Arthur Ashe with his tear-filled father after winning the 1968 United States Open at Forest Hills. Although Ashe was always a winner, a man of strong character, poised and able to overcome racial blocks, it took him a while to harness his power, groove, his groundstrokes and become a thoughtful player, comfortable on all surfaces. As one whose career overflowed the amateur and Open eras, he followed the 1968 breakthrough with 11 sterling years as a professional that netted 33 singles titles including the 1970 Australian and the gloriously unexpected Wimbledon '75 by confounding Jimmy Connors, who was 10 years younger and heavily favored.
Posted By: Vaughn Olson - 03-29-2008
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