NEWPORT, R.I., Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Former world No. 1 Boris Becker of Germany heads this year's list of those to be enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in July.
Francoise "Frankie" Durr of France, American Nancy Richey and Brian Tobin of Australia also will be honored, International Tennis Hall of Fame president Tony Trabert announced Tuesday.
Becker won six Grand Slam titles and concluded his career with 49 singles and 15 doubles crowns. He held the world No. 1 ranking for 109 weeks and finished among the year-end top 10 11 times.
As a redheaded teenager, Becker took the world by surprise in 1985 by winning Wimbledon, becoming the youngest male ever to claim a major - at 17 years, 7 months. Adding titles in 1986 and 1989, he reached the final seven times in 10 years.
While he played, Becker was known for his booming serve, heavy ground strokes and diving volleys.
Ranked as high as third in 1967, Durr won one singles and 11 doubles Grand Slam titles and collected 26 singles crowns and over 40 doubles championships. In 1967, Durr won the French Open women's singles - the last French woman to triumph in her native land until Mary Pierce in 2000.
Durr, a member of her country's Fed Cup team in the 1960s and 70s and team captain in 1996, was known for her unorthodox grips and accurate ground strokes.
Richey won two singles and four doubles Grand Slam titles and was ranked as high as No. 2 in 1969. In 1966, the only doubles major to elude her was the French Open. Despite her size, the 5-3 Richey used her powerful baseline play to win 69 career singles titles.
Devoting over 45 years of his life to tennis, Tobin has been a member of Tennis Australia since 1964, serving as president from 1977-89, during which he oversaw the building and opening in 1988 of the current stadium for the Australian Open.
Tobin was a member of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), for over 20 years, serving as its president from 1991-99.
There are three categories of induction into the Tennis Hall of Fame. Becker was voted in the recent player category, while Durr and Richey were accepted in the master player category. Tobin will be inducted into the contributor category.
