Ivanisevic Tops Fan Vote for Hall of Fame

Goran Ivanišević is people's champion again.The explosive Croatian, who beat Patrick Rafter in the pulsating 2001 Wimbledon final played on "People's Monday", topped fan vote results for International Tennis Hall of Fame's Class of 2020.Captain: Federer Influenced Zverev Decision to Skip Davis CupFollowing a five-week voting period which drew votes from more than 120 countries, Ivanišević finished in first place, garnering the highest number of fan votes. Conchita Martínez, the 1994 Wimbledon champion, finished in second place and Sweden’s Jonas Björkman, winner of nine major doubles titles and a former doubles world No. 1, finished in third place.

This year marks the second time in the organization’s history that the Hall of Fame induction will be determined by a combination of the results of the votes from the official voting group, which is comprised of journalists, historians, and Hall of Famers, as well as bonus points earned through the fan vote.To be elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame a candidate must receive 75% or more affirmative votes from the combined results of the official voting group and fan vote bonuses.As the first-place finisher in the fan vote, Ivanišević will receive 3 bonus percentage points on his results from the official voting group, while Martínez will receive 2 bonus percentage points and Björkman will receive 1 bonus percentage point.In addition to Ivanišević, Martínez, and Björkman, back-to-back Roland-Garros champion Sergi Bruguera is also on the ballot for Class of 2020 induction.

Once the Official Voting Group results and Fan Vote bonuses are compiled, the International Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2020 will be officially announced during the Australian Open in January.Last year, Li Na won the fan vote and was inducted into the Hall of Fame's Class of 2019.Photo credit: Getty]]>