The 'Rockhampton Rocket' was a nickname given to which tennis superstar?

Rodney George Laver was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, on 9 August 1938. Laver was a young boy when he left school to pursue a tennis career that lasted 24 years. He was coached in Queensland by Charlie Hollis and later by the Australian Davis Cup team captain Harry Hopman, who gave Laver the nickname "Rocket". Due to his place of birth he soon became known as the 'Rockhampton Rocket'.

Although of a slightly short and medium build (1.73 m/5 ft 8"), Laver developed a technically complete serve-and-volley game, with aggressive groundstrokes to back it up. Dan Maskell, the Voice of Wimbledon, described him as "technically faultless." His left-handed serve was well disguised and wide swinging. His groundstrokes on both flanks were hit with topspin, as was the attacking topspin lob, which Laver developed into a weapon. His stroke technique was based on quick shoulder turns, true swings, and accurate timing. His backhand, often hit on the run, was a point-ender that gave him an advantage. Laver was very quick and had a strong left forearm.