THE BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY

Before the tennis boom of the 1970’s the name of Rod Laver was revered in the sports world. Tennis was in a stagnant position and being kept that way by the national amateur organizations up to 1968. Still, most knew of the Rockhampton Rocket from Australia, Rod Laver, the only person who had won two Grand Slams of tennis and just about everything else there was to win in the game.

In 1972 World Championship Tennis, owned by Dallasites Lamar Hunt and Al G. Hill, Jr., negotiated an agreement with NBC Sports to televise the final of eight tournaments It was the first time a major television network presented tennis on a regular basis.

The classic 1972 WCT Finals championship match between Laver and Ken Rose-wall was seen by 21,350,000 people according to NBC-the largest audience in tennis history to that time. Television played a major role in the success of WCT and tennis. It also helped to identity Laver with the WCT circuit and championship in Dallas

However, Laver was not a member of WCT’s original group of pioneers called the “Handsome Eight,” Some people may be surprised that, although Laver still owns the record for most WCT tournaments won with 20, he never captured the Buck WCT Finals. II is the only jewel missing from his glistening tennis crown. As Laver puts it the WCT Finals would have been “a crowning victory” to finish his career.

All the great players of tennis’ Open Era won the WCT title-Rosewall, Smith, New-combe, Ashe, Connors, McEnroe, Gerulaitis, Lendl, Jarryd. Missing is Rod Laver. Former WCT publicist George Pharr always refers to Laver as “the greatest player never to win Dallas ’

Laver the Legend, some say the greatest tennis player who ever lived, is philosophical about missing out in Dallas, He does not Delieve a Dallas jinx plagued him because he played good tennis here.

“I played in Dallas five times-1971 to 1975,” Laver recalled. “The WCT Finals (which is now called the Buick WCT Finals and is played at Reunion Arena) was very meaningful to me because of the circuit and what WCT owner Lamar Hunt accomplished. He put himself on the line to make the circuit viable. The players were floundering around in the late 1960’s and the national associations were trying to keep control of the game.

“Despite the control of the amateur associations in the traditional tournaments, professional players had a choice in the late 60’s I looked at Dave Dixon’s World Championship Tennis circuit and George McCall’s National Tennis League (NTL). It was a chance to have some pro tournaments with organization. Both had potential but I felt that the best chance was with McCall since he had a tennis background and Dixon didn’t.”

So Laver did not become one of WCT’s “Handsome Eight” in late 1967, instead joining the McCall group. Besides Laver there were players such as Ken Rosewall. Fred Stolle, Ray Emerson, Barry MacKay, Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals, Ann Haydon Jones and Frankie Durr.

With the established pros going McCall’s way, Dixon went after the leading amateurs and signed the blue chipper-John Newcombe, who at the time held the singles titles of Wimbledon and Forest Hills. The other seven were current SMU men’s tennis coach Dennis Ralston, Cliff Drysdale, Nikki Pilic, Tony Roche, Roger Taylor. Butch Buchholz and Pierre Barthes.

The signing of the “Handsome Eight” in late 1967 added pressure on the national associations to open their events to pros Six months later Wimbledon became the first significant tournament to mix the amateurs and pros. Aided by [he publicity generated by the traditional championships, the professional game expanded into private enterprises.

Hunt and Hill took over WCT from Dixon and began to introduce improvements and innovations. WCT started out small, since many big names were with the NTL which was struggling. Patiently, WCT devised the current basis of the worldwide tennis tour The first meaningful series of WCT tournaments was in 1971 and was called “The Million Dollar Tour”

By that time Laver and the others noticed that WCT was headed far success There were 20 tournaments linked by a points race to bring the top eight to Dallas for the first WCT Finals. “Until WCT came along the players had never seen a tournament with $10,000 to the winner,” Laver said. “Our biggest tournament winner’s prize was around $1,800 before that. All the players liked the idea of the WCT tournaments. We finally had a circuit,”

“WCT lined up ever a dozen sponsors and signed all the top players. The winner of the first WCT Finals collected $50,000 which was the biggest first place prize ever in tennis-twice as much as the U.S. Open that year. I was always looking for a challenge and that was a challenge.”

