Oct 26th, 2018

Oct 26th, 2018

Australian tennis has been rocked by the death of former teen star Todd Reid, who has passed away at the age of just 34.

Awarded a scholarship with the famed Nick Bollettieri academy at the age of just 13, it seemed the world was at his feet when he won the 2002 Wimbledon junior title, in a field that contained future stars Marcos Baghdatis, Tomas Berdych and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Reid was on the verge of breaking into the top 100 in the world rankings, before being struck down with glandular fever in 2005.

Perhaps his finest moment came at the 2004 Australian Open, when, at the age of 19, he won a five-set marathon against Armenian Sargis Sargsian. In scorching heat, Reid overcame vomiting and cramps to reach the third round, which remained his best ever finish at a grand slam tournament.

With the Melbourne crowd on his side, Reid overcame the odds in the first five-set match of his career.

“That was the most amazing feeling I have ever had on a tennis court,” he said after the match.

“With that crowd, it was just amazing.”

It was the culmination of a superb month for Reid, who also reached the quarter finals in both Adelaide and Sydney to firmly establish himself as the country’s number three player behind Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis.