Guilty: Bob Hewitt was convicted of two charges of rape and one of indecent assault by the South Gauteng High Court in South Africa . A former tennis Grand Slam champion has been found guilty of raping and assaulting young girls he was coaching in the early 1980s. Australian-born Bob Hewitt, 75, had pleaded not guilty to the two charges of rape and one of indecent assault, which were brought against him by three women in 2013. But Judge Bert Bam, sitting at the South Gauteng High Court outside Johannesburg, South Africa, said that the evidence against him was 'overwhelming'. During the trial, his victims said that Hewitt, best known as a doubles star, assaulted them during private tennis lessons when they were young girls. 'Time did not erase the crimes. 'A guilty person should not go unpunished. The scales of justice tip against the accused,' Bam said. One woman testified that Hewitt had told her 'rape is enjoyable' as he assaulted her. Another victim told the court he had touched her inappropriately 34 years ago and forced her to perform a sex act on him when she was 12 and 13. Hewitt won numerous Grand Slam events during his career in the 1960s and 1970s and was named to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1992. But his name was removed from the hall of fame in 2012, following allegations that he sexually abused girls he coached. Judge Bam said he is satisfied that the two women who had accused the retired tennis player of rape and a third woman who had accused him of sexual assault were telling the truth. The judge said the striking similarities among the three womens' testimonies showed that Hewitt's conduct was calculated. Bam initially ordered that Australian-born Hewitt should be taken into custody, but said he was willing to consider bail until sentencing in April. A decision is expected later today. Wearing a suit, Hewitt sat with arms crossed and appeared impassive as the judge explained the reasoning behind his verdict for nearly two hours. His wife, Delaille, sat on a chair close to the accused's bench. He had pleaded not guilty to the two charges of rape and one of indecent assault, which were brought against him by three women in 2013 . One woman testified that Hewitt had told her 'rape is enjoyable' as he assaulted her. Another victim told the court he had touched her inappropriately 34 years ago and forced her to perform a sex act on him when she was 12 and 13 . 'I still don't think he thinks he did anything wrong,' said one of Hewitt's accusers, who is now 45. The victim, who was in court for the verdict, laid a charge of rape against Hewitt in 2011 for a crime she says he committed in 1980. She said her former coach raped her in his car before tennis practice when she was 12 years old. A South African group called Women and Men Against Children's Abuse helped two other accusers come forward and petitioned South African prosecutors until Hewitt was brought to trial this year. Hewitt was convicted of two alleged rapes that took place in the 1980s, and for a sexual assault that allegedly happened in the 1990s. Bam said the accounts of the three women who accused Hewitt were consistent and revealed a pattern of behavior by Hewitt. Hewitt, born in Australia, has spent most of his life in South Africa: In this file photograph from June 26, 1965, he is seen playing at Wimbledon . Hewitt also reached the semi-finals of the men's singles at the Australian Open three times, and won the Davis Cup with South Africa in 1974 after settling there . 'There is such a striking similarity between the evidence against the accused and his modus operandi,' said Bam. All three were gullible young girls, flattered by the attention of a renowned player, according to the judge. 'Their submissiveness in the circumstances should never have been seen as consent,' said Bam. The letters that Hewitt wrote to another of his accusers, were cited in detail as corroborating evidence. The judge said Hewitt had failed to convince him that the letters were only about tennis, as Hewitt said. Hewitt was born in Dubbo, Australia but has spent much of his life in South Africa. He won nine Grand Slam doubles and six Grand Slam mixed doubles titles in the 1960s and 1970s. Hewitt also reached the semi-finals of the men's singles at the Australian Open three times, and won the Davis Cup with South Africa in 1974 after settling there. The prosecution and defence both presented closing arguments at the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Monday. Hewitt had pleaded not guilty to all charges. His doctor said last year that Hewitt remained ill after suffering a stroke in 2010 and a heart attack in 2011.
Australian-born Bob Hewitt, 75, carried out offences in early 1980s . Found guilty of two charges of rape and one of indecent assault . Judge sitting at South African court said evidence was 'overwhelming'