Tennis

Tennis Hall of Fame expels Bob Hewitt after rape conviction

Published Apr. 6, 2016 2:50 p.m. ET

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NEWPORT, R.I. -- In an unprecedented step, the International Tennis Hall of Fame has expelled Grand Slam doubles champion Bob Hewitt, who was convicted in South Africa last year of rape and sexual assault.

The Hall of Fame announced its decision Wednesday. Hewitt, who was inducted in 1992, is the first member expelled.

His plaque and all references to him were removed in 2012, when he was suspended from the Hall.

In March 2015, a South African judge found Hewitt guilty of offenses committed in the 1980s and '90s, when Hewitt's three accusers were minors.

As a player in the 1960s and '70s, Hewitt won men's doubles and mixed doubles titles at each of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

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