Leading to the WCT Finals Laver played well, winning four of the 20 events and finishing first in points. After the early rounds of the first WCT Finals at Hofheinz Ravilion in Houston, the finalists, Laver and Rosewall came to Memorial Auditorium in Dallas. WCT put a large promotion together-The Shootout at High Noon. Laver was the easy favorite.

“Kenny and I met for the championship,” Laver said. “I remember that Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, spun the racquet. We split sets and I was playing well in the third set when the ball bounced off his racquet and hit him in the eye. It surprised everyone and we all wondered how his eye was. He brushed it off and it actually brought him to. That helped him. I had a break of serve and a chance to gel a two sets to one lead and would have been in pretty good shape. Kenny went on to win a tiebreaker and the match.”

Laver was only 33 and he figured there would be another chance to win at Dallas. By 1972 Laver considered WCT a strong circuit and wanted to be identified as having won it. In his opinion the tournaments were well managed and all the best players were his competitors So it he got to Dallas in the last eight, which WCT called the “Exceptional Eight,” he had to perform well all the way.

The Rocket did – blazing through the 20 events with eight tournament victories, twice as many as points runner-up Rosewall. He had beaten Rosewall in three of the eight finals, not once losing to his Aussie adversary. Coming into Moody Coliseum on the SMU campus, Laver was the overwhelming favorite to take what Rosewall had denied him a year before-the WCT Finals Championship. In a poll of players, 27 picked Laver to win, one chose Rosewall. In addition Rosewall was still wearing a brace on his right ankle for safety reasons after an injury three months before. And Rosewall was 38 years old-four years older than Laver.

The task was not going to be easy for Laver. In his first match he routinely defeated John Newcombe, who denied a knee injury affected him. Laver’s semi-final opponent, Marty Riessen, had proven he could give the Aussie left-hander trouble. Over two years Riessen had a 5-3 match record edge on Laver in WCT competition. “Marty was a good player who usually gave me trouble,” Laver said. His best shots went to my weakest areas and my best shots went to his strengths.”

Riessen won the first two sets and held break points in the third, before Laver took command. Riessen won only three games the rest of the match and onlookers were convinced nothing could stop the redhead with the awesome left forehand from winning the title.

On the other hand Rosewall showed he was Hearing the top of his game as well. He beat Bob Lutz in five sets and Ashe in three On May 14,1972, Laver and Rosewall played one of the greatest matches of all time. Laver testified that he was playing as good as he could play at times in that match.

Both players had chances to lake control in the fifth set. Laver had lost a few good opportunities early on – gaining advantages of love-30 and 15-40 on Rosewall’s serve. Rosewall always seemed to pull something out of his bag of tricks to save the day. They were fantastic shots rather than Laver errors.

Laver was not worried in the fifth. He was confident he was in control and in better shape than Rosewall-that if the match reached a fifth set, which it did, he would have him.

The match went to a deciding-or sudden death-tie-breaker. The players changed ends with Laver in a commanding 4-points-to-2 lead. On the next point Laver set up an opening and ripped a forehand which would have made it 5-2. Instead, the hard shot caught the tape and Rosewall was on his way back. Still, Laver had the edge and he did not fear the dangerous Rosewall backhand.

“Leading five-points-to-four, all I needed were two points to win the WCT Finals and I had two serves coming,” Laver said. “I felt would just play the way I had been Why change my game? I had been winning. Why go somewhere else and miss the first serve and out the pressure on myself Why don’t I get the pressure on him and he has to hit shots…which he did. The first little backhand chip he hit crosscouri reached my racquet, but I was long on my forehand. That still didn’t necessarily worry me. . . until he hit another great backhand That one I didn’t reach. I couldn’t return his next serve and it was all over.”

in retrospect Laver has thought about his last two serves. Maybe he should have served them differently? He could have done this, or done that, not gone for so much, played it safe, a little tighter. . . But all he did was play it the way the shots were coming oft in the heat of the battle.

“Kenny and I always brought out the best in each other,” Laver said. “I certainly didn’t want to lose to him. We played 13 times from WCT in 1971 and 1972 and I was 11 -2 against him – he won the two WCT Finals. It was disappointing, but I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed because I won a lot against him, I always thought I had a chance to win against Kenny, but I had to play well to beat him. Neither one of us could blast the other off the court”

“We played strong tennis and I always had considerable respect for his game. He always had such a great return of serve Our matches jockeyed back and forth over those years.”

