I recently got a copy of the new book by Rod Laver and Larry Writer on the Era of Aussie domination in Tennis, from the 1950s to the mid 1970s. It is a good, sometimes touching read on many of the Aussie oldtimers, their great contributions to the game, their great matches and rivalries and the friendship between them. It has some errors on the statistical side, sometimes years and numbers of titles are wrong. But is has many memories, often direct interviews and personal memories of the Rocket on those great players, like Sedge Sedgman, Macca McGregor, Coop Cooper, Country Anderson, Muscles Rosewall, Golden Boy Hoad, Frais Fraser, Fletch Fletcher, Fiery Stolle, Emmo Emerson, Newk Newcombe, Rochie Roche and the women Margaret Court and Sunshine Evonne. As always, Laver pays great tribute to his idol Lew Hoad. He recalls in story and pictures, Hoad's famous fall against Trabert in the DC Challenge Round 1953, when Hopman threw a towel to Hoad's head and shouted: " Get up, you lazy *******". Hoad had to grin and won the match. Hoad himself said afterwards, that he standard of play wasn't that high, but it was something like the founding moment of the Aussie dynasty. The Founding Fathers were Sedgman and Hopman, whom Laver calls "mentor and tormentor". Laver shows deep respect and empathy for all those Aussie players. Although Hoad was his idol, he accepts Rosewall as his toughest and longest rival. Many personal episodes are told about the humor and the sympathy in between them. They battled fiercely for the win, but off court were very social, training, travelling and drinking a beer ot two together. Emmo and Stolle made a common breakfast in their room, before they went to Wimbledon to play the final in 1964. They defended each other against racial prejustice, like Hoad did in a bar in South Africa, when Pancho Segura was attacked and abused. Even Gorgo Gonzalez, who was a loner and a difficult foe to get along with, gets much sympathy and respect.
Especially touching are the last chapters of the book, which deal with human vanitas and the death of the old heroes. Hoad and Gonzalez both died pretty early, having physical and financial problems at the end of life. When Hoad died in Spain, due to a rare blood disease, on the day of the Wim final 1994, Laver, who had arrived from Wim on the LA airport, immediately flew to Spain to attend the funeral and a friendly tourney at the Tennis Campo for Jenny Hoad. Gorgo died a cruel death from multiple cancer, he was broke at the end, and Agassi, whose sister was sometimes married with Pancho, paid the funeral. And when Laver visited him some weeks before, he said: " I have lived a good life. Don't feel sorry for me, kid". Its gripping, to see those old blokes trying to stay in touch with the ones, who are still alive. As always, Muscles Rosewall is keeping the book on the old comrades, like Seixas, Trabert, and others. Sadly, his wife Wilma is gone, too, as Laver's wife Mary a couple of years ago.
So, if someone is interested in a long gone era of tennis, when money was important but not the only thing, when values like fairness, friendship and bravery counted more, one can find a nice read.
Especially touching are the last chapters of the book, which deal with human vanitas and the death of the old heroes. Hoad and Gonzalez both died pretty early, having physical and financial problems at the end of life. When Hoad died in Spain, due to a rare blood disease, on the day of the Wim final 1994, Laver, who had arrived from Wim on the LA airport, immediately flew to Spain to attend the funeral and a friendly tourney at the Tennis Campo for Jenny Hoad. Gorgo died a cruel death from multiple cancer, he was broke at the end, and Agassi, whose sister was sometimes married with Pancho, paid the funeral. And when Laver visited him some weeks before, he said: " I have lived a good life. Don't feel sorry for me, kid". Its gripping, to see those old blokes trying to stay in touch with the ones, who are still alive. As always, Muscles Rosewall is keeping the book on the old comrades, like Seixas, Trabert, and others. Sadly, his wife Wilma is gone, too, as Laver's wife Mary a couple of years ago.
So, if someone is interested in a long gone era of tennis, when money was important but not the only thing, when values like fairness, friendship and bravery counted more, one can find a nice read.
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