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This digital document is an article from Semana, published by Spanish Publications, Inc. on June 3, 1999. The length of the article is 535 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Sampras, fracasa en París.(Pete Sampras, jugador de tenis)(TT: Sampras, fails in Paris.)(TA: Pete Sampras, tennis player)
Publication: Semana (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 3, 1999
Publisher: Spanish Publications, Inc.
Volume: 6Issue: 327Page: 21

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This digital document is an article from Semana, published by Spanish Publications, Inc. on August 31, 2001. The length of the article is 867 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Sampras: ¿última oportunidad?(Pete Sampras, jugador de tenis)(TT: Sampras, last opportunity?)(TA: Pete Sampras, tennis player)(Artículo Breve)
Publication: Semana (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 31, 2001
Publisher: Spanish Publications, Inc.
Volume: 7Issue: 444Page: 26

Article Type: Artículo Breve

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This digital document is an article from Semana, published by Spanish Publications, Inc. on December 2, 1999. The length of the article is 587 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: La revancha de Pete.(Pete Sampras, jugador de tenis)(TT: Pete's revenge.)(TA: Pete Sampras, tennis player)
Author: Tay Polo Miranda
Publication: Semana (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 2, 1999
Publisher: Spanish Publications, Inc.
Volume: 6Issue: 353Page: 18

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This digital document is an article from Semana, published by Spanish Publications, Inc. on April 22, 1999. The length of the article is 795 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Caminos que se juntan.(Alex Corretja y Pete Sampras, tenistas; competiciones)(TT: Convergent roads.)(TA: Alex Corretja and Pete Sampras, tennis players; competitions)(Columna)
Author: Tay Polo Miranda
Publication: Semana (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 22, 1999
Publisher: Spanish Publications, Inc.
Volume: 6Issue: 321Page: 17(1)

Article Type: Columna

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This digital document is an article from Semana, published by Spanish Publications, Inc. on January 20, 2000. The length of the article is 775 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Más allá de los canguros: Sampras busca el récord.(Pete Sampras, tenista)(TT: More then kangaroos: Sampras is in search of the record.)(TA: Pete Sampras, tennis player)
Author: Tay Polo Miranda
Publication: Semana (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 20, 2000
Publisher: Spanish Publications, Inc.
Page: 14

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This digital document is an article from Semana, published by Spanish Publications, Inc. on July 14, 2000. The length of the article is 771 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Sampras y la suerte del 13.(Pete Sampras, jugador de tenis)(TT: Sampras and the luck of the number 13.)(TA: Pete Sampras, tennis player)
Author: Tay Polo Miranda
Publication: Semana (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 14, 2000
Publisher: Spanish Publications, Inc.
Volume: 6Issue: 385Page: 15

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This digital document is an article from Real Estate Weekly, published by Thomson Gale on July 11, 2007. The length of the article is 647 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Tennis star Pete Sampras to play celebrity match at Kennedy Funding Invitational.(TRANSCRIPT)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Real Estate Weekly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 11, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 53Issue: 48Page: 26(1)

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This digital document is an article from Semana, published by Spanish Publications, Inc. on July 9, 1998. The length of the article is 469 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Sampras, genio del tenis. (Pete Sampras, tenista profesional)(TT: Sampras, genious of tennis) (TA: Pete Sampras, professional tennis player)
Publication: Semana (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 9, 1998
Publisher: Spanish Publications, Inc.
Volume: v5Issue: n281Page: p22D(1)

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Pete Sampras is arguably the greatest tennis player ever, a man whose hard-nosedwork ethic led to an unprecedented number one world ranking for 286 weeks, and whoseprodigious talent made possible a record-setting fourteen Grand Slam titles. Whilehis more vocal rivals sometimes grabbed the headlines, Pete always preferred to lethis racket do the talking.

Until now.

