The Great Fletch

When a passing French tennis superstar gave the young Ken Fletcher his tennis racquet, he didn’t know what he’d started. Ken Fletcher took the racquet, which was far too big for him, tucked its handle under his armpit and, with a determination and enthusiasm born of boredom, began to bang the ball against a board in his back garden, using his whole body to get behind the ball.

One day, Kenny would thrill the crowds and dismay his opponents at Wimbledon with this forehand, which Harry Hopman would later call "the best forehand in the world." It helped young Ken win five doubles titles and, at age eighteen, propelled him into the world of casinos, chauffeur-driven cars, beautiful women and applauding crowds.

Award-winning author Hugh Lunn has written a humorous and insightful account of the life of his childhood friend. In The Great Fletch, he explores how a boy from Annesley Junction turned into a champion tennis player. With his trademark humour and style, Lunn not only brings us the life of a sporting great, he also paints us a picture of a more innocent time in Australian history.