Melbourne - Legend Rod Laver will be honoured for his part in tennis history next month as the Australian Open brings together the great man and those he defeated on the 40th anniversary of his tennis Grand Slam. It was 1969 when the man they called the Rockhampton Rocket won all four majors in the same calendar year, the last man to achieve the feat.
To recall that achievement, the Open will bring together the former rivals the Aussie defeated in the four finals in Melbourne, Paris, New York and Wimbledon.
Laver's sweep was all but unmatched in men's tennis; he also claimed the slam in 1962 in the amateur days prior to the 1968 start of Open tennis.
Laver, long based in southern California, will meet again with Andreas Gimeno (Australian Open finalist, 1969), Ken Rosewall (French Open), John Newcombe (Wimbledon) and Tony Roche (US Open).
"I'm not sure if all five have been together in the one room for a very very long time," said Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley. "There will be more Grand Slam titles in that one room than probably anywhere else in the world at that time."
The former greats will join a lunch panel for a discussion on their roles in tennis history, set for women's finals day, Saturday 31 January.
The event is bringing in Gimeno from Barcelona while Aussies Rosewall, Roche and Newcombe are already familiar faces around the grounds at Melbourne Park and won't have too far to travel.