In A Champion’s Mind, the tennis great whoso often exhibited visible discomfort with letting people “inside his head” finallyopens up. An athletic prodigy, Pete resolved from his earliest playing days neverto let anything get in the way of his love for the game. But while this single-mindeddetermination led to tennis domination, success didn’t come without a price. Theconstant pressure of competing on the world’s biggest stage—in the unblinking eyeof a media machine hungry for more than mere athletic greatness—took its toll.

Here for the first time Pete speaks freely about what it was like to possess whathe calls “the Gift.” He writes about the personal trials he faced—including the deathof a longtime coach and confidant—and the struggles he gutted his way through whilebeing seemingly on top of the world. Among the book’s most riveting scenes are anearly devastating loss to Stefan Edberg that led Pete to make a monastic commitmentto delivering on his natural talent; a grueling, four-hour-plus match against AlexCorretja during which Pete became seriously ill; fierce on-court battles with rivaland friend Andre Agassi; and the triumphant last match of Pete’s career at the finalsof the 2002 U.S. Open.

In A Champion’s Mind, one of the most revered, successful,and intensely private players in the history of tennis offers an intimate look atthe life of an elite athlete.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (52)

Sincere autoboigraphy but a little bit boring
Well written sincere autobiography by arguably the greatest player of all times, but it's too much about tennis; he doesn't go down on personal life, unlike Andre Agassi's autobiography. As a player, Sampras was well-known for his mind balance and quietness, and his book reflects so. Nonetheless, it's a recommendable reading for eager tennis aficionados

Good book
Simple:if you like a lot tennis and a little bit Pete Sampras (or a lot), then buy this book. Interesting and entertaining, especially that Pete Sampras was not really the guy who let himself on the spotlight.

your firend.

Exactly what I wanted from his book
This is certainly the best book of a player that I have read. I have also read Becker's autobiography and Agassi's "Open". But I felt too uncomfortable with all their revelations about their affairs, drugs etc. That's not what I wanted to read about. What I was hoping to read was on how they analyzed opponents, on what their strategies were, how they shaped their game, how they approached the biggest matches of their careers. I didn't want to read all their private stuff. Who cares ?

And Sampras gave me all that. Starting from what made him play tennis, to how he decided to change his game style, what he thought about his opponents etc.

All in all, a great read.

As good as Sampras is
If you read this book AFTER Agassi's Open, you will be disappointed because the tones of the two are totally different. Sampras' books is as Sampras is. I could see why some reviewers said it's boring. Through the book you could see Sampras as the person of who he is: highly disciplined, focused, quiet, and introvert. And that is how the book comes about. Towards the end Sampras seems to come out of his shell some. Reading his autobiography and you will see, understand and appreciate what it takes to remain No. 1 for such a long time. I don't mind the stats at the beginning of each chapter. That just more represents Sampras of who he is, the athlete who's very focused and disciplined in the sports of his choosing. All the data might be boring to some readers, but you get several tips out of the book as a tennis player because here and there he would share his mentality/tactics/strategies of how he played especially against different kinds of players. He even provided his opinions/analysis of each top player in his time. All those represent the book title, A Champion's Mind.

Definitive Sampras
This is a must-reading book for the fans of tennis, sports, Sampras and for readers who enjoy understanding how successful people achieve their success. Well written, well documented. How to get to the top... and stay there for a long time. ... Read more

