Kuerten, Kafelnikov, Capriati among Hall nominees

Brazil's Gustavo Kuerten and Russia's first World No. 1, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, were among nine people named Wednesday as nominees for induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Also nominated were former US women's star Jennifer Capriati, Spanish legend Manuel Orantes, Australia's Thelma Coyne Long, contributors Nick Bollettieri, Eiichi Kawatei and Mike Davies and the late Randy Snow, a US wheelchair player. Voting by a media panel will take place over the next few months with 75 percent support needed for enshrinement. Those chosen will be announced early in 2012 with ceremonies set for July 14, 2012, during an ATP grass-court event. Kurten, 34, had 43 weeks atop the world rankings. "Guga" won his only Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros, taking the 1997, 2000 and 2001 French Opens. He was the year-end World No. 1 in 2000 and won six of his 20 singles titles in 2001, finishing with a career record of 358-195. Kafelnikov, 37, won 26 career singles titles, including the 1996 French Open and 1999 Australian Open. No man since Kafelnikov in 1996 at Roland Garros has won singles and doubles crowns at the same Grand Slam event. The Russian topped the singles rankings for six weeks and captured Olympic singles gold in 2000 at Sydney. In 2002, he helped Russia win the Davis Cup. Capriati, 35, turned pro at age 13 in 1990 and played through 2004, winning 14 career singles crowns, including the 1992 Barcelona Olympic gold medal, with a 430-176 career mark. Capriati won Grand Slam crowns at the 2001 Australian and French Open titles and the 2002 Australian Open crown and topped the world rankings for 18 weeks. Snow, who became a paraplegic in a farming accident at age 16, won 22 major wheelchair tennis titles before his death in 2009 in El Salvador while serving as a volunteer at a wheelchair tennis camp. Snow won a silver medal in the 1984 Olympic 1,500m wheelchair exhibition event, took singles and doubles tennis gold at the 1992 Paralympics and helped the US basketball team to a bronze medal at the 1992 Paralympics. Long, 92, won 19 Grand Slam crowns in singles and doubles from 1935 to 1958 while also serving as a captain in the Australian Women's Army Service during World War II. Orantes, 62, won the 1975 US Open and was a long-time Davis Cup standout. He was ranked as high as second, in 1973, and won 11 career singles crowns. Famed coach Bollettieri, 80, has guided 10 players to the top of the rankings, including Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, and Boris Becker. At age 80, he still works with today's rising stars including Japan's Kei Nishikori. Welshman Davies, 75, is a former executive of the men's pro tennis circuits from their earliest days, having helped make crucial sponsorship and television deals, and later sparked renewed interest in the Davis Cup. Japan's Kawatei, 78, spent more than 25 years at various levels of Asian tennis, including 10 years directing the Asian and Japan Opens and serving in various International Tennis Federation posts.