The Will to Win: Wimbledon Champ at 43

[John Yandell]

Let's discuss Gardnar Mulloy's article, "The Will to Win: Wimbledon Champ at 43"

[klacr]

Always a good read to hear about someone's fondness for such a classic event such as Wimbledon. Gardner Mulloy is a tennis legend. The amount of stories he has and experiences he has gone through on the tennis court can keep anyone entertained. Glad he shared this one with us.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[John Yandell]

I hope you guys end up liking the extended series on Gardnar that is going to follow.

Did you read A Handful of Summers? This series will have something like that kind of sweet nostalgia and wistful humor--although it's clearly Gardnar's unique and original story.

Got to be amazed when you think this is the story of almost 100 years of tennis in the life of one person.

[gzhpcu]

John, I read the book. Really great reading, I feel like going into a time machine! Gardnar is an incredible person, quite an honor to have him contributing. I have an old book by Mercer Beasley, showing high speed photography studies of Gardnar, Rosewall, Hoad, Maureen Connoly, etc. The book is from early 1950!

[klacr]

I hope you guys end up liking the extended series on Gardnar that is going to follow.

Did you read A Handful of Summers? This series will have something like that kind of sweet nostalgia and wistful humor--although it's clearly Gardnar's unique and original story.

Got to be amazed when you think this is the story of almost 100 years of tennis in the life of one person.

John, I read the book. Really great reading, I feel like going into a time machine! Gardnar is an incredible person, quite an honor to have him contributing. I have an old book by Mercer Beasley, showing high speed photography studies of Gardnar, Rosewall, Hoad, Maureen Connoly, etc. The book is from early 1950!

I will certainly check out this book. There are very few people like Gardner left. it's important we extract his knowledge, insights and stories to preserve a piece of tennis history.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Let's discuss Gardnar Mulloy's article, "The Will to Win: Wimbledon Champ at 43"

A friend of mine pointed Gardnar out to me some twenty years or so ago at Wimbledon. He was standing by one of the outside courts watching a match. Gardnar looked astonishingly young and upright for his age back then...and he must have been 80! My friend told me Gardnar had a heavy first serve and a powerful game.

I am reading Little Pancho right now. It's amazing to read about these guys. I like to read everything I can find about them and others like them.

What an extraordinary life...a 100 and still going.

[John Yandell]

What is Little Pancho??

[stotty]

What is Little Pancho??

A biography of Pancho Segura's life. A remarkable man and tennis player who was discriminated against like no one else. A must read...quite engrossing.

Written by Caroline Seebohm.

[gzhpcu]

I've got it Stotty. Great book. I used to see the two Panchos training at the Beverly Hills tennis club when I was a little kid: Pancho Segura, bow-legged, short and swarthy with a big grin, Pancho Gonzales, tall, mercurial. Pancho Segura was loved much more than Pancho Gonzales, since he did not have a threatening attitude, but was all smiles. Two similar lives, two different approaches to tackle with adversity.

[bottle]

Peak Experience

I like very much the way this article deals with peak experience. I contrast it with the short story THE HUNDRED YARD RUN by Irwin Shaw.

In that story, in one play, a man wins a huge college football game but can never duplicate the excitement of that in the rest of his life.

Either a good sports experience ruins the man's existence or something wrong with him causes him to live too much in the past.

Gardnar Mulloy on the other hand shows the perspective that has always characterized his life. One can see this right in the article in his light telling of his two encounters with the queen and also in what he reveals about Wimbledon itself.

A long view that includes social engagement and the courage to have healthy supported opinion about anything is what makes him so great (besides his tennis).