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Follows the career of the professional tennis player who had won three Wimbledon championships by the age of twenty-four. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Pete Sampras book
It was okay. VERY brief. Nice pictures from when he was a kid, but in black and white. Good for little kids 9-13. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, List of Male Tennis Players, Lleyton Hewitt, Ken Rosewall, Rafael Nadal, Juan Martín Del Potro, Jimmy Connors, Marat Safin, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Nikolay Davydenko, Mark Knowles, Daniel Nestor, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, John Mcenroe, Richard Gasquet, Rick Leach, Jesse Levine, Michael Chang, Stan Smith, Robin Söderling, Novak Djokovic, Ivan Lendl, Grant Connell, Mikhail Youzhny, Arthur Ashe, Frédéric Niemeyer, Dmitry Tursunov, Ken Flach, Jared Palmer, Andrey Golubev, Jim Courier, Igor Andreev, John Isner, Robert Seguso, Andrei Olhovskiy, Boris Becker, Sébastien Lareau, Tony Roche, Greg Rusedski, Mardy Fish, Paul Hanley, Mark Edmondson, Kevin Curren, Glenn Michibata, Bob Lutz, Vitas Gerulaitis, Mike Belkin, Peter Polansky, Andreas Seppi, Somdev Devvarman, Dustin Brown, Brad Gilbert, John Alexander, Jan-Michael Gambill, Roger Smith, Evgeny Korolev, Alexandre Kudryavtsev, Adriano Panatta, Simone Bolelli, Scott Davis, Sandy Mayer, Stéphane Bonneau, Flavio Cipolla, Keith Carpenter, Paul Goldstein, Uros Vico, Bryan Shelton, Gene Mayer, Neil Broad, Robby Ginepri, Clark Graebner, John Newcombe, Phil Dent, Devin Britton, Peter Burwash, Wayne Arthurs, Daniel Köllerer, Réjean Génois, Andras Adam-Stolpa, Horacio Zeballos, Gastão Elias, Mike Leach, Júlio Silva, Ross Case, Gene Mako, Potito Starace, Igor Kunitsyn, Sammy Giammalva, Jr., Zack Fleishman, Dwight F. Davis, Filippo Volandri, Brian Vahaly, John Bromwich, Milos Raonic, Allen Fox, Syd Ball, Norman Brookes, Fabio Fognini, Andrei Chesnokov, Malcolm Anderson, Geoff Masters, Mike Cahill, William Larned, John-Laffnie de Jager, Federico Luzzi, Neale Fraser, Andrei Cherkasov, Bob Falkenburg, Nicola Pietrangeli, Teimuraz Gabashvili, John Marks, Alexander Volkov, Robbie Koenig, Davide Sanguinetti, Sargis Sargsian, Daniele Bracciali, Massimo Bertolini, Andrew Sznajder, Umberto de Morpurgo, Mike de Palmer, Cristian Brandi, Nick Brown, Andrey Kuznetsov, Sa...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=18886 ... Read more

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Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : John Mcenroe, Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Bill Tilden, Pancho Gonzales, James Blake, Arthur Ashe, Bobby Riggs, Kelly Jones, Vitas Gerulaitis, Scott Davis, Budge Patty, Michael Chang, Todd Martin, Justin Gimelstob, Ellsworth Vines, Vincent Spadea, Alex O'brien, Hank Pfister, Mardy Fish, Rick Leach, Marty Riessen, Sam Querrey, Donald Budge, Jim Courier, John Isner, Frederick Winslow Taylor, Fred Mcnair, Jim Thomas, Paul Goldstein, Robby Ginepri, Scott Humphries, Taylor Dent, Bobby Reynolds, Travis Parrott, Jim Pugh, Karl Howell Behr, Kevin Kim, Luke Jensen, Devin Bowen, Brian Teacher, Gene Mayer, Robert Kendrick, Raymond Little, Michael Russell, Sherwood Stewart, Clarence Hobart, Eric Butorac, John Austin, Scott Lipsky, Clarence Griffin, Stan Smith, Donald Young, Amer Delić, Howard Kinsey, Jeff Tarango, David Martin, Shelby Cannon, Todd Witsken, Richard Norris Williams, Robert Leroy, Roscoe Tanner, David Wheaton, Murphy Jensen, Chuck Adams, Alex Bogomolov, Alphonzo Bell, James Cerretani, Patrick Mcenroe, Rajeev Ram, James Dwight, Scoville Jenkins, Wayne Odesnik, Hugo Armando, Tom Bundy, Tripp Phillips, David Pate, Jan-Michael Gambill, Sandy Mayer, Edwin Fisher, Clark Graebner, Tim Gullikson, Jeff Morrison, Johan Kriek, George Lott, Keith Gledhill, Vic Seixas, Irving Wright, Wallace F. Johnson, Aaron Krickstein, Malivai Washington, Dwight Davis, Gus Touchard, Jared Palmer, Robbie Weiss, Valentine Hall, Malcolm Chace, Tim Wilkison, Joseph Clark, Tony Trabert, Jimmy Arias, Howard Taylor, Harold Solomon, Jack Kramer, Sam Warburg, Butch Buchholz, Matt Lucena, Nathaniel Niles, Richey Reneberg, Kj Hippensteel, Leo Ware, Edgar Leonard, Brian Gottfried, Rodmond Beac...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

