Li Na, Pierce and Kafelnikov will be enter the Hall of Fame

[Dan Lobb]

Also inducted under the Master Player category.

It looks like the "Master Player" category was used to give spots in the HOF to well-liked individuals who would not normally qualify.

But even given that, I do not see any possible justification for including Owen Davidson or Bitsy Grant.

There should be a separate list for the Master Player choices.

 

[brystone]

Good class. I hope Bruguera, Muster, Martinez, Krajicek, Haarhuis & Eltingh (as a doubles team) get in at some point. IMO those 6 players deserve it as well. Hopefully the Bryan Brothers too.

Does anyone know why Martinez is not in yet?

 

[Mainad]

Good class. I hope Bruguera, Muster, Martinez, Krajicek, Haarhuis & Eltingh (as a doubles team) get in at some point. IMO those 6 players deserve it as well. Hopefully the Bryan Brothers too.

The Bryan Brothers are a shoo-in.

Does anyone know why Martinez is not in yet?

She doesn't meet the requirements for automatic consideration and, like other 1 time Slam winners, will have to await a time when an appropriate slot can be found for her. 2 of the 3 inductees for 2019 had to wait a while also and they had both achieved more than Martinez.

 

[brystone]

She doesn't meet the requirements for automatic consideration and, like other 1 time Slam winners, will have to await a time when an appropriate slot can be found for her. 2 of the 3 inductees for 2019 had to wait a while also and they had both achieved more than Martinez.

I dont think it is clear Pierce and Kafelnikov achieved more than Martinez.

Pierce has the edge in slams with 2 slams and 6 slam finals but she is far behind Martinez in many other ways. Only about half the number of titles, never reached higher than #3 while Martinez spent a ton of time ranked #2 or #3 from 93-96. Kafelnikov never even won a Masters, while Martinez has won many prestigious Premier Mandatories including 4 straight titles at Rome.

It is kind of funny to think of the importance of the 2000 French Open final between Pierce and Martinez. I think it is a 100% guarantee had Martinez won that match instead Martinez would have been in years ago, and Pierce would still be waiting today and might never get in. As it was Pierce won that match, and here we are.

Na even more obviously didnt clearly achieve more than Martinez despite her extra slam, but she is in a seperate category as where she is from and what she did for tennis in that part of the world ensured her induction (rightly so).

 

[Mainad]

I dont think it is clear Pierce and Kafelnikov achieved more than Martinez.

Pierce has the edge in slams with 2 slams and 6 slam finals but she is far behind Martinez in many other ways. Only about half the number of titles, never reached higher than #3 while Martinez spent a ton of time ranked #2 or #3 from 93-96. Kafelnikov never even won a Masters, while Martinez has won many prestigious Premier Mandatories including 4 straight titles at Rome.

Pierce is the only Frenchwoman in the Open Era ever to win the French Open and that gives her special kudos similar to why Yannick Noah was inducted. In addition, she has been a great ambassador for the game with her voluntary efforts to coach young tennis players from poor countries like Mauritius where she has recently been working. Kafelnikov is a former world #1 and has won many other prestigious titles including Olympics and Davis Cup as well as several doubles Slams.

It is kind of funny to think of the importance of the 2000 French Open final between Pierce and Martinez. I think it is a 100% guarantee had Martinez won that match instead Martinez would have been in years ago, and Pierce would still be waiting today and might never get in. As it was Pierce won that match, and here we are

I've always thought it quite odd and perverse for a dedicated claycourter like Martinez to pass up the chance to win the Clay Slam and secure her only Slam title on grass, a surface she hated!

Na even more obviously didnt clearly achieve more than Martinez despite her extra slam, but she is in a seperate category as where she is from and what she did for tennis in that part of the world ensured her induction (rightly so).

Li Na is to Chinese and Asian tennis as Pierce was to French tennis.

 

[Phoenix1983]

Li Na is to Chinese and Asian tennis as Pierce was to French tennis.

I'd say Li Na is an awful lot more important to Chinese and Asian tennis than Pierce was to French tennis - since the latter has a much longer history of producing star players. Li Na was IMHO one of the greatest tennis trailblazers of recent times.

 

[brystone]

As long as Martinez is in at some point I will be happy. It would be a crime for Novotna and Sabatini to both get in almost immediately and her never to since all 3 are interchangeable and from the same era.

 

[NonP]

This just caught my eye:

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2019...s-li-na-mary-pierce-yevgeny-kafelnikov/83718/

Apparently it was the first evening HoF induction ceremony ever. If this is to become a thing they may wanna use better lightning next time.

Can't say I'm a fan of Mary's rather frumpy dress. Yevgeny's and Na's ensembles were more suitable for the occasion.

Also anyone know who holds the record for the longest speech in HoF history? Pierce went on for nearly half an hour!

Anyhoo well-deserved plaudits for all. Was doubtful they'd ever induct Kafelnikov due to his gambling allegations (and, TBF, his very real money-grubbing ways) but glad they came to their senses.