The 72 championship was an emotional one. As the late Jean Drysdale said, “hearts in the crowd were bleeding tor Laver and cheering lor Rosewall at the same time.” WCT Executive Director Mike Davies said to the crowd, “there should have been two winners today. That was the greatest tennis match I have ever seen.”

Laver remembers the disappointment did not go away that quickly, but that with time and a new challenge ahead, the wounds healed.

“I played in Dallas three more years, but really those first two were my most realistic chances to win,” he said. “I was more or less just hanging on those last three years. But I made the field and had an outside shot to win.”

Indeed, Layer’s record showed that he had previously beaten the players in the 1973 field. On the WCT tour a new adversary emerged for Laver – Stan Smith fresh out of (he U.S. Army. It took five events for the long-awaited Laver-Smith confrontation to lake place and Laver won a lie-breaker to take the semifinal at Toronto. In their next meeting at Smith’s tour base on Hilton Head Island, Laver dominated the American on clay. II appeared Laver was on his way to another first place finish in the WCT standings.

However, Smith embarked on a record-breaking spree, beating the Rocket in three WCT tournament finals in the next month and a half In Dallas, for the first time Laver was not the favorite. It was Smith.

At Moody Coliseum Laver took care of doubles partner Roy Emerson in the quarters to face Smith in the semifinals. The fast indoor carpet surface fitted Smith’s game to a T-at the time he had the most ef-fective serve in the game The Californian tormented Laver with service blasts that skidded low. giving the Aussie difficulty in picking up the ball early. Smith was also moving well, his tall frame and wingspan dominating the net. Swinging away with confidence. Smith won in four sets with the last two being close at 7-6, 7-5.

The situation was the same the next year except Laver met Smith in the opening quarterfinal. Laver, a year older and a bit slower, couldn’t handle the Smith serve and volley, which was still potent. Neither had to worry this particular year- John Newcombe put together his last great tournament victory in Dallas.

Laver realized that he was 0-4 in Dallas. Four years had elapsed since the first Dallas encounter and tennis and WCT were booming. He had thrilled the crowds and scared opponents, but others had stepped forth on championship Sunday to accept the WCT Cup.

Not sure he would play WCT in 1975, Laver did and became one of the “Exceptional Eight” a filth straight year. He was 36 years old. As in the Old West, the fastest gun built a reputation which attracted numerous challenges from newcomers who thought they were tester Smith had come along the two previous years and now there were two more youngsters after him – 22-year-old Harold Solomon and 18-year-old Bjorn Borg-both backcourt players.

“In my last year in Dallas, 1975 the court was particularly slow,” Laver said, “In my opening match Harold Solomon enjoyed the slow court but I got past him in five sets. Thinking back, that match might have taken away a little of my zest to penetrate. Sometimes after a long match like that you can get stale and tired. But we had a day or so between matches and I felt like there was time to recuperate.”

“I played Bjorn Borg in the semifinals. He was 18.I was 36. Still, I didn’t mind the slow court, although Borg certainly was the strongest on a clay court But I felt when I had good grip on the court, able to move, I’d be able to penetrate enough, chip and charge and smash and get the ball away enough that I might be able to hurt him. He just finally wore me down in the filth set.”

That match signaled a major change in tennis eras-the Beginning of Borg and the Last of Laver. It was a gallant effort by Laver with Borg having to win two tie-breakers over five sets Opinion was if Laver had gotten bast Borg, he could have beaten Arthur Ashe in the final, despite the year or the Aussie’s age.

It has also been mentioned that the tiebreaker was Layer’s downfall in Dallas. The tie-breaker had not been used much in those days. WCT was the first to use the tiebreaker extensively. In checking scores of Laver’s Dallas matches, it shows the key tiebreakers went the other way-two to Rose-wall in 71 and the final set in ’72. Smith had one in 73 and Borg two in ’75.

“Remembering most of my matches it seems that once I got into a long set I would win,” Laver said. “You just keep plugging away at it and end up winning more than your share of those sets. It’s a game in which if you get out ahead, most chances are that you are going to come through – except in 1972”

After all these years Laver finds it amusing that the story of 72 is retold so often. However, he had tour other chances at winning the WCT Finals even though they came at the end of his career He has no regrets about what happened over a dozen years ago in Dallas.