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Chapters: Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, Andy Roddick, John Mcenroe, Rick Leach, Jesse Levine, Michael Chang, Stan Smith, Ivan Lendl, Arthur Ashe, Jim Grabb, Ken Flach, Jared Palmer, Jim Courier, John Isner, Robert Seguso, Mardy Fish, Paul Annacone, Kevin Curren, Bob Lutz, Vitas Gerulaitis, Brad Gilbert, Jan-Michael Gambill, Scott Davis, Sandy Mayer, Paul Goldstein, Bryan Shelton, Gene Mayer, Robby Ginepri, Clark Graebner, Mike Leach, Gene Mako, Sammy Giammalva, Jr., Zack Fleishman, Dwight F. Davis, Brian Vahaly, Eric Butorac, Allen Fox, Frank Conner, Mike Cahill, William Larned, Bob Falkenburg, Wilmer Allison, Ronald Agénor, Jimmy Arias, Budge Patty, Mike de Palmer, Sam Match, Shelby Cannon, Billy Martin, Frank Froehling, Drew Gitlin, Kaes Van't Hof, T.j. Middleton, John Sadri, Harry Likas, Victor Amaya, Chuck Adams, Andy Andrews, Todd Widom, Brian Garrow, Geoff Grant, Pat Du Pré, Fred Alexander, Ben Testerman, Butch Buchholz, Hugo Armando, Thomas Shimada, Bret Garnett, Jim Gurfein, K. J. Hippensteel, Reuben A. Holden Iii, Eric Korita, Raymond D. Little, Herb Fitzgibbon, William S. Mcelroy, Joey Rive, Bud Schultz, Earl Cochell, Eric Fromm, Michael Robertson, Dan Cassidy, Doug Flach, John Austin, Malcolm Whitman, Quincy Shaw, Matt Anger, Howard Taylor, Eric Amend, Chris Garner, Jack March. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 453. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: James Scott "Jimmy" Connors (born September 2, 1952, in East St. Louis, Illinois, also known as "Jimbo") is an American former World No. 1 tennis player and is considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He held the top ranking for 160 consecutive weeks from July 29, 1974, to August 29, 1977, and an additional eight times during his career (a total of 268 weeks). He won eight Grand Slam singles...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=191314 ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Pete Sampras, Björn Borg, Patrick Rafter, Gustaf V of Sweden, Steffi Graf, Billie Jean King, Ken Rosewall, Jimmy Connors, Pancho Gonzales, Pam Shriver, John Mcenroe, Ilie N?stase, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Michael Chang, Stan Smith, Rod Laver, Martina Navratilova, Ivan Lendl, Roy Emerson, Jana Novotná, Guillermo Vilas, Arthur Ashe, Helen Wills Moody, Jim Courier, Gabriela Sabatini, Bill Tilden, Margaret Osborne Dupont, Hana Mandlíková, Suzanne Lenglen, Boris Becker, Elizabeth Ryan, Doris Hart, Tony Roche, Bob Hewitt, Monica Seles, Chris Evert, Lamar Hunt, Rosemary Casals, Don Budge, Yannick Noah, Louise Brough, Margaret Court, Molla Mallory, Virginia Wade, Tracy Austin, Mats Wilander, Fred Perry, Maria Bueno, Frew Mcmillan, Lottie Dod, Bobby Riggs, Althea Gibson, Ann Haydon-Jones, Françoise Durr, Tony Wilding, Shirley Fry, Stefan Edberg, Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, Helen Jacobs, Jack Kramer, Maureen Connolly, Gottfried Von Cramm, Kathleen Mckane Godfree, Sarah Palfrey Cooke, Rafael Osuna, Pancho Segura, Alice Marble, Fred Stolle, Evonne Goolagong, Darlene Hard, Ellsworth Vines, William Mcchesney Martin, Jr., Simone Mathieu, Frank Sedgman, Bunny Austin, Dick Savitt, Lesley Turner Bowrey, Lew Hoad, René Lacoste, John Newcombe, Pauline Betz, Chuck Mckinley, Mary Browne, Tony Trabert, Nancy Richey, Dorothy Cheney, Bud Collins, Vic Seixas, Ted Schroeder, Betty Nuthall, Mary Ewing Outerbridge, Dorothy Round Little, Karel Koželuh, Jan Kodeš, Angela Mortimer, Harry Hopman, Gene Mako, Nancye Wynne Bolton, Frank Shields, Dwight F. Davis, Julian Myrick, John Bromwich, R. Norris Williams, Gerald Patterson, Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers, Jaroslav Drobný, Manuel Santana, Alex Olmedo, William Renshaw, Norman Brookes, Mark Mccormack, Malcolm Anderson, Wil... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=113080 ... Read more

