The Sidelines : Tennis Impresario Riordan Dies

Bill Riordan, a tennis entrepreneur during the sport’s mid-1970s boom and manager of Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase, died Sunday. He was 71.

Riordan, who had suffered from heart disease for several years, died at Naples Community Hospital, his wife Teresa said.

Riordan had been retired for the past decade, spending much his time helping to raise funds for the International Medical Corps, which dispatches doctors to third-world and war-torn countries.

During the mid-70s, he managed both Connors and Nastase when both were ranked among the world’s top five players. He also produced big-money, made-for-TV challenge matches in Las Vegas, in which Connors was paired against such stars as John Newcombe and Rod Laver.