Tuesday, January 24, 2017

New Hall of Famers dominated Bay Area tourneys

   Kim Clijsters and Andy Roddick, who were elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Monday, were practically adopted Northern Californians.
   Clijsters won the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford four times (2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006), and Roddick captured three titles in the now-defunct SAP Open in San Jose (2004, 2005 and 2008).
   Clijsters won four Grand Slam singles crowns (three in the U.S. Open) and two major doubles titles. She also played on Belgium's Fed Cup championship team in 2001.
   Roddick used his thundering serve to claim one Grand Slam singles title, the 2003 U.S. Open, and reach three Wimbledon finals. He lost to Roger Federer each time at the All-England Club, including 16-14 in the fifth set in 2009.
   Roddick led the United States to its last Davis Cup championship, in 2007, and remains the nation's last man to win a major singles title.
   He joins countryman Michael Chang, Yannick Noah of France, Manuel Orantes of Spain and Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina as Hall of Famers with one Grand Slam singles crown.

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