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Don Budge passes away

Tennis legend Don Budge, who swept all four major tennis tournaments in 1938 to become the sport's first Grand Slam winner, died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday. He was 84. He died at Mercy Hospital in Scranton, Pa., hospital spokeswoman Mary Leone said.

Budge was injured in a car accident in northeastern Pennsylvania on December 14 when he lost control and drove off the road. He was hospitalised in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., until January 8, when he was transferred to a nursing facility near his home in Dingmans Ferry. He was taken to Mercy Hospital on January 17.

Budge captured the year's four major titles - Wimbledon, US, French and Australian Opens - in 1938 going one better than Australian Jack Crawford, who missed the record when he was beaten in the US final in 1933.

The term "Grand Slam" was invented for Budge to describe the achievement.

New York Times columnist John Kieran said at the time that winning the four titles would be akin to the grand slam in bridge when a player takes all the tricks.

Only four other players - Maureen Connolly (1953), Rod Laver (1962 and '69), Margaret Smith Court and Steffi Graf (1988) - have since put together Grand Slam titles.

Budge was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1964, and selected one of Tennis Magazine's 20 greatest players of the 20th century.

"What impressed me, and what distresses me now, he epitomised what we were all taught as tennis players so lacking now: Look like a champ, act like a champ, try to play like a champ," Ted Schroeder, a top American player of the same era, said from the Australian Open.

"I respected him a lot for his achievements," Pete Sampras said from the Australian Open. "I only met him a couple of times, but he was a very nice and friendly person."

Agencies