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US Open '91 preview ... Read more

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Chapters: Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Martina Hingis, Björn Borg, Lleyton Hewitt, Patrick Rafter, Lindsay Davenport, Steffi Graf, Thomas Muster, Billie Jean King, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Ken Rosewall, Rafael Nadal, Jimmy Connors, Dinara Safina, Pancho Gonzales, Gustavo Kuerten, Marat Safin, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanović, Andy Roddick, Justine Henin, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, John Mcenroe, Ilie Năstase, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Stan Smith, Rod Laver, Marcelo Ríos, Carlos Moyá, Jennifer Capriati, Martina Navratilova, Kim Clijsters, Ivan Lendl, Helen Wills Moody, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Jim Courier, Bill Tilden, Margaret Osborne Dupont, Amélie Mauresmo, Suzanne Lenglen, Boris Becker, Doris Hart, Monica Seles, Chris Evert, Don Budge, Louise Brough, Margaret Court, Tracy Austin, Mats Wilander, Fred Perry, Maria Bueno, Althea Gibson, Shirley Fry, Stefan Edberg, Helen Jacobs, Jack Kramer, Jelena Janković, Pancho Segura, Alice Marble, Evonne Goolagong, Ellsworth Vines, René Lacoste, John Newcombe, Pauline Betz, Dorothy Round Little, Angela Mortimer, Henri Cochet, Anita Lizana, Jack Crawford. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 825. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Billie Jean King (née Moffitt; born November 22, 1943 in Long Beach, California) is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society. She is known for the "The Battle of the Sexes" in 1973, in which she defeated 55-year-old Bobby Riggs, a former Wimbledon men's singles champion. King is the founder of the Women's Tennis Association, the Women's Sports Foundation, and World Team Tennis, which she founded with her former husband, Law...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=113080 ... Read more

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Monthly tennis magazine. Split cover photograph of Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. ... Read more

