Rafter, Sabatini and Clerici inducted at International Tennis Hall of Fame
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kat Anderson
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07/14/06 - Newport, RI - Today tennis takes center stage in Newport as the International Tennis Hall of Fame inducts Australia's Patrick Rafter, Argentina's Gabriela Sabatini and Italian journalist Gianni Clerici. In addition, seven Master Players will be inducted posthumously; Nancye Wynne Bolton of Australia, Marion Jones Farquhar of the U.S., Arthur Gore of Great Britain, Karel Kozeluh of the Czech Republic, Herbert Lawford of Great Britain, Simonne Mathieu of France and Hans Nusslein of Germany.
Honoring the newest members, the International Tennis Hall of Fame also celebrates the 190 legends of tennis already enshrined. The official ceremony is on Bill Talbert Stadium Court, where 2004 Hall of Famer Steffi Graf returns to present her friend Gabriela Sabatini for induction. Patrick Rafter will be presented for induction by his father, James Rafter, while Gianni Clerici will be presented for induction by his longtime friend and colleague Bud Collins, a 1994 Hall of Famer.
Patrick Rafter is a two-time US Open Champion (1997-98) and former world No. 1 ranked player. In his 12-year career he achieved a singles win-loss record of 358-191, including 11 singles titles. He also captured 12 doubles titles including the 1999 Australian Open Doubles Championship with partner Jonas Bjorkman. Rafter is an eight-year veteran of Australia's Davis Cup team (1994-2001) with a Davis Cup career win-loss record of 21-11 (18-10 in singles; 3-1 in doubles). Elected in the Recent Player category, he is the 24th Australian to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
"This was unexpected and I'm absolutely delighted," said Rafter. "It's one of the greatest honors in tennis and I am looking forward to the induction."
After being named the WTA Tour newcomer of the year in 1985, Gabriela Sabatini was ranked in the World Top 10 for ten consecutive years (1986-1995) and finished her 13-year career with an impressive 632-189 singles record. The first Argentine woman to win a Grand Slam singles event (1990 US Open), Sabatini captured 27 WTA Tour singles championships and 14 doubles championships, including the Wimbledon Doubles title in 1988 (with partner, 2004 Hall of Famer, Steffi Graf). She was the leader of the Argentine Fed Cup team 1985-87 and 1995 and member of the Argentine Olympic team in 1988 and 1996, winning the silver in 1988. Also elected in the Recent Player category, Sabatini is the first woman from Argentina to enter the International Tennis Hall of Fame and follows countryman Guillermo Vilas, inducted in 1991.
"The majority of my life has revolved around my tennis so it is a very special honor to be elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, especially when you look at all the great names of champions that have been elected over the years," said Sabatini. "It is the greatest honor for a tennis player and will be forever special in my life."
Elected as a Contributor to the sport, Italian Gianni Clerici is an acclaimed tennis editor, columnist and author, covering tennis' major championships for over 40 years. He has attended more than 170 Grand Slam tournaments and has written over 6,000 articles on sports, with a concentration on tennis. His writing career started in 1956 at Il Giorno (Milan daily newspaper) as a reporter and columnist and today writes for Rome's leading newspapers La Repubblica (1988-present) and the weekly L'Espresso (1960-present). He has also become a fixture on the largest Italian broadcasting network, commentating for over 30 years. As an international author, Clerici published an instructional tennis guide, "II Vero Tennis" (1965), "II Tennis Facile (1972), "500 Anni di Tennis" (1974) in French, German, Japanese, Spanish and in English as the "Ultimate Tennis Book." In 1984 he released a biography on Suzanne Lenglen, one of the original icons in women's tennis. Clerici is the second Italian to be elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, following countryman Nicola Pietrangeli inducted in 1986.
"Gabriela and Patrick are champions of broad, magnetic appeal. Gianni is a scholar of broad journalistic and literary accomplishment," stated Bud Collins. "They represent a worldwide spread -- Australia, Argentina and Italy."
Master players
The Hall of Fame's Enshrinee Nominating Committee and Board of Directors' Executive Committee collectively agreed in the selection of this year's seven Master Players. The playing careers of these masters range from the late 1800s through the early 1950s, with the majority of their careers ending prior to World War II.
"Each of these individuals had a significant impact in tennis as players in their time," said Tony Trabert, President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and 1970 Hall of Famer. "Their careers were impressive, and it is our duty to honor their memory by officially placing them in the International Tennis Hall of Fame."
