ITF

14 Spring 2020 ITF World Below Stolle in Davis Cup ac on during Australia's 1964 campaign. Bottom left Stolle was a Wimbledon singles finalist on three occasions. Bottom right Stolle was beaten by fellow Australian Roy Emerson in the 1965 Wimbledon final The popular figure known as "Fiery" also has great regard for Chatrier. "It's a very prestigious award. Philippe was a very special guy and a very good friend and it's a thrill, but they must be getting to the bottom of the pack," Stolle joked. "It's a great honour because I know who's gone before, and it's pretty neat to share it with Manolo." He joins previous Australian recipients of the award: Rod Laver, Margaret Court, Neale Fraser, Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, and Evonne Goolagong Cawley. Post-retirement, Stolle has been involved with World Team Tennis, coached the likes of Mary Joe Fernández and Vitas Gerulaitis, was co-owner of the ATP's Delray Beach tournament, helped young players at the Turnberry Island Resort near his long-time Florida home and spent many decades as a TV commentator. A great source of pride is that fact he and his youngest child, Sandon, are the only father-son duo to win majors: Sandon the 1998 US Open doubles, and Fred 19 overall, including 10 doubles and seven mixed. Yet It was not until 2015, as the guest of honour at Tennis Australia's Wimbledon barbecue that marked the 50-year anniversary of the last of his three All England Club finals, that Stolle learnt he had reached eight major singles finals. Eight? That many? Including five losses in a row? "I said 'no, that's not possible', so they named the five,'' laughed the former No.1, who still holds the record for the most finals lost before winning one, pipping Ivan Lendl and Andy Murray. "I was a gagger. I'm one of the few guys to admit it. When I got a bit tight I served double-faults – I always did, and probably still would, because I didn't have any margin and I couldn't hit a kick serve to save my life. But you've got to suffer through that, and when you're nervous and you're tight and you get through and win it then the next matches become a hell of a lot easier.'' His nemesis was Emerson, the Queenslander and amateur rival whom Stolle concedes was "always a little bit quicker, fitter and more athletic, and quite frankly trained harder than I ever did. When he played well I couldn't beat him. But as Billie Jean (King) used to remind me, I never had enough 'bastard' in me. I never liked playing against my mates. I didn't like playing against doubles partners."

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