New Chapter Press today announced that it will publish the writings of 1931 Wimbledon champion Sidney Wood in the book THE WIMBLEDON FINAL THAT NEVER WAS AND OTHER TENNIS TALES FROM A BY-GONE ERA.
The book, which will be published June 1, 2011, details the life and times of Wood with a focus on one of the most unusual episodes ever in sport when he won the mens singles title at Wimbledon in 1931 in a default – the only time in the history of The Championships that the mens singles final was not played. Wood, who passed away in 2009 at the age of 97, tells the story of how he won the title over Frank Shields, his school buddy, doubles partner, roommate and Davis Cup teammate and the grandfather of actress and model Brooke Shields when Shields was ordered by the U.S. Tennis Association to withdraw from the final to rest his injured knee in preparation for an upcoming Davis Cup match for the United States. He then discusses his private understanding playoff that saw his match with Shields at the Queens Club tournament final in London three years later be played for the Wimbledon trophy. Wood, who could be called the greatest story teller tennis ever had, also relates fascinating anecdotes and stories that involve famous personalities from Hollywood and across the globe.
David Wood of Queens, N.Y., the youngest son of Wood, serves as contributor to the volume, which is already available for pre-sale on amazon. com
Sidney Wood was crowned men’s singles champion at Wimbledon in 1931 at the age of 19, becoming the tournament’s youngest champion at the time. (He was unseated from the distinction in 1985 when Boris Becker won the title at the age of 17.) Born in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport, Conn., and a long-time resident of New York, N.Y., Southampton, N.Y., and Palm Beach, Fla., Wood also became the youngest entrant in Wimbledon history when he competed in a first-round match against Rene Lacoste at the age of 15 in 1927. Wood was also a singles finalist at the U.S. Championships in 1935, played for the U.S. Davis Cup team in 1931 and 1934 and was ranked among the top 10 American players 10 times from 1930 to 1945. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., in 1964. After his playing days, he developed Supreme Court, the synthetic carpet that became a popular surface for indoor matches, and partnered such sporting legends as Don Budge and Arnold
Palmer in a successful laundry business. Some of the personalities also featured in the book include Grace Kelly, Groucho Marx, Gary Cooper, Mark McCormack, Bobby Fischer, The Shah of Iran, Errol Flynn and others.
Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press is also the publisher of Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection by Rene Stauffer (www.RogerFedererBook.com), The Bud Collins History of Tennis by Bud Collins, The Education of a Tennis Player by Rod Laver with Bud Collins, Acing Depression: A Tennis Champions Toughest Match by Cliff Richey with Hilaire Richey Kallendorf (www.CliffRicheyBook.com,) Jan Kodes: A Journey To Glory From Behind The Iron Curtain by Jan Kodes, Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli (www.Boycott1980.com), Tennis Made Easy by Kelly Gunterman, The Lennon Prophecy by Joe Niezgoda (www.TheLennonProphecy.com), Bone Appetit, Gourmet Cooking For Your Dog by Susan Anson, The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According to Hoyle by Stewart Wolpin, Peoples Choice Cancun Travel Survey Guidebook by Eric Rabinowitz and Weekend Warriors: The Men of Professional Lacrosse by Jack McDermott, among others. More
information can be found at www.NewChapterMedia.com.