The Rockhampton Rocket - Rod Laver - has given the go ahead to having the footbridge at Yeerongpilly across to the new Queensland Tennis Centre named in his honour.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It will be Queensland's homage to the legendary tennis player, who is recognised in Melbourne with the Rod Laver Arena, and with a hall in his home town.
Moves are now underway to have Laver attend the Brisbane International tennis championship in early January 2015 and receive the honour personally.
Laver now lives in California.
Assistant Minister for Public Transport Steve Minnikin confirmed Laver's management in the United States had approved Brisbane's footbridge proposal.
"We hope to do this during the Brisbane International and hopefully the great Rod Laver will be attending," Mr Minnikin said.
"There are negotiations underway with his management for Rod to come to Brisbane," he said.
"And if he does, part of his visit will involve opening the Rod Laver Footbridge."
Laver was ranked the World's No1 tennis player for seven years in a row (1964 to 1970), won 200 career singles titles and is the last male player to have won every major title twice.
He won tennis' grand slam twice; once as an amateur in 1962 and again as a professional in 1969, and by the end of the 1960s was regarded as the best tennis player in the world.
Melbourne Park's centre court was re-named Rod Laver Arena in his honour in January 2000.
The slight, once lightning fast left-hander, is acknowleged by contemporary players as one of the game's greats.
Former world number one Roger Federer, who finished runner-up to Lleyton Hewitt in the Roy Emerson Trophy in 2013, returns to Brisbane in 2015.
Mr Minnikin said talks with Laver's management would finalise the design of the sign, the plaque and wording of the name.
The idea came from businessman and tennis enthusiast, Peter Rasey, who was named Brisbane City Council's Citizen of the Year for 2014.
Mr Rasey has encouraged Brisbane City Council to acknowledge many of Queensland's earlier tennis stars – Ken Fletcher, Wendy Turnbull and Rod Emerson – as new tennis facilities are built in Brisbane.
There is Ken Fletcher Park at Yeerongpilly, beside the Queensland Tennis Centre; Wendy Turnbull Green at Milton at the new Roy Emerson Tennis Centre at Frew Park, the site of the old Milton Tennis Centre.
"Every country in the world plays and follows tennis and they all remember our greats – so there is enormous tourist potential," Mr Rasey said.
The idea to link the former tennis greats into the newer tennis infrastructure came via petition signed by 5000 Brisbane residents in 2013, Mr Rasey said.
"We've got the champions, we've got the larrikins, we've got the family greats, we've got the storytellers and we have had the heartache of losing our spiritual tennis home of Milton," Mr Rasey said.
"But now we have reclaimed the tennis narrative for the city."
Mr Rasey suggested using the footbridge because Queensland Rail copied the herringbone sole pattern used on tennis shoes on the bridge across to the Queensland Tennis Centre.
That sole pattern is from a Dunlop volley tennis shoe, worn by Rod Laver among others of his generation.