“I enjoyed Dallas,” Laver said, “In tennis the city name goes hand-in-hand with WCT. The tennis set-up at Moody Coliseum was a perfect atmosphere for the players, The people who came were tennis lovers. The same people kept coming back to the same box seats every year. It was the detail, down to the flowers in the corner. All prearranged. Nobody gave you any grief. The tournament offered the players the best chance to win. There were no negatives anywhere. These days I frequently travel to Dallas from California for some special appearances on the Grand Masters circuit and for Team Nabisco. It’s a chance to see some old friends.”

“When I look back on my career good fortune was on my side. I was relatively injury 1ree and played my best tennis at the right time, WCT will always have a warm spot in my heart.”



IVAN LENDL CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Born: March 7, I960 at Ostrava, Czechoslovakia

Resides: Greenwich, Connecticut

Height & Weight: 6’2″, 175 lbs. Right-handed

Lendl has entered his second year as the top male tennis player and people are beginning to add up his influence. They count over $10 million in prize money winnings. Last year he won $1.9 million, third best annual total in tennis history. Lendl also owns the record total – $2,028,850 in 1982 when he dominated the WCT tour and captured his first BUCK WCT FINALS title.

Big victories have become commonplace for the strong Czech, who was once regarded as a talented, but stiff bridesmaid in the big events. However, last September, Lendl cruised to his second straight U.S. Open victory, earning him an automatic berth in his fifth BUICK WCT FINALS.

He has left a memorable impression on Dallas tennis fans. In 1980 he reached the quarterfinals as an unknown and lost to Jimmy Connors. Then in 1982, he swept over everyone like a tidal wave. In 1983, he and John McEnroe played one of the best matches in tennis history. With a $100,000 difference riding on seven points, the two players went into a fifth set tie-breaker. Lendl came out on the short end as McEnroe’s final shot went between the net and the net-post to win the tie-breaker 7-0.

Though he qualified in 1984 and ’86, injuries kept him from performing.

PAST BUICK WCT FINALS (4). 1980 (quarterfinalist) def. V. Amritraj, lost to Connors; 1982 (Champion) def. Fibak, V. Amri-tra|, McEnroe; 1983 (finalist) def. Denton, Scanlon, lost to McEnroe; 1985 (Champion) def Edberg, Connors, Mayotte.

HOW HE GOT HERE IN 1987. Won French Open (def. Pernfors), won Rome (del, Sanchez), won U.S. Open (def. Mecir), won Stratton Mountain (def. Becker).



BORIS BECKER WEST GERMANY



Born: November 22, 1967 at Leimen, West Germany

Resides: Monte Carlo, Monaco Leimen, West Germany

Height & Weight: 6’2″, 175 lbs.

Right-handed



Recently, Detlef Schrempf, the West German born player for the NBA Dallas Mavericks, was asked on a local radio station who the most noteworthy sports figure in his native land was. “Boris Becker, without a doubt,” was Schrempf’s reply. Indeed, when Becker won Wimbledon in 1985 and the international stardom that comes with it, he automatically became the new “Der Kaiser” of German sport.

However, most people feel Becker is no longer the Wunderkind of two years ago. He has not been consistent enough to become the world’s No. 1 player, but he did beat the man in that position, Ivan Lendl, for his second consecutive Wimbledon crown last summer. In fact, he beat Lendl three out of the tour times they played in 1986.

In the fall of 1986, Becker put together a string of three Super Series victories on three different continents in three weeks-at Sydney, Tokyo and Paris, All three tournaments were played on a surface similar to that used at Reunion Arena during the BUICK WCT FINALS.

The most noticeable change in Becker has been in his court demeanor and in coaches. No longer on the sideline is Coach Gunther Bosch, who was previously with Becker constantly. “I no longer need a 24-hour coach any more,” Becker said after Bosch quit in a dispute at the Australian Open in January. British track and field coach Frank Dick was hired as Becker’s conditioner Ion Tiriac remains as Becker’s manager.

In his first appearance in Dallas, Becker amazed the crowd with his power and velocity. He defeated Paul Annacone and then overcame Stefan Edberg in a classic semifinal match 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 By the Sunday championship encounter against Anders Jarryd, Becker’s sore thigh became worse and though he fought to the end it was evident he wasn’t 100 %, he lost 6-7, 6-1, 6-1, 6-4.

