While not thoroughly researched, many players over the course of their careers have had involvement with a host of tennis racquet manufacturers all vying for player endorsements designed to create credibility and sales. (Just another project to get stuck into)!!
As the Australian Professional players, particularly in the late 1960’s – 1970’s, were proving themselves on the World stage the racquet endorsements proved very lucrative. While often contracted to use Slazenger, Spalding or Dunlop in Australia, contracts often allowed players the opportunity to accept contracts within certain overseas markets and you will discover many racquets in the USA endorsed
by Aussies that were never sold here or were available only as a boutique line if their Australian contracts had expired.
By far most Australian players were with either Rawlings or Chemold, but occasionally there were some other interesting liaisons. Rod Laver, Margaret Court and Roy Emerson were in this former category, however Ken Rosewall became an advisor/ consultant to the
The Seamless Sporting Goods Company and a quite unusual racquet was created. The racquet right is a Rod Laver version.
Seamless started business in the rubber industry in 1877 and had been making rubber tennis balls since the early 1920’s, however in the early 1970’s, decided to move into racquets. Attracting Ken was
a real coup and the signature SEAMLESS Ken Rosewall aluminium racquet was launched in c 1971. The actual racquet, according to Siegfried Kuebler’s book, was made by Acro USA and marketed under the SEAMLESS name which the changed from 1973 onwards to SEAMCO. Where the word Seamless appears in the throat, below, on the later model the words Ken Rosewall are printed on a red sticker with white reversed text.
These racquets were sold in Australia by agents and stringing experts Reynold Racquets in Victoria.
As a design , they are really very sleek. Their external part of the frame has no stringing holes like a normal racquet and the string supports were slotted into the inside channel. Consequently, the external frame is very smooth and elegant.
Please see more racquets and other tennis memorabilia at www.tennishistory.com.au
May 26th, 2009 at 4:05 am
And unfortunately when the rubber string-holding grommets break (such as due to the rubber becoming brittle with age) you’re out of luck if you want to use the racquet again.