By Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE tennis legend Cara Black is one of the seven nominees in the race for the International Tennis Hall of Fame once again after a failed bid last year.
Black was in the Class of 2022 ballot alongside Spaniards Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moyá; Ana Ivanović from Serbia, Italian Flavia Pennetta and Lisa Raymond of the United States which yielded no new inductees.
The whole from last year is now part of the Class of 2023 with only one addition, Canadian Daniel Nestor who is a 12-time Grand Slam winner in doubles and mixed doubles and is the first player in ATP Tour history to win 1000 doubles’ matches.
The 43-year-old Black won 10-Grand Slams in doubles and mixed doubles and a former world number one in doubles tennis while she is one of the three women to have won a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles.
“The nine nominees to the Class of 2023 ballot for induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame represent tennis’ greatest achievements across multiple disciplines of the sport,” chairperson of the ITHF Enshrinee Nominating Committee Katrina Adams said.
“As a former player I appreciate the hard work and professionalism each of these world class athletes possess. Being recognised as a candidate for tennis’ highest honour, induction into the Hall of Fame is a momentous accolade,” she added.
Esther Vergeer from the Netherlands and American Rick Draney are the two candidates in the Wheelchair Tennis Category.
Black won the Fan vote last year while Flavia Pennetta, and Ana Ivanovic were second and third place respectively but it did not guarantee her Hall of Fame induction.
A candidate has to receive an affirmative vote of 75% or higher from the combined results of the Official Voting Group and bonus percentage points earned in the Fan Vote and none of the nominees met the criteria.
The ITHF’s annual Fan Voting for the player category today and ends on October 30 with results set to be announced soon after.
Fans can cast their ballots at vote.tennisfame.com.