PAST BUICK WCT FINALS (1): 1986 (finalist) def. Annacone, Edberg, lost to Jarryd.

HOW HE GOT HERE IN 1987; Won Wimbledon (def. Lendl), Sydney (del. Lendl), Paris (del, Casal), Chicago (def. Lendl), Toronto (def. Edberg), Tokyo (def. Edberg), Indian Wells (del. Edberg).



JOHN MCENROE UNITED STATES



Born: February 16, 1959 at Wiesbaden. West Germany

Resides: Cove Neck, New York

5’11″, 165 lbs.

Left-handed



The former world No. 1 player dropped off the circuit for most of 1986 and missed the BUICK WCT FINALS lor the first time in eight years. Now he returns to the Dallas tournament, one of his favorite major events-he has played in seven of the last eight and won four of those seven-two more titles than any other player.

His re-entry into competitive tennis drew media and fans from all over the world to Stratton Mountain, Vermont last August. They wanted to see if McEnroe could still play tennis after having a baby with Tatum O’Neal, marrying her, playing on the beach, watching pro basketball and experimenting with yoga-things millionaire tennis players can afford to do.

That first tournament back ended with McEnroe losing a tight semifinal match to Boris Becker. McEnroe had let it be known that he thought Becker was pampered and Becker thought it was none of his business. Becker won the first battle but the war had just started.

Though the U.S. Open was disappointing for McEnroe-losing in the first round to Paul Annacone – he put together a string of three Super Series victories in September and October, Showing the familiar talents which carried him to three Wimbledon and four U.S. Open championships, McEnroe conquered Los Angeles, San Francisco and the WCT Scottsdale Open to earn his way back to the BUICK WCT FINALS.

A back injury forced him out of the Australian Open, but he rallied to reach the final of the prestigious U.S. Pro Indoor at Philadelphia in early February losing to Tim Mayotte in four sets.

PAST BUICK WCT FINALS (7): 1979 (Champion) del. Alexander, Connors, Borg; 1980 (finalist) def. Gunthardt, Kriek, lost to Connors; 1981 (Champion) del. S. Mayer, Gottfried, Kriek; 1982 (finalist) def. Scanlon, Dibbs, lost to Lendl; 1983 (Champion) del. Smid, Gerulaitis, Lendl; 1984 (Champion) def. Gerulaitis, Curren, Connors; 1985 (quar-terfinalist) bye, lost to Nystrom.

HOW HE GOT HERE IN 1987: Won Los Angeles (def. Edberg), San Francisco (def. Connors), WCT Scottsdale (def. Curren).



STEFAN EDBERG SWEDEN



Born: January 19, 1966 at Vastervik, Sweden Resides: London, England Vastervik, Sweden 6’2″, 158 lbs. Right-banded



One player responsible tor the most exciting matches in major Nabisco Grand Prix events today is Stefan Edberg. The former world junior champion’s semifinal showdown against Boris Becker in last year’s BUICK WCT FINALS was easily the most exciting match of the tournament.

Becker had to fight tooth and nail to stop Edberg and keep the championship match from being an all-Swedish affair (Edberg vs. Jarryd), It took the West German three tiebreaker w;ns over four sets and he aggravated a sore thigh in the process

During Edberg’s previous visit to Reunion in 1985, he ousted Jarryd in five sets and was defeated by eventual champ Ivan Lendl in five sets in the quarter-finals. In that match, Edberg won two of the first three sets clearly, losing a tiebreaker to Lendl in the second set.

Later in 1985, Edberg won his first Grand Slam title – the Australian Open There he gained revenge over Lendl with a 6-7,7-5,6-1, 4-6, 9-7 semifinal victory before dethroning Mats Wilander in the final. He repeated as Australian Open champion this January, earning his third straight trip to Dallas. In doing so, he scored a tremendous five-set victory over Aussie favorite Pat Cash in the final, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7. 6-3.

With Cash leading 5-1 in the fourth set, Edberg rallied and played himself back into the match. The match also helped him overcome a reputation as a player who folds under pressure. “I gutted it out,” he said of the win over Cash. “I worked hard on every single point. It was a very gutsy performance. Probably one of my best matches.”

Some say Edberg has become the lead-ing Swedish player over the declining fortunes of Mats Wilander Pancho Segura, the tennis sage, believes Edberg has more talent than Boris Becker, but that he needs a belter forehand to go along with an excellent volley and deadly second serve.

