Sampras: A Legend in the Works - Hardcover

H.A. Branham

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1859830765 ISBN 13: 9781859830765

Publisher: BREEDON BOOKS, 1997

Synopsis

First published in 1996, a biography of the American tennis player Pete Sampras which examines his preparations tournaments and his personal relationships with close friends and sporting rivals. You’ll go with Sampras as he prepares for Grand Slam tournaments and thrill at his epic battles with some of the all-time greats. There is his rivalry with Agassi and the others and the unforgettable triumph in the 1995 US Open. What goes on between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi off court? How did Sampras cope with the emotional roller-coaster he rode as coach Tim Gullikson battled against cancer? The answers are to be found in ' A Legend in the Works' as award-winning tennis writer H.A. Branham takes the reader on tour of the grand circuit with one of the most misunderstood tennis giants of all time. This is a tennis book for all seasons and all surfaces. Get ready for some surprises, some fun, some scandal, and a booming serve.

About this title

About the Author

"H.A. Branham is the tennis correspondent for the Tampa (FL) Tribune and he has been a sportswriter since 1980. In 1995 he received the USTA Florida Section’s ‘Jim Martz Award for Media Excellence’ for his coverage of Florida tennis. He is the regional vice-president of the United States Tennis Writers Association. Branham lives in Bradenton, Florida, with his wife Catherine and four children. Bud Collins, is a sports columnist for the Boston Globe and a tennis commentator for NBC. He was a sports commentator for PBS from 1963 to 1988, and has at various times analysed tennis for CBS, ESPN, USA, CBN, MSG, and HBO. "

From Publishers Weekly

After the interregnum of spoiled bratism led by Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe and kept alive by their admirers, Californian Pete Sampras has restored sportsmanship and style to international tennis. As he puts it: "that's the way tennis should be played--with class." And while Sampras's polite, low-key manner has won him few friends in the media, many of whom would seem to prefer temper tantrums, he has accumulated an outstanding record: at 25, he has won seven grand-slam singles titles, placing him ninth on the all-time winners list. He recently won his fourth U.S. Open championship. But Tampa Tribune tennis writer Branham is somewhat stymied by the fact that Sampras is so young. His whole life has been devoted to the game from age nine, his parents are even more private than he and the major emotional trauma of his life was the death of his coach and friend, Tim Gullikson, earlier this year. Sampras has simply not been around long enough to provide fodder for a rich biography. Furthermore, he has not lived the typical American-celebrity lifestyle, and it shows here. One is left with the impression that the book is premature. Still, Branham's knowledge of tennis and of Sampras's career will appeal to court aficionados. Photos not seen by PW. 75,000 first printing; first serial to Tampa Tribune; author tour.

Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: BREEDON BOOKS
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1859830765
• ISBN 13: 9781859830765
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272