Commentator Threlfall dies at 81

Bill Threlfall won the National Veterans Championship five times

Veteran tennis commentator Bill Threlfall has died at the age of 81.

After a successful career as a player and a coach, Threlfall covered 41 Wimbledon tournaments for BBC television and radio.

"He seemed as committed to his job and as enthusiastic at his final tournament as at his first," said BBC Sport tennis correspondent Jonathan Overend.

"Despite that age he was amazingly sprightly in his journeys around the world. His enthusiasm never dipped."

As well as his work for the BBC, Threlfall commentated for Sky Sports, and his last commentary was at the ABN Amro tournament in Rotterdam in February.

Nothing would keep him from his commnetary box BBC Sport's Jonathan Overend

"The fact that Bill was not only broadcasting on live tennis into his 80s but also still coaching and playing a mean game tells you something about the man," said Sky Sports' deputy managing director Andy Melvin.

A former Fleet Air Arm pilot, Threlfall won the Royal Navy men's singles championship a record eight times, played at Wimbledon in the 1950s, and won the National Veterans Championship five times.

Overend, who worked with him many times, says he never lost his enthusiasm for the sport he loved.

606: DEBATE Do you have any favourite memories of Bill's commentary?

"He could often be seen out the back of commentary boxes poring over the day's statistics," he said.

"I remember a scene from a tournament in Nottingham last summer.

"The commentary position is on a rickety gantry and you have to go up risky spiral staircase to get to it.

"I followed him down the stairs one day and remember wondering if he should be taking his life into his own hands.

"However that was a minor challenge for him and nothing would keep him from his commentary box."