PAST BUICK WCT FINALS (2); 1985 (quarterfinalist) def. Jarryd, lost to Lendl; 1986 (semifinalist) bye. def. Noah, lost to Becker.

HOW HE GOT HERE IN 1987: Won Australian Open (def. Cash), won Stockholm (def. Wilander), Memphis (def. Connors).

Seeing Doubles



We asked a handful of Dallasites who they would select as their fantasy doubles partner, and why. Here’s a sampling of their answers:



Tom Agnew, Cafe Margaux

“Jimmy Connors. Why? Tenacity, tenacity, tenacity”



John Dayton, Routh Street Cafe and Baby Routh

“Bobby Riggs. When I step onto the court, it’s a joke anyway!”



John E. Smith, Dr. Pepper

“Carting Bassett. It just so happens that she can also play tennis.



Bill Bos, Brookhaven Racquet Club, tennis pro

“John McEnroe. Because he’s such a terrific doubles player. He’s so quick and fast and covers so much court that I’d be saying “yours’’ several times during each point.“



Mike Powers, Hoffbrau

“Renee Richards. Because I could play mixed doubles . . . or doubles. . .or both.”

Lawrence Bock, Bock Company

“Terry Murphy. Why? It’s a sympathyrole.”



Doug Tibbetts, Equitable Real Estate Management

“James Donaldson of We DallasMavericks. I don’t think anyone couldget the ball past him.”



Ben R. Briggs, Ben R. Briggs Realtors

“Ken Rose wall. He’s the nicest and best.”



Bill Hendryx, Hendryx Advertising

“Lamar Hunt. Because he’d always pop for the balls.”

Carolyn Shamis, Carsha, Inc.

“Martina Navratilova. Because she moves like a butterfly on the court and I respect her discipline.’’

Pat Snuffer, Snuffer’s

“Iran Lendl. Because he’s the best.”

Betty Leavell, Betty Leavell Realtors

“Boris Becker. He’s good, he’s the best.” need a strong partner-and he’s happy. He doesn’t appear to be moody.”



Lou Smith Galbraith, Lou Smith Realtors

“Robert Redford. I played next to him at a tennis resort one time and saw him playing with his children. I thought he was kind and beautiful at the same time.”



Dennis Ralston, SMU tennis coach “Linda Ralston, Because I’d have a good time.”



Dr. Richard Toranto, Aesthetic Surgical Center

“Martina Navratilova. Because I like towin.”



Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys

“Mike Ditka. We might lose the match, but we’d win the fight.”



Dr. Richard Glick, obstetrician/gynecologist

’’Chris Evert Lloyd. I’ve always admired her ability and determination as a tennis player. “



Starke Taylor, mayor

“Ivan Lendl. Naturally I would like my partner to be the number one tennis player, but beyond that it is so important today in sports to have a good image for our young people-and be’s got it.”



Tatu, Dallas Sidekick

“Victoria Principal. I can’t play very well but if I could I’d want to be paired up with her.’’



Bobby Valentine, Texas Rangers

’Jimmy Connors. Because he’s left-banded and also a baseball fan.”

Charles Anderson, DART

“John McEnroe, Because I like his spirit.”



Kip Tindell, Container Store

“Bjorn Borg. Because L think it would be interesting to see Bjorn Borg behave like John McEnroe.”



Jeff Mann, Fabric, Floors & Such

“Carling Bassett. She’s got the best legs I’ve ever seen. I’d love to do half volleys with ber.”



Rolando Blackman, Dallas Maverick

“Bjorn Borg. During his time, he was the greatest tennis player ever. . .and I like his court demeanor.”



Scott Fickling, St. Martin’s & San Francisco Rose

Jimmy Connors/John McEnroe. I need all the help I can get.’’

Lamar Hunt, WCT

“Ken Rosewall. Because I love to watch his strokes and also because he could cover my inadequacies.”



Gordon Jago, Dallas Sidekick head coach

“Chris Evert Lloyd. I would enjoy playing tennis with her because she would improve my game and let me in on the secret to her success.



’’ Dr. Edward “Woody” Kent “

“I would probably pick Boris Becker He is a never say die type player and goes for every shot. That’s the type player I am.”