The Austrian Thomas Muster is on a list of eight candidates for admission to the “Hall of Fame” next year. The left-hander from Styria won the French Open in 1995. Among the women, the two-time major winner Li Na from China is up for election.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) published the list of candidates on Wednesday. However, competition for the 50-year-old pattern is fierce.
Besides the Leibnitzer, former Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanisevic (Croatia), two-time French Open champ Sergi Bruguera (Spain), two-time major winner Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) and nine-time double Grand Slam winner Jonas Björkman (Sweden) have been nominated.
For women, the decision to be admitted to the Hall of Fame of Tennis in Newport, Rhode Island, between China’s icon Li Na, former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez (Spain) and four-time major winner Mary Pierce (France).
At Muster, who was the world’s number one for six weeks in 1996, the ITHF highlighted his incredible discipline in addition to his 44 titles on the ATP tour. A few hours after his semi-final victory in Key Biscayne in March 1989, the impulsive blonde was hit by a drunken driver. Pattern suffered a severe knee injury.
The pictures, which showed him sitting and beating on a chair during training, went around the world. About six months later, Muster returned in a show fight against Ivan Lendl, who had been his opponent in Key Biscayne six months earlier.
For the first time in the 64-year history of the “Hall of Fame”, this time not only tennis historians and journalists but also the fans can decide who will be accepted into the illustrious circle at the holy site. From August 27, fans can vote at vote.tennisfame.com.
The decision on the “Class of 2019” will be announced at the Australian Open in Melbourne next January. The admission ceremony will take place on July 20 in Newport, Rhode Island.