Plenty of tennis books have chronicled the triumphs of the modern greats, but few have gone into the depth that Caroline Seebohm does in her excellent biography of the colorful and scrappy Pancho Segura, a major figure during the ‘40s and ‘50s. Still a well-liked man, Segura’s against all odds tale is a heart warming story of a boy who grew up poor in Ecuador, ended up winning three NCAA championships for the University of Miami, beat the pants off many of the greats and eventually became the coach for Jimmy Connors , as well as to movie stars such as Charlton Heston, Barbra Streisand, and Lauren Bacall at the Beverly Hills Tennis Club.
Seebohm provides a thrilling account of Segura’s famous victory over his close friend and rival, Big Pancho, Pancho Gonzalez, in the final of the 1951 Pro Championships at Forest Hills. On that day, Segura and his unorthodox two-handed blasts off both wings managed to back the imposing Gonzalez off the net on grass.
“Segura, the most intelligent of players, knows very well what this means and takes quick advantage, drilling his forehand past the bigger man with the accuracy of a diamond cutter, mixing it with cunning drop shots, playing his backhands with such blistering clarity that Gonzalez is unable to respond effectively.”
Only 5-foot-6, Segura was born into a poor family in Ecuador, was undernourished and learned the game while working as a ball boy at an exclusive club in Guayaquil. He was encouraged by his mother, who would hit with him until the day grew dark. Spending endless hours banging against a backboard with abandoned rackets, he was eventually hired as a hitter by club members, who would pay him up to 50 cents (!) to play with them. The bandy-legged Segura and his infectious smile would eventually become a mainstay on the barnstorming pro tours, signing his first contract in ‘47. Fast as lightening, he played against Jack Kramer, Bobby Riggs, Frank Sedgeman, Ken McGregror and Lew Hoad and became one of the tours biggest draws. A master entertainer, he knew how to play to an audience. He was also the salty life of the tour party. “Segura was a bit of a clown,” said Jenny Hoad, Lew’s wife. “And he would amuse everybody, defusing tension.”
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LITTLE PANCHO: The Life of Tennis Legend Pancho Segura
By Caroline Seebohm, University of Nebraska Press
