This year’s announcement of the inductees into the International Tennis Hall of Fame brought a surprising yet well-deserved focus to the sport of doubles and wheelchair tennis.
For 2010, the inductees include the Australian doubles team of Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, the doubles team of Gigi Fernandez and Natasha Zvereva, Owen Davidson of Australia who earned a career Grand Slam playing doubles and mixed doubles, Brad Parks, a pioneering founder of wheelchair tennis and the late Derek Hardwick who helped usher in the creation of Open tennis and was a past chairman of the British Lawn Tennis Association.
“In recognition of their competitions and contributions, the Class of 2010 is a tribute to the game of doubles and to wheelchair tennis. The Recent Players and Master Player achieved an incredible record of doubles wins. In the Contributor Category, we are pleased to honor individuals who led two important evolutions of the game through the creation of wheelchair tennis and the initiation of the Open Era,” said Christopher Clouser, chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum. “We are delighted to honor these professionals who have truly earned a place in the Hall of Fame.”
Nick Bollettieri, founder of the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, who has trained the likes of Andre Agassi, Maria Sharapova and other star players, was on the nominee list in the contributor category, but did not make the final vote.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010 Induction Ceremony will be held on Saturday, July 10, 2010 in Newport, Rhode Island, during the final weekend of the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships (July 5 – 11, 2010), an ATP World Tour event.
Check here tomorrow for my interview with Brad Parks and Owen Davidson on being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Adjusting the Net 