Nancye Wynne Bolton (1916-2001) captured 20 Australian championships; six singles (1937, 1940, 1946-48, 1951), ten doubles (1936-40, 1947-49, 1951-52) and four mixed (1940, 1946-48) acquiring the rare triple in 1940, 1947 and 1948. At age 22, Bolton was the first Australian woman to play in a U.S. Championship final (1938). In 1947 she played at Wimbledon, reaching the singles quarterfinal and the mixed doubles final. She was ranked in the World Top 10 four times, holding her highest rank of No. 4 for three consecutive years (1947-49). Described as a tall, big hitter, with a blitzing forehand, Bolton is second only to Margaret Smith Court (21) in Australian titles, and holds the records for most doubles team titles (10), most doubles team final appearances (12) and most mixed team titles (4).
Marion Jones Farquhar (1879-1965) was the first American woman to compete at Wimbledon in 1900, reaching the quarterfinal. She was the first Californian to reach the finals at the women's U.S. Championships in 1898, returning in 1899 to claim the title. She won again in 1902, reached the final in 1903, and finished her U.S. Championship career with a 17-3 win-loss record. In doubles, she won the U.S. Mixed Championships in 1901 and the Women's Doubles in 1902. In 1900, she was one of the first Americans to play Olympic tennis (the second Olympiad in Paris), winning the bronze medal in both singles and mixed doubles.
Arthur Gore (1868-1928) holds the record for most Wimbledon tournaments played with 30 (between 1888 and 1922). He was the Wimbledon singles champion in 1901, 1908 and 1909 - in 1909 becoming the oldest Wimbledon singles champion at 41 years 182 days, a record Gore still holds today. In addition, he reached the Wimbledon final seven times (1899, 1900, 1902, 1906-07, 1910, 1912). He was a doubles finalist in 1908 and 1910, winning the doubles championship in 1909. Gore played Davis Cup for Great Britain in 1900 and 1907, and was the 1908 London Olympics gold medalist in both singles and doubles.
Karel Kozeluh (1895-1950) was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia and developed into a tremendous athlete. A former soccer player, Kozeluh turned to the pro leagues of tennis and became a standout European Pro Champion. He reigned as the French Pro Singles Champion from 1925 to 1930 and again in 1932, was the European Pro Tour Champion in 1932, and won the U.S. Pro Singles Championships three times (1929, 1932, 1937). In 1925 he captured the World Professional Tennis title. Having never played amateur tennis due to his "professional status," Kozeluh is considered one of the greatest players of the early pro tennis years and was described as "the Fred Astaire of the courts, with faultless ground strokes and a safecracker's touch at net."
Herbert Lawford (1851-1925) was a classic baseline player and was widely known for his "Lawford forehand." He was the first person to introduce topspin to the sport. Lawford successfully tuned his strokes, implementing topspin and delivered an impressive backcourt game. With power, speed and incredible accuracy, Lawford won Wimbledon in 1887, and was a singles finalist five times (1880, 1884-86, 1888).
Simonne Mathieu (1908-1980) was one of France's finest female champions. She captured the French Singles Championships in 1938 and 1939 after reaching the finals in 1929, 1932-33, 1935-37. She won 11 major doubles championships; three Wimbledon doubles titles (1933-34, 1937), six French doubles titles (1933-34, 1936-39) and two French mixed doubles titles (1937-38), completing the rare triple in 1938 (singles, doubles and mixed). Her 13 majors are second only to Suzanne Lenglen's 21 among French women. Mathieu was ranked in the World Top 10 for eleven straight years (1929-1939), reaching her highest ranking of No. 3 in 1932.
Hans Nusslein (1910-1991) of Germany joined the ranks of tennis' professional tour in 1931. A top European pro player, he won the French Pro title in 1937-38, the London Pro title in 1937, and the U.S. Pro title in 1934. He captured the World Pro Championships four times (1933, 1936-38). Nusslein was unable to play the major championships due to his "professional status," however he was a formidable opponent in the pro ranks. Bill Tilden, the most dominating pro player of the era, called Nusslein "a machine with a brain, and the finest player I ever saw."
Established in 1954, the International Tennis Hall of Fame is a non-profit institution dedicated to preserving the history of tennis, inspiring and encouraging junior tennis development, enshrining tennis heroes and heroines, and providing a landmark for tennis enthusiasts worldwide. The International Tennis Hall of Fame was recognized as the sport's official Hall of Fame in 1986 by the International Tennis Federation, the governing body of tennis. Including the Class of 2006, the International Tennis Hall of Fame honors 200 people representing eighteen different countries.
The annual Hall of Fame Induction Weekendin Newport caps off a full week of professional tournament tennis. The Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships played for the Van Alen Cup, an ATP event, is scheduled for July 10-16. The Museum is open daily at 10am during the tournament and closes after play ends each day. For additional information regarding the International Tennis Hall of Fame's Class of 2006, Hall of Fame Weekend, the Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships or the International Tennis Hall of Fame's Museum, please call 401-849-6053, or visit our website, www.tennisfame.com.
Event Date: 07/14/06
Event Title: Class of 2006 inducted at International Tennis Hall of Fame
