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The tennis champion who escaped the Nazis

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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9 minutes

Last on

Mon 1 Jul 2024 02:50GMT

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  • Sat 29 Jun 2024 04:50GMT
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  • Sun 30 Jun 2024 23:50GMT
  • Mon 1 Jul 2024 02:50GMT

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