NEW DELHI: The Times Group is proud to announce the presence of tennis champion
Stefan Edberg
as mentor for the third Mahindra Scorpio
Times of India Sports Awards
(TOISA) powered by All-Out, India’s first and largest multi discipline people’s choice sports awards. The Swedish tennis ace, who won 41 titles in a professional career that ran from 1983 to 1996, as well as an Olympic bronze, will grace this year’s
TOISA
ceremony in Mumbai on February 26.
ALSO READ: TOISA 2018 Emerging Player of the Year Widely regarded as one of the most skilful of volleyers, if not the greatest, Edberg carved a niche for himself in the pantheon of tennis greats with a mastery of the serve-and-volley rarely seen in the sport’s rich history which he used to great effect in winning six major singles titles: two Australian Opens (1985, 1987), two Wimbledons (1988, 1990) and two US Opens (1991, 1992).
ALSO READ: TOISA 2018 Wrestling NominessEdberg’s skill was identified at a young age in his hometown of Vastervik, where he was reared on indoor wooden courts unlike the Swedish tennis icons Bjorn Borg - his self-confessed idol - and Mats Wilander, and at the age of 11 made heads turn on the Junior Circuit. In 1983, the year he turned pro, Edberg swept all four boys’ Grand Slams - a feat yet to be repeated.
During a pro career that spanned 14 seasons, Edberg entered the top ten on ten occasions with two peaks at No 1, in 1990 and 1991. In the 80s and 90s, Edberg formed a captivating rivalry with
Boris Becker
, whom he beat 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 6-2 for his first Wimbledon title in 1988 and then again two years later, this time 6–2, 6–2, 3–6, 3–6, 6–4.
ALSO READ: TOISA 2018 Tennis NomineesAfter several heartbreaking trysts at Flushing Meadows, Edberg emerged victorious in successive seasons at the US Open, hammering Jim Courier 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 in 1991 and Pete Sampras 3–6, 6–4, 7–6, 6–2. The 1992 semi-final between Edberg and Michael Chang was clocked at five hours and 26 minutes, at the time the longest match of the Open Era.
In the Davis Cup, which he contested on 13 occasions, Edberg had a 34-14 record in singles and 12-8 in doubles, wining the trophy four times. He also represented Sweden at two Olympics and won bronze in the singles event at the 1988 edition.
Edberg, 52, coached Roger Federer from 2014 to 2015, during which time the Swiss legend won 11 tournaments including three top-level ATP Masters 1000 events.
TOISA is a platform created by the Times Group to recognise and reward Indian sporting talent and achievements on a global scale and will be held soon to honour the lion hearts who have done the country proud. Past TOISA mentors are track and field icon Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci, the first gymnast in Olympic history to be awarded the perfect 10 score.
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