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The book takes as its starting point Pete Sampras winning his second consecutive Wimbledon singles title in 1994. Shortly after coming off court, he is visibly distressed by news of the death of his idol, Lew Hoad, at the age of fifty-nine. Hoad's progress is traced from humble beginnings in a Sydney suburb to becoming one of the greatest tennis players the world has ever seen. Often referred to as the "Golden Boy" of tennis, blond, good-looking Hoad was probably the first ever tennis superstar. In this book, his incredible feats "on court" as well as the colourful and dramatic events "off court", are unfurled against a backdrop of major changes in the sport. The book takes as its starting point Pete Sampras winning his second consecutive Wimbledon singles title in 1994. Shortly after coming off court, he is visibly distressed by news of the death of his idol, Lew Hoad, at the age of fifty-nine. We then trace Hoad's progress from humble beginnings in a Sydney suburb to becoming one of the greatest tennis players the world has ever seen.His early tussles with life-long friend and rival, Ken Rosewall, are described - the diminutive Rosewall who was three months his senior and thrashed him 6-0, 6-0 in their first four matches. Later chapters focus on his epic win as a 17 year-old with Rosewall in the Men's Doubles at Wimbledon in 1952 when the "twins" as they were known caused a sensation by beating the American second seeds, Dick Savitt and Gardner Mulloy. More heroic exploits followed in the Davis Cup Final against the United States the following year. Hoad, playing his first Davis Cup, defeated Tony Trabert in a match that has gone down in the annals of Davis Cup history as one of the best and most exciting ever played. Australia had retained the Cup. With his blond good looks (he was often described as a 'blond Adonis'), strapping physique, and spectacular power play, Hoad never lacked female admirers and his teenage romance with the beautiful and talented young Australian tennis player, Jenny Staley, blossomed into a love that lasted for the rest of his life. Just prior to the 1955 Wimbledon they were married in a church close to the Championship grounds.Like Lew's earlier Wimbledon matches, this one produced headline news as reporters got wind of the marriage despite desperate attempts to keep it secret. In 1956, his annus mirabilis, Lew Hoad won the Australian, Italian, French and German singles titles as well as Wimbledon where he defeated his old rival, Rosewall. However, Rosewall got his revenge in the U.S. Championships later that year. It was a victory that brought joy and sadness in equal measure because he'd deprived his friend of the one remaining title he needed for the cherished Grand Slam (winning the Australian, French, Wimbledon and U.S. titles in the same year). There were troubles looming, however. Lew became increasingly concerned by a back problem caused by a boyhood Australian Rules football injury. In the year following his Wimbledon triumph, he lost his Australian title to Ashley Cooper and there had been disappointing defeats on the red shale courts of Italy and France. In Australia, newspapers dismissed their wonder-kid as a But by the time Hoad arrived in England for the grass-court season, he'd experienced an amazing transformation. Cont.Suddenly his back felt good, his concentration was sharp and he was hitting the ball with power and precision. A string of tournament wins led to Wimbledon where he was seeded number one. Walking on to the centre court for the opening match, he was greeted with a standing ovation. To the British crowd, this modest, blond Australian was an idol - a Golden Boy whose serve and volley game was perfectly suited to grass. On his way to the final, Hoad honed his game against some of the best players: first the Frenchman, Pierre Darmon; next, mighty drinking partner and fellow-countryman, Roy Emerson; then Davis Cup team-mate, Merv Rose; and, in the semi-final, the redoubtable Swede, Sven Davidson. The final, against the number two seed, the debonair, darkly handsome, Ashley Cooper, was one of the shortest on record. It was a demolition job with Hoad hitting scaring winners from every part of the court, serving thunderbolt aces, and dominating the net. Years later, he said: "This was the kind of tennis I had always dreamed I might one day be able to play." After just 56 minutes, Cooper's agony was over. He won only 30 points in Hoad's 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, victory.The next day, papers around the world celebrated Hoad's win. The London Times said: "Hoad consigned his unfortunate fellow Australian, Ashley Cooper, to the realms of a mere mortal while he himself strode Olympian heights." And, in more light-hearted vein, another English paper, the Daily Miror commented: "Hoad served more aces than a crooked gambler." This was to be Hoad's last appearance at Wimbledon. Within hours of his victory, he joined Jack Kramer's professional troupe and was on his way to America. Waiting there for Hoad was the most hated and feared man in tennis - Pancho "The Black Tiger" Gonzales. A poor Mexican kid, he'd turned pro so young that most of the "established" tennis world had never seen him. Regarded by fellow pros as the "meanest, dirtiest, toughest player ever", he despised amateurs and relished thrashing them when they turned pro. Now he looked forward eagerly to annihilating the so-called "best in the world". A head-to-head 100 match world tour between Hoad and Gonzalcs had been arranged and soon Lew began to gain the upper hand. People fortunate enough to witness these matches said the tennis was unbelievable.Then one night in Kentucky, Hoad went for a smash and felt a terrific pain cut across his lower back. In a single, flashing second, his career was over. A specialist diagnosed sciatic neuritis. This meant little to Lew but the words "Your back will never be cured" did. No one ever doubted his courage: he played on but was sometimes in such agony, he couldn't stand erect. There were, though, periods of time when, mysteriously, the pain eased and Gonzales knew he had a fight on his hands. At one stage, he won 5 matches in a row and, in one match, playing sublime tennis, he took the first set 6-0 off a blinking gonzales in 13 minutes. Eventually, however, Gonzales won the series 51-36 and Hoad was forced into virtual retirement. He and Jenny found a plot of land near Mijas in Southern Spain. In this idyllic setting, the mountains behind them, the Mediterranean just a few miles away, they created one of the most beautiful tennis clubs in the world - the Campo de Tennis. The Hoads started a new carrer - coaching, and people flocked from all over the world to pick up tips from the Master and share memories and beers with him at the bar.When he died, tributes poured in, revealing the love and affection this extraordinary man inspired. The headline from respected tennis writer and family friend, Richard Evans in the Times provides a fitting epitaph for Hoad: "Tough, loyal and as straight as an arrow." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

