by PeterBodo (Author)
Early in July of 2015, tennis will celebrate the 40th anniversary of what might be the greatest upset in the annals of tennis.
There have been other key matches in which the disparity between the favourite and the victorious underdog may have been more pronounced by standards of the sport. But none has been more resonant, or flush with meaning and contrasts. For this was not just a contest between a mercurial, seemingly unstoppable prodigy and an undemonstrative veteran, it also embodied a clash of values in a rapidly changing world, and in the sport itself.
This is the story of two tennis greats lives, from the local park courts of their boyhood to the summer of 1975 an this most resonant of Wimbledon finals, which Ashe won to become the first black male Champion. However, like the best sports books written, this is much more than a just a story about one match, but a metaphor for a changing world, the end of an era and a last triumph for the passing guard.
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 280
Publisher: Aurum Press Ltd
Published: 07 May 2015
ISBN 10: 1781313954
ISBN 13: 9781781313954
`There has surely never been a more extraordinary and bewitching encounter than the 1975 showdown between Arthur Ashe and Jimmy Connors. Forty years on, their final remains a lesson in how sporting encounters can be won in the head just as much as on the field of play.'
`A smashing book retelling the tale of the 1975 Wimbledon final when Arthur Ashe beat Connors in a remarkable contest'.
`Ashe vs Connors is a journey from a bygone era of 'rock star' behaviour and simpler times and is brought to life with precision by Bodo. Anything as informative and enthralling as this can only add to the sporting knowledge of an aficionado and Ashe vs Connors certainly does just that.'
`There has surely never been a more extraordinary and bewitching encounter than the 1975 showdown between Arthur Ashe and Jimmy Connors. Forty years on, their final remains a lesson in how sporting encounters can be won in the head just as much as on the field of play.'
`Ashe vs Connors is a journey from a bygone era of 'rock star' behaviour and simpler times and is brought to life with precision by Bodo. Anything as informative and enthralling as this can only add to the sporting knowledge of an aficionado and Ashe vs Connors certainly does just that.'
`A smashing book retelling the tale of the 1975 Wimbledon final when Arthur Ashe beat Connors in a remarkable contest'.