Decided to post this blog on ONLY simply sports... It can be a once off

I'll add pictures soon....

Rod Laver was a professional tennis player who was to go into the record books as one of the greatest tennis players ever.

Rod Laver was born August 9, 1938, at Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. Despite lack of size, Laver grew strong and tough on his father's cattle property and emulated Budge by making the second male Grand Slam in 1962 as an amateur--then became the only double Grand Slammer seven years later by taking the major singles (Australian, French, Wimbledon, U.S.) as a pro.

Rod Laver, As a teenager he was nicknamed "Rocket" by Australian Davis Cup captain Harry Hopman, Hopman’s comments about Laver included on how he was far from a ‘Rocket” but he worked twice as harder than any other amateur player around him, Hopman said that he just knew how good Laver is from the very first shot Laver played.

His initial international triumph came during his first trip abroad in 1956, when he won the U.S. Junior Championship at 17. Three years later he was ready to take his place amongst the world's best when he won the Australian singles and, Bob Mark, the doubles, and was runner-up to Alex Olmedo for the Wimbledon championship. The Australian victories were the first of Laver's 20 major titles in singles, doubles and mixed placing him fifth among all-time male winners behind Roy Emerson (28), John Newcombe (25),Frank Sedgman (22), Bill Tilden (21). Jean Borotra also won 20. His 11 singles which were equalled by Bjorn Borg were second to Emerson's 12.

Few champions have been as dominant as Laver. Laver was as amateur and pro during the 1960s. An relentless attacker, he was nevertheless a complete player who was most dominant in backcourt and at the net. Laver's 5-foot, 145 pound body seemed to swing from a massive left arm that belonged to a brute, an arm with which he demolished the ball and was able to create ferocious topspin. Although others had used topspin, Laver may have inspired a wave of heavy-hitting topspin users of the 1970s such as Bjorn Borg. The stroke became basic after Laver.

When Laver lost in the Wimbledon final of 1959 it wasn’t a time for disappointment it was the beginning of an incredible run of success in that tournament. He was a finalist six straight times he entered, losing in 1960 to Neale Fraser, winning in 1961 and 1962, and after a five year absence because professionals were banned, He had won again in 1968 and 1969. Only two others had played in six successive finals, back before the turn of the century: Willie Renshaw, 1881 through 1886 and Wilfred Baddely, 1891 through 1896. Borg played in six straight, 1976 through 1981. While winning Wimbledon four straight times (the only man since World War I to win four aforementioned to Borg) and continued to the fourth round in 1970, Laver set a male tournament record 31 uninterrupted match wins, ended by his loss to Roger Taylor.

Unlike his Grand Slam year of 1962 as an amateur, he was playing in tournaments that were to all, amateur and pro, and this Slam was more impressive. It was close only a few times Tony Roche forcing him to a fifth set gruelling 90-game semi final in the Australian championships 7-5, 22-20, 9-11, 1-6, 6-3; Dick Crealy winning the first two sets of a second-rounder in the French; Premjit Lall winning two sets of a second-rounder at Wimbledon; Stan Smith frightening in the fifth set of a fourth-rounder at Wimbledon; Arthur Ashe and Newcombe pushing him to four sets in the Wimbledon semifinal and final (6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4); Dennis Ralston leading 2 sets to 1 in the fourth round of the U.S.; Roche winning the opening set of the mucky U.S. final, 7-9, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. Laver played this match in spikes.

But that year Laver could always hasten to a much higher gear and pound his way out of trouble. The closest anyone came to puncturing either Slam was Marty Mulligan, who held a point in the fourth set of their French quarterfinal in 1962, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 10-8, 6-2.

The year 1969 was Laver's best, possibly the best practised by any player, as he won a record 17 singles tournaments of 32 played on a 106-16 match record. In 1962 he won 19 of 34 on 134-15.

After his second year running as the No. 1 1962, and helping Australia win a fourth Davis Cup, Laver turned pro. Kenny Rosewall was at the top and gave Laver numerous beatings as their long, eminent rivalry began. Rosewall beat Laver to win the U.S. Pro singles in 1963, but the next year defeated Rosewall and Gonzalez to win the first of his five crowns, four of them in a row beginning in 1966. He had a streak of 19 wins in the U.S. until losing the 1970 final to Roche.

Gonzalez pointing for a ninth crown in the 1964 final, was a dreadful afternoon. Astonishingly the show went on the pros were that way in that day in a raging storm that swept Boston with a gusty downpour, turning Longwood's grassy stadium to a swamp. They slipped and fell, but both proud men were up to it, somehow producing extraordinary shots. In the rain Laver ended Pancho's reign, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.

When open tennis resumed in 1968, Laver was ready to recommence where he'd left off at the traditional tournaments, pounding Roche in less than an hour, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, to take the first open Wimbledon.

He was also a factor in winning three World Cups (1972, 1974-75) for Australia in the since broken team competition against the U.S. In 1976, as his tournament career was winding down, Laver signed with San Diego in World Team Tennis and was named the league's Rookie of the Year at age 38!

In 1973 all professionals were legally recognized to play Davis Cup, and Laver sharpened himself for one last effort, after 11 years away. He was brilliant, teaming with John Newcombe to end a five-year U.S. reign, 5-0. Laver beat Tom Gorman in five sets on the first day and corresponding with Newcombe for a crushing straight-set doubles victory over Stan Smith and Erik van Dillen that clinched the Cup, Laver's fifth. Of all the marvelous Aussie Davis Cup performers he was the only one never to play in a losing series.

In 1971 Laver won $292,717 in tournament prize money, It was as record until it was over-taken several years later. The figure enabling him to become the first tennis player to make a million dollars on the court. Until the last days of 1978, when he was playing few tournaments, Laver was still the all-time leading money-winner with $1,564,213. Jimmy Connors then overtook him.

During a 23-year career that spanned the amateur and open eras, he won 47 pro titles in singles and was runner-up 21 times. Laver was elevated to the Hall of Fame in 1981. His 13 years in the World Top Ten ranged from 1959 to 1975. No. 1 in 1961, 1962, 1968 and 1969. His last year there was No. 10 at age 37.