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The Finalists
A game of life and death!
Those are the stakes for the most sensational men's final ever played on the Centre Court at Wimbledon. Somewhere in the packed stands, a ruthless killer lies in wait - ready to shoot not only the new Wimbledon champion, but also the Queen, as she applauds the victor. And so the finalists must play on, spinning out the electrifying conclusion of their mortal combat while the police hunt for the gunman...
Those are the stakes for the most sensational men's final ever played on the Centre Court at Wimbledon. Somewhere in the packed stands, a ruthless killer lies in wait - ready to shoot not only the new Wimbledon champion, but also the Queen, as she applauds the victor. And so the finalists must play on, spinning out the electrifying conclusion of their mortal combat while the police hunt for the gunman...
- GenresThriller
Hardcover
First published December 31, 1977
13 people want to read
About the author
Russell Braddon
81 books22 followersRussell Reading Braddon was an Australian writer of novels, biographies and TV scripts. His chronicle of his four years as a prisoner of war, The Naked Island, sold more than a million copies.
Braddon was born in Sydney, Australia, the son of a barrister. He served in the Malayan campaign during World War II. He was held as a prisoner of war by the Japanese in Pudu and Changi prisons and on the Thailand-Burma Railway between 1942 and 1945.
In 1949, Braddon moved to England. He described his writing career as "beginning by chance". The Naked Island, published in 1952, was one of the first accounts of a Japanese prisoner of war's experience.
Braddon went on to produce a wide range of works, including novels, biographies, histories, TV scripts and newspaper articles. He was also a broadcaster on radio and television.
Proud Australian Boy: A Biography of Russell Braddon by Nigel Starck was published in Australia in 2011.
Braddon was born in Sydney, Australia, the son of a barrister. He served in the Malayan campaign during World War II. He was held as a prisoner of war by the Japanese in Pudu and Changi prisons and on the Thailand-Burma Railway between 1942 and 1945.
In 1949, Braddon moved to England. He described his writing career as "beginning by chance". The Naked Island, published in 1952, was one of the first accounts of a Japanese prisoner of war's experience.
Braddon went on to produce a wide range of works, including novels, biographies, histories, TV scripts and newspaper articles. He was also a broadcaster on radio and television.
Proud Australian Boy: A Biography of Russell Braddon by Nigel Starck was published in Australia in 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 6, 2021
DNF, 55 pages in - took 3 sittings to get this far which says a lot as I'm quite a fast reader and am usually able to read for big-ish chunks of time. Nothing specifically wrong with this one, just that I really couldn't get into it and have no desire whatsoever to continue much beyond the 50 pages I usually give myself to get into a book. A bit of a pity, as it sounded good on the blurb, but there is just something about the writing that doesn't flow very well - making this not much a story but rather feels like a list of sentences one after another and I get sleepy after reading about 20 pages.
Other reviews have mentioned that there is a lot of tennis (true, but not necessarily something I have a problem with as I do enjoy tennis), and I'm happy enough to read about lots of tennis (I read a book earlier this year that's of a similar tennis-y premise but of the romance genre, and my criticism there was that there was not enough tennis!), throw in a gunman and some diplomatic issues I thought would make an amazing fast-paced read that I'd rip through in a day considering it's only 200+ pages.
Wasn't to happen unfortunately, the writing made the book just plain confusing and difficult to follow. One minute we are in Wimbledon, and with no warning whatsoever we are magically transported to somewhere within driving range of Gary's home in Australia, therefore definitely not anywhere close to Wimbledon. Time-jumps are not necessarily a problem, I understand their use as a plot device and with the way that the Grand Slams are set out they would probably have been necessary, but there seemed to be no acknowledgement by the author that some time had passed since the scene on the previous page - the characters seemed to just be picking up right where they left off.
I genuinely did like Gary and Rastus as characters, and I would have loved to continue this journey with them. But, well, the other main premise of this story is the fact that there is a gunman in the Wimbledon crowd. A quarter way through there is not the slightest sign of said gunman, just lots of banter between Gary and Rastus, and a story of a murder where the murder doesn't seem to have the slightest sign of happening isn't the most exciting I have to say. There's only so much banter that I can find interesting, as much as I like the characters. 1 star, as I DNFed.
Other reviews have mentioned that there is a lot of tennis (true, but not necessarily something I have a problem with as I do enjoy tennis), and I'm happy enough to read about lots of tennis (I read a book earlier this year that's of a similar tennis-y premise but of the romance genre, and my criticism there was that there was not enough tennis!), throw in a gunman and some diplomatic issues I thought would make an amazing fast-paced read that I'd rip through in a day considering it's only 200+ pages.
