The death on Saturday of tennis legend Jack Kramer saddened one Bermudian in particular, rekindling memories of the days when the former Wimbledon and US champion regularly visited the Island.

Former president of the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association, Colin Selley, recalls when Kramer brought in several of the world's top players during the 1950s and '60s to compete in a tournament at the Government Tennis Stadium – among them Pancho Gonzales, Pancho Segura and Frank Sedgeman.

And he got to know the number one player in the world very well.

"It was a popular tournament and Jack loved coming to Bermuda," recalled Selley, Bermuda's former Director of Tourism and grandfather of this year's Round the Island powerboat race winner, Mark Selley, and his twin, David, a class winner in the same race.

"The tournament ran on and off from 1954 through to the 1960s, and featured a number of leading players," he added.

Selley went on to be a qualified tennis umpire, officiating at the US Open when it was held at Forest Hills where on one occasion he called a South African player for a foot fault on 16 occasions – making newspaper headlines in New York, much the same as Serena Williams last Saturday when she was called for the same blunder on match point in the semi-finals of the US Open.

Kramer, who reigned supreme in the '40s and '50s and promoted the sport for more than 60 years, died at his home in Los Angeles. He was 88.

He was among the founders of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).