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Airdate: The History of Australian Sport: Tennis

Todd Woodbridge will host the latest History Channel documentary to look back at Aussie sport.

Former tennis champ Todd Woodbridge will host the latest History Channel documentary to look back at Aussie sport.

The History of Australian Sport: Tennis is a 2 hr special looking back through the archives, featuring interviews with Margaret Court, Pat Cash, Ken Rosewall, Frank Sedgeman and Lleyton Hewitt. It also promises to expose “the in-fighting, the bullying and the vicious rivalry that officials never wanted you to see.”

It airs Saturday, January 17 at 7:30pm.

Press Release:

As tennis fever begins to build for the 2009 Australian Tennis Open, The History Channel will take tennis fans back to where the game began with the world premiere of The Spirit of Australian Sport – Tennis on Saturday, January 17 at 7:30pm AEDT.

Hosted by one of Australia’s greatest ever tennis champions, Todd Woodbridge, the two- hour special looks at the key people and events that helped define and shape the sport in Australia, along with the sociological changes that occurred in a game which was once the domain of the Melbourne elite and became a national obsession.

Featuring rare archival footage literally found on the scrapheap as well as extracts from the player’s personal letters and home movies, the special relives the golden era of the game when Australian tennis players dominated the world in a manner that has never been repeated – and looks at the reasons for our rise and eventual decline.

Candid interviews with some of the sport’s greatest personalities, including Margaret Court, Pat Cash, Ken Rosewall, Frank Sedgeman and Lleyton Hewitt, reveal the very private moments behind some of Australia’s biggest on-court clashes.

The special also looks at the underbelly of this “strawberries and cream” sport, exposing the in-fighting, the bullying and the vicious rivalry that officials never wanted you to see.

Relive the great victories, the devastating loses and meet the real people behind the legends when Hark Attack Productions and FOXTEL present The Spirit of Australian Spirit – Tennis on Saturday, January 17 at 7:30pm AEDT on The History Channel.

One Response

  1. I think Queensland Tennis erred in naming the new centre after Pat Rafter, this is no reflection whatsoever on Pat whom I regard as a fine sportsman. However I believe it would have been more appropriate to have it named in honor of Roy Emerson certainly one of Queensland,s favourate sons. Not only did he acumulate twelve Grand Slam titles (including the French Mens Doubles six times, five with different partners!) but to quote Arthur Ashe ” He was easily the most popular player of his generation, everybody loved Emmo and respected him as a player . He would be the life of the party, the last to leave but also the first on the practice court the next morning….and stay there longer “

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