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Sports Reporter

TENNIS Zimbabwe president, Biggie Magarira, is leading the campaign to try and get a lot of votes for retired Zimbabwean tennis star, Cara Black, who is being considered for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Lady Chevrons skipper, Mary-Anne Musonda, has also joined the bandwagon.

“Let’s support our very own by voting for Cara Black who is among candidates that could enter into the Hall of Fame,’’ tweeted Magarira. The ITHF Player Voting Group, comprised approximately 140 tennis journalists, historians, and Hall of Famers, will submit their vote. The top three, who get most of the votes in the fans’ vote, will receive bonus percentage points on their result from the Voting Group.

“To be elected, a candidate must receive an affirmative vote in 75% or higher of ballots, submitted from the Voting Group, or a combined total of 75% or higher from their Voting Group result, and Fan Vote bonus percentage points.

“So, if a candidate gets 80% in the ITHF Voting Group, and wins the Fan Vote, their total vote will be 83%.

“Because this is higher than 75%, they will be elected to the Hall of Fame. If a person received 74% affirmative votes in the ITHF Voting Group and comes in second place in the Fan Vote, they’ll get a 2% bonus, bringing their total vote to 76% and they will be elected to the Hall of Fame,’’ the organisers said.

“While some young tennis players are inspired by what they see on television or at a tennis club, Cara Black’s introduction to the sport came to be in her own backyard, on the four grass courts her father constructed and at the Black family farm in Harare, Zimbabwe,’’ the International Tennis Federation said.

“When Don Black returned home to settle down after competing as an amateur at Wimbledon in the 1950s, he focused on passing his love for the sport to his children.

“With little tennis resources in his native Zimbabwe, Don decided to build his own courts and instructed his children barefoot on the grass courts, so as not to damage his meticulously cared for court surfaces.

“Unconventional as it may have been, the training clearly worked.’’

And, the results were there for everyone to see. “Sons Byron and Wayne achieved success on the ATP Tour, and daughter Cara went on to become one of the WTA’s most dominant doubles players.

“Cara reached the world No. 1 ranking, and held the top spot for 163 weeks, while ultimately spending an incredible 569 weeks inside the world top-10.

“She won 60 career doubles titles, including three titles at Wimbledon, as well as trophies at the Australian Open and the US Open.

“Cara also won five mixed doubles major titles and is one of three women in tennis history (Open Era, since 1968) to have achieved a career Grand Slam in Mixed Doubles.

“A nod to the family passion, Cara partnered with her brother Wayne for two of her mixed doubles victories.’’