Mauresmo, Pierce top International Tennis Hall of Fame's induction list

Former world number one Amelie Mauresmo and fellow two-times grand slam singles champion Mary Pierce reportedly top the list of nominees up for induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame said in a statement on Thursday that two-times French Open champion Spain's Sergi Bruguera and Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who is the winner of two Grand Slam singles titles, have also been nominated in the recent player category.

Mauresmo, who was the first French woman to achieve the world number one ranking since the computer rankings began in the 1970s, captured the singles titles at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006, Sport24 reported.

Mauresmo's powerful yet elegant one-handed backhand and remarkably strong net play helped her claim 25 singles titles and the silver medal at the 2004 Atlanta Olympics.

Pierce captured her first major singles title at the 1995 Australian Open and triumphed at Roland Garros in 2000 when she became the first French woman to claim the title since Frankie Durr in 1967. She was also a member of the French Olympic Team in 1992, 1996, and 2004.

Australian David Hall, one of the most decorated wheelchair tennis players to date who was ranked world number one in singles and doubles and won every major title in the sport, was also nominated in the recent player category.

Nancy Jeffett, whose work for tennis over the past 50 years has been instrumental in advancing professional women's tennis and in developing opportunities for junior tennis development, was nominated in the contributor category.

The Hall of Fame's 2015 class will be announced early next year and an induction ceremony will be held on July 18 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, the report added.