This facinating book features the history and achievements of St. Louisans or those people and places with a St. Louis connection which greatly influenced the sport of tennis. Personalities covered are legendary Dwight Davis, the inventor and driving force behind the Davis Cup and public park tennis; extraordinary promoter Butch Buchholz; All American hero Arthur Ashe (who credits St. Louis as his main training ground); Wimbledon champion Chuck McKinley; world title holder Jimmy Connors; and women greats Corinne Gould, Carol Aucamp, Justina Bricka, MaryAnn Eisel, and Karen Hantze Susman, as well as many others. Featured locations are Washington University, the 1904 World’s Fair, Triple A Club, Dwight Davis Tennis Center, and the 138th Infantry Armory indoor tennis center. Teaching pros were Earl Buchholz, Sr. (a mass marketer), Bill Price (table tennis/ping pong), Al Rothschild, Larry Miller, Richard Hudlin (Arthur Ashe’s mentor), and others. From the mid-1950s through the 1970s and beyond, St. Louis was a top tennis development center along with California, Florida, and Texas. And starting in 1960 with Butch Buchholz, there was a St. Louis connected person who was in the world’s top ten in singles or doubles for almost 30 years. This book has endorsements from tennis writers Bud Collins and Frank DeFord, and top researcher Frank Phelps. The December 7, 2008 St. Louis Post-Dispatch lists the book as a book of the year in its sports category.

Features

• Hardcover; 168 pages, almost 200 pictures/illustrations
• Dimensions: 12.5 W x 9.5 H (inches)
• Publisher: Tennis History Press, LLC
• Publication date: July 2008