Mr Korda's prose skips along through 700 pages but he cannot resist the biographer's twitch of making pointless, speculative claims for his subject.

ECONOMIST: Lawrence of Arabia

Rafter's thoughts were afterwards focused on defending champion Korda, who is playing in the tournament despite failing a drugs test at last year's Wimbledon championships.

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Lloyd compares its use by protesters to the way Alberto Korda's famous photograph of Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara became a fashionable symbol for young people across the world.

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Korda insists he has no idea how a banned substance got into his system but many players feel players failing drug tests should receive mandatory bans - a view supported by Rafter.

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Mr Korda deals even-handedly with Lawrence's role, demonstrating that, although he was not solely responsible for the revolt, his remarkable leadership, courage and physical endurance gave the campaign vital cohesion and impetus.

ECONOMIST: Lawrence of Arabia

Mr Korda is especially good on this last phase of Lawrence's life, when despite his desire for humdrum anonymity he was unable to bring himself wholly to sever the links with his former life.

ECONOMIST: Lawrence of Arabia

Most importantly, for young players like Thompson, Tseng (still only 23 despite her five major titles) and Jessica Korda, the 19-year-old American who won the Australian event at Royal Melbourne, the future seems secure, if not yet brimming with dollars and network-television exposure.

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