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Reflecting on the Hall of Fame Championships

Jul 22nd 2016

At the Rolex Hall of Fame Championships in Newport, Rhode Island, former champions were inducted while a three-time finalist finally was crowned. Although he achieved a career high ranking of fourteen in the world in 2008, Ivo Karlovic’s victory on the historic grass courts of the Newport Casino after two previous attempts, irrefutably surpasses that milestone.

Playing in his third consecutive final at the majestic International Tennis Hall of Fame, the thirty-seven-year-old Croat and number two seed went the distance against the third seed Gilles Muller, the talented lefty from Luxembourg.

The two had met three times prior with Karlovic leading their head to head 2-1 although Muller won their most recent encounter last month in two tie-break sets on grass in the semi-finals at the Ricoh Open in the Netherlands.

Ivo Karlovic

The center court crowd was treated to an electrifying and entertaining three-hour final between two grass court magicians. The 6'11” Croat saved three match points before prevailing in three tie-break sets 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (12) with the third the longest final set tie-breaker in the Open era.

In tennis as in all sports, there are winners and losers but on Sunday in Newport, Rhode Island, there was parity; both players had won the same number of points!

Karlovic had to settle for the runner-up trophy the last two years losing in 2014 to the former world number one and Wimbledon champion, Lleyton Hewitt and in 2015 to the 2009 Hall of Fame Championships winner, Rajeev Ram.

Currently ranked thirty-five in the world, Karlovic earned 250 Emirates ranking points with this momentous victory, his seventh title on the ATP World Tour.

In addition to hosting this ATP 250 event, the Newport Casino, founded in 1880 and the site of the US National Championships currently known as the US Open, presides over the enshrinement ceremony of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

On July 16, 2016, two former world number one players were inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin and seven-time Grand Slam Champion, Justine Henin were honored during the enshrinement ceremony which preceded semi-final play.

Hall of Famers

1998 inductee and eight-time grand slam champion Jimmy Connors introduced the thirty-six-year-old Safin while the 2009 and nine-time grand slam champion Monica Seles, introduced the 34-year old Henin.

The charismatic and unpredictable Russian stunned the tennis community and his opponents at the 2000 US Open. In his first grand slam final, he methodically dismantled the thirteen-time grand slam champion Pete Sampras in straight sets. In 2005, he defeated then number one Roger Federer in the semi-finals before subduing the hometown favorite and former number one, Lleyton Hewitt in Australia for his second grand slam title.

The petite but powerful Belgian was an extremely accomplished all-court player with penetrating groundstrokes, mental fortitude and agile movement. She may well be best remembered for her exquisite one-handed backhand but her unwavering focus and patience undeniably distinguished her from her peers. In 2007, ranked number one in the world, she defeated Serena Williams three times on three surfaces.

Induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame is the ultimate achievement and accolade for any player and for tennis fans around the world, the quintessential summertime destination for incredible grass court tennis and history.