Book description
The amazing life story of the enfant terrible of tennis in the 1970s
and 80s - winner of two Grand Slam titles, three Grand Slam doubles
titles and twice a Wimbledon finalist.
It is not an overstatement to say that Ilie Nastase was in part
responsible for the explosion of interest in tennis in the seventies.
Thanks to his success, his lifestyle, his sex appeal and the controversy
that continually surrounded him, Nastase's name was recognisable far
beyond the confines of tennis.
Yet, he also had a dark side and he regularly got himself into trouble
with umpires and spectators alike. His court-side tantrums and manic
questioning of line calls could spiral out of control and, all too
often, he found himself fined and disqualified - and making the next
day's front pages.
Bjorn Borg had great difficulty adjusting to life after retirement and
lost vast amounts of money, while the late Vitas Gerulaitis had a major
cocaine problem. Ilie reveals how he helped both of them at a time when
their problems were taking a huge toll on their personal lives. He also
provides opinions and anecdotes on a host of other characters, including
John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe, Henri Leconte, Yannick
Noah, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
As a result of his celebrity status, Nastase moved amongst the
beautiful people. His book recalls some of his more memorable encounters
and experiences, including dancing the night away in New York's Studio
54 and Castel in Paris with the likes of Bianca Jagger and Claudia
Cardinale, and bedding some of the world's most desirable women (an
Italian countess and a former Miss UK are among his conquests).
For the many sports fans who followed tennis and followed his career,
his stories behind the varied headline-grabbing outbursts will prove
fascinating and irresistible. 'Full of rollicking anecdotes…a splendid
book' Mail on Sunday Ilie Nastase, born in Bucharest in July 1946, won
88 singles and 80 doubles titles, which included the US and French
Opens, three Grand Slam doubles titles and was ranked No. 1 in the world
in 1973. He is the oldest player currently competing on the Senior's
tour and is President of the Romanian Tennis Federation.
Debbie Beckerman formerly ran the sports imprint Partridge Press at
Transworld Publishers and now divides her time between writing articles
for The Times, the Daily Telegraph and the Guardian among others, and
ghost-writing.
