JOHANNESBURG: Former Grand Slam tennis star Bob Hewitt has been jailed for six years by a South African court for raping underage girls.

Hewitt was found guilty at his trial in Johannesburg in March of two counts of rape and one of sexual assault.

Speaking at the sentencing hearing, his wife begged the court to show mercy to her 75-year-old husband.

The attacks took place in the 1980s and 1990s when the Australian-born player was working as a coach in South Africa. =DNA

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