 

[ChrisG]

As a fellow frenchman, Pierce has always been very self centered, that explains her difficult relationship with the french fans. however she has aged well and seems a more likable character now she's retired

 

[Italian Stallion]

Li Na's inductor goes a bit over the top. You'd think China never had a sports star before.

"There was no Chinese Jordan, Edberg or Federer."

Ever heard of Yao Ming. Liu Xiang, Wang Meng, Pang Qing, Cheng Fie?

 

[Mainad]

As a fellow frenchman, Pierce has always been very self centered, that explains her difficult relationship with the french fans. however she has aged well and seems a more likable character now she's retired

Apparently she's been giving free tennis lessons to under-privileged kids on Mauritius (where she's been living) so "self-centred" doesn't seem to be an appropriate way to describe her now.

 

[Mainad]

With the long overdue inductions of Kafelnikov and Pierce along with Li Na, the only retired multiple Slam champions yet to be inducted are Sergi Bruguera (back to back French Opens, 1993-4) and Johan Kriek (back to back Australian Opens, 1981-2).

 

[sureshs]

Li Na's inductor goes a bit over the top. You'd think China never had a sports star before.

"There was no Chinese Jordan, Edberg or Federer."

Ever heard of Yao Ming. Liu Xiang, Wang Meng, Pang Qing, Cheng Fie?

Not to mention every other champion in table tennis and badminton

 

[sureshs]

She is running the Indian Ocean Series in Mauritius. Mauritius was a French colony. Weather is much better than France.

 

[hoodjem]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1087135197189963776

This is the first ever class which includes a Canadian player, we finally got one in there.

Alas, sorry to bear bad news.
It looks like--based on the flags shown--that Pierce is going in as a French player.

 

[Phoenix1983]

Alas, sorry to bear bad news.
It looks like--based on the flags shown--that Pierce is going in as a French player.

Canadian-born, at least.

 

[Phoenix1983]

With the long overdue inductions of Kafelnikov and Pierce along with Li Na, the only retired multiple Slam champions yet to be inducted are Sergi Bruguera (back to back French Opens, 1993-4) and Johan Kriek (back to back Australian Opens, 1981-2).

Bruguera might get in.

Kriek, no chance - given the status of the AO in those days.

 

[NonP]

Li Na's inductor goes a bit over the top. You'd think China never had a sports star before.

"There was no Chinese Jordan, Edberg or Federer."

Ever heard of Yao Ming. Liu Xiang, Wang Meng, Pang Qing, Cheng Fie?

Not to mention every other champion in table tennis and badminton

C'mon, he clearly didn't mean to say China had no history of success in any sport whatsoever. And let's face it, none of those athletes except Yao (whose fame, I should add, derives as much from his extreme stature as from his NBA career) achieved global prominence on par with even Edberg's. I actually had to google the last three names myself, and if not for the Olympics I probably would've never even heard of Liu.

Alas, sorry to bear bad news.
It looks like--based on the flags shown--that Pierce is going in as a French player.

You're talking to a guy who tries to claim to this day Greg friggin' Rusedski as one of his own. I guarantee you he'll find ways to spin this "bad news" in the most favorable light possible.

 

[crackerspreaded]

Apparently she's been giving free tennis lessons to under-privilged kids on Mauritius (where she's been living) so "self-centred" doesn't seem to be an appropriate way to describe her now.

Pierce is absolutely one of the nicest and sweetest people ever in the sport. She is an emotive diva when she played, and some people have ridiculous misconceptions of her personality because of that. Even Mary Carillo the b-tch who hardly has a kind word to say of any player said "Mary is one of the nicest people in the sport, a real sweetheart" during her rant complaining about Mary's long bathroom break after the Dementieva semi at the 2005 U.S Open.

She also had to deal with a lot of personal demons with an abusive and nasty father, who used to physically assault her until she was 20.

Of all the ex top players who didnt win atleast several slams, she is probably the one I miss most. She was sexy, entertaining, super exciting to watch when on, unpredictable, yet classy, and had an intriguing back story. And even though she won only 2 slams when she was on, she could literally beat the sh1t out of any player. Who else can do this to peak Graf:

She also has a 6-2, 6-1 win over reigning U.S Champion Serena, 6-1, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-1 wins back to back of Seles and Sanchez to win a tier 1 tournament, and has beaten every top player atleast thrice, with atleast 1 humiliating beatdown of every single one. Here are some more examples of Pierce at her destructive best on her goddess days:

In 1 of her 2 slam wins at the 95 Australian Open she didnt lose more than 6 games or reach even 5-5 in a set in any round, including slam winners/slam finalists Sanchez, Martinez, Huber, Zvereva. At the 94 French she lost a total of 10 games in 12 sets en route to the final, including Graf in the semis, but the rain delay likely cost her the final vs Sanchez Vicario.

 

[hoodjem]

You're talking to a guy who tries to claim to this day Greg friggin' Rusedski as one of his own. I guarantee you he'll find ways to spin this "bad news" in the most favorable light possible.

Damn optimist!