 I received permission to go overseas on an independent trip with my wife and I was more than excited at the thought of being able to map out my own programme and see the places that we had always wanted to see. I found myself playing well and winning all the important events – in Egypt, Italy and France. The big question was whether I could keep up and achieve my biggest ambition – to be Champion of Wimbledon.
I feel I was fortunate. I reached the final to meet Ken and had the closest of struggles – but I won. I shook hands then looked up to see Jenny was in tears. I then thought how happy my parents would be to realise that I had achieved what they always believed I could do – to become the world's top ranking player."
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Success Story
By Lew Hoad, from the "Dunlop Lawn Tennis Annual and Almanack" (1957)
"I began hitting a tennis ball around when I was nine years old. My mother gave me a racket for a birthday present to keep me from playing in the streets, and although the present was more like a string bag than a racket, I had a lot of fun with it.
In the beginning I had no choice but to play up against the backyard fence as only very occasionally could I find anyone to join with me on the public court which was adjacent to our house. My height was only a little over four feet and I found things most difficult. A year later I entered a few junior tournaments with no success – in fact I was always beaten in the first round and could do nothing against Ken Rosewall who defeated me more than once 6-0, 6-0. This discouraged and when I was eleven I decided to give tennis up and stick to other games which at the time seemed to suit me better.
For four years I scarcely touched a racket and concentrated instead on football, cricket and table tennis, and I reached the final of the Australian Junior Table Tennis Championships when 14. But I returned to lawn tennis a year later and soon found myself making encouraging progress. In the same year I was chosen with Ken Rosewall to represent New South Wales in the Senior Inter-State Competition and this provided both of us with our first trip to Melbourne.
My play began to attract attention and I was offered a job in the Dunlop Sports Company, first in the office and then in the stringing department. I was allowed a couple of afternoons off a week for practice and I started to take things more seriously – visiting the gymnasium regularly and practising at every opportunity.
In 1951 and when I was 16 I won the Australian Junior Championships, beating Ken for the first time. I joined up with Ken to play doubles and we remained unbeaten together in junior tennis. My confidence improved after my championships victory and in the same year I won all the junior state singles titles.
Things seemed to move fast. At 17 I won the Australian Hard Court Championships and this was largely responsible for my being chosen on the Australian team for Wimbledon. Going overseas was my first big thrill, and although my singles performances were not impressive, I reached the doubles semi-final with Ken at Wimbledon, and in the French and American Championships.
The following year, in 1953, we were again selected on the team for overseas, but I lost to Vic Seixas in every major event. However, Ken and I were able to add the Wimbledon and French doubles titles to the Australian doubles which we had won a few months previously in Melbourne. We were both 18 years old.
The following summer at home I won the Queensland, New South Wales, Victorian and South Australian Championships, but was called up a week before the Australian to do my national service. My biggest thrill that summer was, of course, getting on the Davis Cup team for the Challenge Round against the Americans in Melbourne. I played the opening match against Seixas and won in straight sets, but this was overshadowed by my three-hour battle with Tony Trabert on the third day when I won by 7-5 in the fifth. Ken’s victory over Vic gave us the title by 3-2 and so we retained the Cup which everybody thought we were bound to lose when Frank Sedgman and Ken McGregor turned ‘pro’. The moment I beat Trabert I looked up at my parents who had done so much to encourage and who had travelled 600 miles to see the match – they too were thrilled.
During national service I played only once and that was in an international against South Africa when Her Majesty The Queen was present. My form was understandably poor but it continued to be poor when I got back into civilian life. I went overseas again in 1954 but could do nothing right. I was lethargic, moody and fed up – so much so that I thought seriously of packing up. My parents and friends encouraged me to persevere and I tried all I could, but was unable to win a match in the [Davis Cup Challenge Round of 1954].
In 1954 I made my fourth trip with the team overseas in an effort to regain the Davis Cup from the Americans. Just before Wimbledon I married Jenny [Staley] whom I had been taking out for three years, but I was unable to win the singles as a wedding present. Budge Patty beat me in the quarter-finals, but I had a consolation prize in winning the doubles with Rex Hartwig.
I now realized that I would have to settle down and concentrate and so when I went from Wimbledon to America I trained hard and was able to help in regaining the Davis Cup by 5-0. I also think I was helped by the fact that I had just stopped growing and was feeling in wonderful physical condition. I returned home with a new outlook. I had, above all, increased interest and confidence and I won all the state singles championships together with the Australian Championships.
In 1956 I received permission to go overseas on an independent trip with my wife and I was more than excited at the thought of being able to map out my own programme and see the places that we had always wanted to see. I found myself playing well and winning all the important events – in Egypt, Italy and France. The big question was whether I could keep up and achieve my biggest ambition – to be Champion of Wimbledon.
I feel I was fortunate. I reached the final to meet Ken and had the closest of struggles – but I won. I shook hands then looked up to see Jenny was in tears. I then thought how happy my parents would be to realise that I had achieved what they always believed I could do – to become the world's top ranking player."
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