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Sporting Witness: The tennis champion who escaped the Nazis

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The tennis champion who escaped the Nazis

29/06/2024 GMT

BBC World Service - Sporting Witness, The tennis champion who escaped the Nazis

Liesl Herbst and her daughter Dorli played together at Wimbledon after World War Two

The story of how Jewish tennis star Liesl Herbst fled the Nazis and ended up playing at Wimbledon with her daughter Dorli after World War Two. A record still unbroken.

Jewish tennis star Liesl Herbst dreamt of playing at Wimbledon but after Hitler invaded Austria, she was banned from competing. 

After fleeing from the Nazis with her family to London, she finally played two months before World War Two began. 

When it resumed in 1946, Liesl returned with her daughter Dorli to play in the ladies' doubles.

They remain the only mother and daughter who have competed together at Wimbledon.

Felice Hardy, granddaughter of Liesl and daughter of Dorli, author of The Tennis Champion Who Escaped The Nazis, speaks to Megan Jones.

(Credit: Hardy)

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