Wasn't to happen unfortunately, the writing made the book just plain confusing and difficult to follow. One minute we are in Wimbledon, and with no warning whatsoever we are magically transported to somewhere within driving range of Gary's home in Australia, therefore definitely not anywhere close to Wimbledon. Time-jumps are not necessarily a problem, I understand their use as a plot device and with the way that the Grand Slams are set out they would probably have been necessary, but there seemed to be no acknowledgement by the author that some time had passed since the scene on the previous page - the characters seemed to just be picking up right where they left off.
I genuinely did like Gary and Rastus as characters, and I would have loved to continue this journey with them. But, well, the other main premise of this story is the fact that there is a gunman in the Wimbledon crowd. A quarter way through there is not the slightest sign of said gunman, just lots of banter between Gary and Rastus, and a story of a murder where the murder doesn't seem to have the slightest sign of happening isn't the most exciting I have to say. There's only so much banter that I can find interesting, as much as I like the characters. 1 star, as I DNFed.
December 20, 2019
Interesting book ... but if you have to be into tennis.
March 18, 2021
It’s the 1970s and Gary King, ranked number two in the world twenty is three years old; Vissarion Tsarapkin, upcoming Russian protégée is just seventeen years old. The two meet for the first time in the New South Wales Lawn Tennis Championship – a meeting that will change everything.
Immediately following their encounter in the second round of the Championship the two become friends, a friendship unhindered by Vissarion’s inability to speak English. The latter’s fraternisation with a capitalist leads to ructions in the Soviet camp and to Vissation’s defection. Welcomed into the King’s family home Gary and Vissarion become staunch friends as well as doubles partners; with Gary taken on an almost paternal caring role of his young Russian charge. Their endearing qualities soon make them universal favourites.
All goes well until the two boys find themselves facing one another in the Wimbledon finals; destined to produce the longest, most stunning five sets in history; and one attended by the Queen. However the 16,000 spectators are unaware that while the good natured battle is being fought out on court a tense and deadly drama is unfolding behind the scenes as a mysterious caller threatens that unless the Queen’s priceless Koh-i-Noor diamond is delivered up both the Queen and the winner of the tournament will be shot. The drama of the game is not surprisingly heightened as the two finalists discover that whoever wins the cup will also lose his life!
An ingenious and thrilling story as the drama both on court and between the police and the mystery caller builds towards its potentially fatal climax. The characters are well drawn and two boys are thoroughly likeable both on and off court. As much of the action takes place on the tennis court there is plenty of authentic ball by ball commentary. Interspersed with the drama there are touches of comedy; one of the funniest scenes being the Russian’s inept attempt to reclaim Vissarion from the King’s family home following his defection. ~ A highly entertaining and absorbing novel.
Immediately following their encounter in the second round of the Championship the two become friends, a friendship unhindered by Vissarion’s inability to speak English. The latter’s fraternisation with a capitalist leads to ructions in the Soviet camp and to Vissation’s defection. Welcomed into the King’s family home Gary and Vissarion become staunch friends as well as doubles partners; with Gary taken on an almost paternal caring role of his young Russian charge. Their endearing qualities soon make them universal favourites.
All goes well until the two boys find themselves facing one another in the Wimbledon finals; destined to produce the longest, most stunning five sets in history; and one attended by the Queen. However the 16,000 spectators are unaware that while the good natured battle is being fought out on court a tense and deadly drama is unfolding behind the scenes as a mysterious caller threatens that unless the Queen’s priceless Koh-i-Noor diamond is delivered up both the Queen and the winner of the tournament will be shot. The drama of the game is not surprisingly heightened as the two finalists discover that whoever wins the cup will also lose his life!
An ingenious and thrilling story as the drama both on court and between the police and the mystery caller builds towards its potentially fatal climax. The characters are well drawn and two boys are thoroughly likeable both on and off court. As much of the action takes place on the tennis court there is plenty of authentic ball by ball commentary. Interspersed with the drama there are touches of comedy; one of the funniest scenes being the Russian’s inept attempt to reclaim Vissarion from the King’s family home following his defection. ~ A highly entertaining and absorbing novel.
July 5, 2016
I bought this book in hardback as a random selection from a charity shop I think about 18years ago and for most of that time I've read it every year just prior to Wimbledon. Haven't done it for a few years.
I'm probably biased because I'm from Australia and can picture the places that it describes whilst taking place in Sydney.
It's not the most sophisticated of books and I'm certain that if you sit and dissect it there will be numerous holes in it. However if you want a bit of fun and something to read on a hot summers day with the tennis playing in the background then I would recommend this.
I'm probably biased because I'm from Australia and can picture the places that it describes whilst taking place in Sydney.
It's not the most sophisticated of books and I'm certain that if you sit and dissect it there will be numerous holes in it. However if you want a bit of fun and something to read on a hot summers day with the tennis playing in the background then I would recommend this.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews