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Did Christine
Truman ever beat the great Australian champion
Margaret Court in a singles match at Wimbledon?
Josephine Roberts, Cheltenham
THE JUDGE: I
went to Christine, now a perceptive member of the BBC
Radio 5 Live tennis commentary team, for this answer:
'One of my most memorable moments was beating
Margaret in the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 1961 when
she was the number one seed. It was before she became
Mrs Court and was plain Miss Smith, and she had won
the first of her 11 Australian championships. We had
a tremendous match. 1 lost the first set 6-3 and it
looked as if Margaret was going to sweep me off the
court. But I managed to square the match by winning
the second set 6-4, and squeezed to a 9-7 win in the
deciding set after saving two match points. 1 went on
to the final where 1 was beaten by Angela Mortimer,
but it was the victory over Margaret that remains
brightest in my memory.'
Who have
been the youngest winners of the men's and
women's titles at Wimbledon?
M.G. Morris, Woking, Surrey
THE JUDGE: Boris
Becker (17 years 227 days) was the youngest men's
champion when he took the title for the first time in
1985. Charlotte 'Lottie' Dodd was the youngest
women's champion (15 years 285 days) when winning the
first of her five titles in 1887.
Is it correct
that Britain's Mark Cox once beat the great Pancho
Gonzalez?
Roger Phillips, Salisbury
THE JUDGE: Mark
Cox became the first amateur to beat a professional
after tennis went open when he eliminated the
legendary Pancho Gonzales in the 1968 British hard
court championships. The next day he conquered
two-times Wimbledon champion Roy Emerson. Cox, a law
graduate from Cambridge University and later a
respected BBC commentator, turned professional in
1970.
Who was the
first player to achieve the double Grand Slam?
Bryan Gow, Leicester
THE
JUDGE: Rod Laver was the first to complete a second
Grand Slam (i.e. holding at one and the same time the
four major championship singles titles: Wimbledon,
United States, Australian and French). He first won
in 1962 (beating Martin Mulligan at Wimbledon and Roy
Emerson in the other three finals), and his second
Grand Slam came in 1969 (when he conquered John
Newcombe at Wimbledon, Tony Roche in the US final,
Andres Gimeno in the Australian and Ken Rosewall in
the French).
Which doubles
partners were first to achieve the Grand Slam?
Peter Moore, Berkhampstead
THE JUDGE:
Australian partners Frank Sedgman and Ken McGregor
were first to win the Wimbledon, US, French and
Australian doubles titles in 1951. Ken Fletcher and
Margaret Court completed the mixed doubles Grand Slam
in 1962.
Who were the
quartet known as the 'Four Musketeers' of tennis?
Frank Simpkins, Cheadle
THE JUDGE: This
was the collective nickname for the four French
masters - Henri Cochet, Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon
and Ren6 Lacoste. They dominated the world's tennis
courts betwen 1927 and 1932. Lacoste's name continues
to be famous through the sports manufacturing
business that he started. His nickname was 'The
Crocodile' and this is why Lacoste clothing has this
as their logo.
When did
Sweden's Stefan Edberg win his first Grand Slam
title?
Jill Stephens, Barnet
THE JUDGE:
Edberg won all four Junior Grand Slam titles in 1983,
and captured his first senior Grand Slam title when
winning the Australian Open in 1985. His first
Wimbledon victory was in 1988, when he defeated Boris
Becker in four sets in the final on the Centre Court.
Had Pat Cash
won any Grand Slam championships before his victory
at Wimbledon?
Alan Marshall, Kensington
THE JUDGE: Pat's
Wimbledon triumph in 1987 was his first major title
(a straight sets victory over Ivan Lendl in the
final).. He was Wimbledon and United States Junior
champion in 1982. A succession of injuries prevented
him from making a greater impact on the world stage.
Who was
the eldest of the three Australian tennis masters
Lew Hoad, Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall?
Matthew Glover, Sittingbourne, Kent
THE JUDGE: Ken
Rosewall (2 November 1934) was 21 days older than Lew
Hoad (23 November 1934). Rod Laver (9 August 1938)
was the 'baby' of the trio.
Is it correct
that tennis master Donald Budge was a Scot by birth?
Roland Hogg, Oldham
THE JUDGE:
Donald Budge, the first winner of the tennis Grand
Slam (1938), was born in Oakland, California, on 13
June 1915. His father was a former Scottish
professional footballer.
Does Tim
Henman have a special sports hero who has inspired
him?
Margaret Pilkington, Penzance
THE JUDGE: I
went to Britain's tennis hero for this reply: 'When I
was young my imagination was captured by stories of
the exploits of my grandfather Henry Billington, who
played Donald Budge at Wimbledon in 1938. As I
developed my interest in sport I was inspired by the
single-minded attitude and consistency of Nick Faldo.
Other sportsmen particularly admired include
basketball's Michael Jordan, and that gentleman of
the court Stefan Edberg.'
What
nationality was Jaroslav Drobny when he became
Wimbledon champion?
Raymond Turner, Milton Keynes
THE JUDGE: Drobny
became a political refugee after leaving his native
Czechoslovakia in 1949. He held Egyptian nationality
when he won the Wimbledon title at his sixteenth
attempt in 1954 by beating Ken Rosewall 13-11, 4-6,
6-2, 9-7. Drobny became a British citizen in 1960.
Is is correct
that Jaroslav Drobny was an Olympic medallist?
Eric Bailey, Hanley
THE JUDGE: Yes,
but not at tennis. He was a silver medallist with the
Czechoslovakian ice hockey team in the 1948 Olympics.
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