|
Ken Robert Rosewall, born November 2, 1934 in Sydney, Australia,
was a champion tennis player. He was born into a family that played tennis
and owned tennis courts. A natural left-hander, Rosewall's father taught
him to play right-handed. Perhaps as a result of this unorthodox training
(or in spite of it), he developed a powerful and very effective backhand
but never had anything more than an accurate but relatively soft serve. He
was small (only 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) and 135 pounds) and was called "Muscles"
by his fellow-players because of his lack of them. He was, however, fast,
agile, and tireless, with a deadly volley. His sliced backhand was his strongest
shot, and, along with the very different backhand of the earlier player Don
Budge, has generally been considered one of the two best backhands of all
time.
He was only 18 years old when he won the Australian Championships
and French Championships men's singles title. In 1956, partnered with Lew
Hoad, he won the doubles Grand Slam in tennis, taking all four major championships
that year. For several years in their youthful careers Rosewall and Hoad
were known as "The Gold-dust Twins."
Rosewall turned professional in 1956 after his surprise victory
over Hoad in the United States Championships at Forest Hills, thereby depriving
Hoad of winning the Grand Slam. In a series of head-to-head matches against
the reigning king of professional tennis, Pancho Gonzales, Rosewall was badly
beaten, 51 matches to 26.
In 1963, with Gonzales in semi-retirement, and Rod Laver
a newly fledged pro not yet at the height of his career, Rosewall was clearly
the best player in the world on a day-to-day basis.
During an outstanding playing career he remained virtually
injury-free, something that helped him to still win tournaments at the age
of 43 and remain ranked in the top 15 in the world. Although he was a finalist
4 times at the Wimbledon championships, it was the one major tournament that
eluded him.
Rosewall was a finalist at the 1974 U.S. Open at 39 years
310 days old, making him the oldest player to participate in a Grand Slam
finals.
He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1980.
|
