THOF Inductees Pasarell and Drysdale

Pasarell (with Pancho) played the original 'Greatest Match of All Times' @1969 W over two days.

In the fifth set, Gonzales saved all seven match points that Pasarell had against him, twice coming back from 0-40 deficits, to walk off the court the eventual winner in a 5-hour, 12-minute epic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancho_Gonzalez#One_of_the_greatest_matches_ever_played

Pasarell has been involved with IW for a long time and has been very influential in shaping Larry Ellison's opinions to make IW a better place for players to be.

Drysdale, on the other hand, has been involved with ESPN and Fowler/McEnroe(P)/Cahill and many others in broadcasting world. Very calm and soothing voice at times.

Tiriac, the original handlebar mustachioed player, was impressive and a tad frightening to me. He may be tainted with Blue Clay, but has done a lot for Tennis, and Romanian Tennis specifically.

Welcome to THOF!

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/03/10/Hall-Of-Fame-Elections.aspx

I really like Cliff Drysdale when he does a match with his south african accent and gentlemanly manner. I think he is a very underrated broadcaster. He has his opinions but doesn't let that detract from the match at hand, where as at times gilbert and the two macs seem as they are trying to steal some of the limelight from the actual event.

I just read that Martina Hingis is being inducted into the HOF.

http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/3097336/title/hingis-elected-to-tennis-hall-of-fame

Also Thelma Coyne Long is being moved up to the Master Category.

Not sure how I feelt about Hingis being in the HOF given how her career ended.

I know what you mean, however they put Agassi in and he had similar issues during his career (as it turned out). It would be hard for them to block her for cocaine use when Agassi has already been inducted and is a known past recreational drug user.

Ah but was he inducted before the 'revelation'?

His book came out in Nov 2009.
He was inducted in July 2011.

Won't be long before dear old Lance finds himself in a HOF

It's the only way in these days...
Apparently Michael Stich is nominated for 2013 too...he was a nice player but come on, where do you draw the line at 'Hall of Fame' when they shunned Kafelnikov who achieved far more in the game?

The HOF has always been strange.

Agreed placing Stich ahead of Kafelnikov is strange. I don't think it should run alongside the tournament in Newport. Have it run with the ATP/WTA awards or something.

After this batch are put in you wonder which future males besides Federer, Nadal, et al will go in? 1 slam Roddick? Probably as he's American...Hewitt?
It's going to get thin pickings for HOF in the next few years before they induct Federer...

You have Safin and Hewitt who you would more or less say would be a shoe in given the slim pickings. Kafelnikov must be inducted. They inducted one surface Kuerten last year!

legendkillarV2 wrote:You have Safin and Hewitt who you would more or less say would be a shoe in given the slim pickings. Kafelnikov must be inducted.

Sooner or later he will be.

legendkillarV2 wrote: They inducted one surface Kuerten last year!

Good one, LK. Are you hinting that there are other one-surface wonders? Muster?

laverfan wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:You have Safin and Hewitt who you would more or less say would be a shoe in given the slim pickings. Kafelnikov must be inducted.

Sooner or later he will be.

legendkillarV2 wrote: They inducted one surface Kuerten last year!

Good one, LK. Are you hinting that there are other one-surface wonders? Muster?

Sorry LF but I can't see what Kuerten has achieved that far outstrips Kafelnikov. I know it was blase of me to say it in such a manner, but the HOF really needs to look at itself if Kafelnikov has been over-looked. Are they still bearing a grudge for the Cold War?

I agree regarding Kafelnikov. The Cold War stuff should be a non-issue.

http://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/eligibility
http://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/members/country

It wasn't that he was overlooked, he was snubbed,
He made a shortlist including Kuerten but then wasn't selected for 2011.
As far as I believe, he can only be nominated again for 2012 or 2013...so it isn't happening!
The guy won 2 slams, #1 (ok, briefly), Gold medal, Davis Cup, 4 slams at doubles and titles across all surfaces inc. carpet, plus was the #1 inspiration to the later generation of Russian tennis players. Its a joke.

kafelnikov should be in, Nalbandian should go into the culinary hall of fame in the category of best customer.

socal1976 wrote:kafelnikov should be in, Nalbandian should go into the culinary hall of fame in the category of best customer.

If we counted loyalty cards as ranking points, he'd be the undisputed GOAT.

I dunno I think taylor dent could give him a run for his money!

HM Murdoch wrote:

socal1976 wrote:kafelnikov should be in, Nalbandian should go into the culinary hall of fame in the category of best customer.

If we counted loyalty cards as ranking points, he'd be the undisputed GOAT.

Well murdoch the chubby one is an entertaining player and personality but me thinks some of the lionization of him and other federer contemporaries while simultaneously denying the uniqueness of djokovic and murray is a bit self serving lets say.

Self-serving? Nalby is the master of that - at the all-you-can-eat buffet.

Self serving? Are we taking about Donut Dave at the drive-thru again?

HOF is going to struggle for guys retiring between 07-14 me thinks.

JHM...you beat me to that comment

JuliusHMarx wrote:Self-serving? Nalby is the master of that - at the all-you-can-eat buffet.

I am telling you Julius we need to take our show on the road. I here he developed his legendary backhand by slapping his siblings away from the last slice of pizza.

lydian wrote:Self serving? Are we taking about Donut Dave at the drive-thru again?

HOF is going to struggle for guys retiring between 07-14 me thinks.

JHM...you beat me to that comment

I am trying to be good, and not to go down the trodden path, but you keep throwing out all this red meat for me, I won't say it.... I can't... damn it...weak era. I will say this those guys have better chance than Tomas berdych. Funny story berdy and Djoko both went to the laker game on sunday. Djoko was invited to the locker room before the match and met Kobe and the rest of the lakers, sat courtside and was interviewed by the TV network during break in the action. The gave Berdych nosebleeds in the rafters, talk about dissing the self absorbed Czech. How ticked does he have to be when they show Novak down on courtside getting interviewed by the TV cameras and he can't even get good seats. It is good to be number 1.