In the Forward to Tennis Confidential, Bud Collins announces that "Paul Fein lets you in on the whole tennis picture." This is a perfect description of the book. It is a collection of the best articles of Paul Fein, a freelance tennis writer for over twenty-five years. These stories, one-on-one interviews, editorials and greatest moments cover tennis from every aspect.

Between the sections -- Portraits of the Stars, Memorable Interviews, Topical Trends and Burning Issues, The Great Controversies, Twentieth-Century Retrospectives and The Ten Greatest Matches In Tennis History -- Paul Fein manages to include all the greatest players in tennis history. From Ted Tinling to Venus Williams, his in-depth knowledge and probing questions are apparent.

Intertwined with the previously published articles are Fascinating Facts. These after-the-story tidbits include things like "Andre Agassi signed his first autograph at age six," "Gustavo Kuerten often sings in the locker room after playing a tournament" and "Jimmy Connors said he invented the fist-pump victory gesture in tennis." These notes are included in every article, making the articles a little more current and entertaining.

Among his freelance efforts, Paul Fein was often a contributor to College And Junior Tennis in its print form. We often forgot that his knowledge as a player, coach and tournament director led him to some wonderful articles that went beyond the juniors. Tennis Confidential is a testament to that.

by Marcia Frost