It's a eulogy
A book about tennisplayer Lew Hoad, twice a Wimbeldon-champion, winner of five Majors. Offcourse he deserves a biography. Let me start to say that I enjoyed the book. Lew Hoad emerges as a modest, almost shy, amiable man, and one of the greatest tennisplayer ever. A chronological account of life and a little bit times of Lew Hoad.
But there is a big but. It's more an eulogy than a biography. Everybody loved him, adored him, worshipped him. And be it as it may, and it's sure he was a very sympathetic fellow, the emphasis starts to annoy. Even his outbursts at the court, which maybe once or twice occurred in his career, is explained away.
But in conclusion a fair read. And after finishing this book you realise Lew Hoad, his life and times, deserves a more `serious' biography.
... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Pete Sampras (pronounced ; born August 12, 1971) is a retired American tennis player and former World No. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam men's singles titles. A record at the time, this number was eventually surpassed by Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009. He had a 20437 win-loss record over 52 Grand Slam singles tournament appearances. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He debuted on the professional tour in 1988 and played his last top-level tournament in 2002 when he won the US Open, defeating longtime rival Andre Agassi in the final. He was the year-end World No. 1 for six consecutive years (19931998), a record for the open era and tied for third all-time. His seven Wimbledon singles championships is a record shared with William Renshaw. His five US Open singles titles is an open-era record shared with former World No. 1 player Jimmy Connors and current World No. 1 Roger Federer. Pete Sampras was born in Washington, D.C., and is the third child of Sammy and Georgia Sampras. His mother immigrated from Sparta, Greece, while his father was born in the United States to a Greek immigrant father and a Jewish mother. Greek culture played a big role in his upbringing. Pete attended regular services of the Greek Orthodox Church on Sundays. From an early age, Sampras showed signs of outstanding athletic ability. At age 3 Sampras discovered a tennis racket in the basement of his home and spent hours hitting balls against the wall. In 1978, the Sampras family moved to Palos Verdes, California, and the warmer climate there allowed seven-year-old Pete to play more tennis. From early on, his great idol was Rod Laver, and at 11 Sampras met and played with him. The Sampras family joined the Jack Kramer Club,... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=65961 ... Read more