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Davenport enters Tennis Hall of Fame

Former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam singles champion Lindsay Davenport was enshrined at the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Joining Davenport in the Class of 2014 was legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, executive Jane Brown Grimes, British tennis broadcaster and author John Barrett, and five-time Paralympic medalist Chantal Vandierendonck.

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Davenport won three Grand Slam singles titles -- the 1998 U.S. Open, 1999 Wimbledon, and the 2000 Australian Open. In 1996, she won the Olympic gold medal at the Atlanta Games and was the WTA Tour Championships winner in 1999. In all, she won an impressive 55 singles titles and compiled a record of 753-194.

The 38-year-old California native held the world No. 1 ranking for 98 weeks and is one of four women to have been the year-end No. 1 at least four times (1998, 2001, 2004, 2005) since 1975. She was also the No. 1 ranked doubles player, and is one of just six players to have held both top spots simultaneously.

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"I loved playing this game," Davenport said Saturday at the induction ceremony in Newport. "I never thought all if this would be possible. This is an incredible honor and achievement for me."

Davenport captured her first Grand Slam title at the 1996 French Open, when she partnered with Mary Joe Fernandez to defeat Gigi Fernandez and Natasha Zvereva. She went on to win two additional doubles titles at majors -- the 1997 U.S. Open and 1999 Wimbledon. Davenport was also in the final of the Australian Open six times. She won 38 doubles titles over the course of her career, compiling a record of 387-116.

A great American player, Davenport compiled an extraordinary record of 33-3 in Fed Cup competition for the United States and was a team member for 11 years, including three championship teams.

Davenport enjoyed a lengthy career of 17 years. She remarkably came back into tour-level competition twice after giving birth.

Since retiring, Davenport has developed a successful broadcast career as an on-air commentator and analyst for Tennis Channel.

The 82-year-old North Pelham, New York, native Bollettieri is widely regarded as one of the most influential people in the world of tennis. The legendary coach has an unparalleled record of discovering and developing champions of the sport.

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"Now I know exactly how it feels to those who reached the top of Mount Everest," said Bollettieri on Saturday. "The view from up here is amazing. It is not often I am humbled, as those who know me will tell you, but humbled to be inducted."

Bollettieri has coached 10 world No. 1 players. including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles, and Boris Becker. In addition, he has worked with Serena and Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Tommy Haas, and many more. Four of his players have been enshrined into the Tennis Hall of Fame -- with more likely to follow.

In 1978, he founded the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy (NBTA), the first full-time tennis boarding school that integrated intense athletic training on and off the court with academic curriculum. In 1987, IMG purchased the NBTA and evolved it into IMG Academy -- now the world-leader in developing high- performing youth and professional athletes through an integrated approach to academic, athletic, and personal development. Today, the IMG Academy campus spans 450 acres dotted with world-class facilities that support eight sports. More than 900 student-athletes call IMG Academy home year-round, and thousands more flock to the campus annually for training or competitions.

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The New York City native Brown Grimes has selflessly dedicated her life to the growth of tennis around the world for more than 35 years. In particular, she has had a major impact on three leading industry organizations, the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum, the Women's Tennis Association, and the United States Tennis Association, having held leadership roles with all three. She has also been highly active with the International Tennis Federation, having served on the Junior Competitions Committee and the Rules of Tennis Committee. She is currently an active member of the Fed Cup Committee, and has served since 2004.

The 83-year-old London native Barrett has been a leader in many areas of tennis, from broadcaster to tournament director, equipment representative to player. He is one of the game's premier historians and authors.

Perhaps he has been most visible in the sport over recent years as an accomplished broadcaster. For 35 years Barrett has delivered some of the sport's most exciting moments into homes around the world as a broadcaster for major networks. He was the unmistakable "Voice of Wimbledon" on the BBC from 1971-2006, and has also been on the air with Channel 9 Australia, Channel 7 Australia, ESPN, HBO, and USA Networks.

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Barrett is married to former world No. 1 player and 1993 Hall-of-Famer Angela Mortimer Barrett. The Barretts are the second married couple to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, joining Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.

The Dutchwoman Vandierendonck was one of the early stars of Wheelchair Tennis. She was the ITF World Champion three times, she won five Paralympic medals, and was the world No. 1 player for a total of 136 weeks in singles and 107 weeks in doubles. What makes her success even more impressive is that Vandierendonck is considered a high para player, which means she has significant disability, making the sport even more difficult to play.

[SportsNetwork.com]

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