Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 6/25/2007

6/25/1953:
Czech expatriate Jaroslav Drobny defeats American Budge Patty in a four-hour, five-set marathon on Centre Court at Wimbledon. Thirty-one-year-old Drobny, a left-hander with a big serve and a wide array of slices and spins, saves six match points during the last two sets to outlast his younger Californian foe, who won this fabled event in 1950. Although he'll lose in the semifinals this year, "Drob" will return next year for his 11th try and finally win the tournament to wide popular acclaim.

Birthdays:
Willis Reed b. 1942
Dell Curry b. 1964
Dikembe Mutombo b. 1966
Aaron Sele b. 1970
Carlos Delgado b. 1972

BIOGRAPHIES

Hitchcock was a visual genius who invented a whole new way of telling stories on-screen. His camera angles were fresh, his use of light powerful. McGilligan offers a bold, thorough, and exciting new biography that juxtaposes the images before the camera with the man behind it. Alfred Hitchcock offers the definitive life of a fascinating man, a peek behind the curtains of Hollywood, and an insight into how stories are told. Don’t miss it.

ALFRED HITCHCOCK: A LIFE IN DARKNESS AND LIGHT, by Patrick McGilligan (Regan Books, 2004)