Wednesday, July 29, 1998
LOS ANGELES -- Rod Laver was conscious and off the critical list Tuesday, a day after he had a stroke while being interviewed for a television show.
The tennis great, who turns 60 on Aug. 9, was in serious condition in the intensive care unit at UCLA Medical Center.
Laver, who has played in the Great American Insurance Seniors Championship six times, was to compete again in the Greater Cincinnati event, which starts Aug. 6 in Mason.
"I just can't say enough nice things about him," said tournament director Paul Flory, who has known Laver for years. "Some characterize him as the best ever. He's just an outstanding individual."
Flory said Tuesday that the tournament would find a replacement for perhaps its biggest name.
"We'll just try to pick somebody competitive and who has a good record," Flory said.)
Laver, an Australian who lives in Newport Beach, is the only tennis player to win two Grand Slams -- as an amateur in 1962 and as a professional seven years later.
ESPN spokesman Rob Tobias said Laver was stricken Monday afternoon during an interview by a free-lance crew at the Westwood Marquis Hotel near UCLA. The ESPN special will feature the century's greatest athletes.
Laver, a redheaded left-hander, is one of the giants of his sports.
Nicknamed "Rocket" for his powerful ground strokes, he is the only player to have won two Grand Slams -- the Australian, French and U.S. championships and Wimbledon -- in one calendar year.
He was the world's No. 1 player in 1961, 1962, 1968 and 1969, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981. Laver won 11 Grand Slam singles titles -- one fewer than all-time leader Roy Emerson. Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras have also won 11 majors.
He won four Wimbledons, three Australian titles, two U.S. championships and two French crowns. He also won nine Grand Slam doubles championships. Laver also starred for Australia in the Davis Cup, with records of 16-4 in singles and 4-0 in doubles.
Laver updates from Associated Press
