Dear Dobey,

                   At the risk of sounding really pompous could I make one suggestion which covers anyone writing a critical article or letter about anything – check your facts first.

                   Jim Courier not only won two French Opens but two Australian Opens as well.

                   But that is by the by. What you seem to be totally unaware of – and I certainly don’t blame you because it is quite complicated – is the manner in which people get elected to the International Hall of Fame and the restrictions that are in place.

                   The first reason why you will not see Marat Safin elected to the IHF any time soon is that he is still playing. You have to have been retired from regular participation in the game for five years before your name can come before the Enshrinee Nominating Committee which meets one morning during Wimbledon every year.

                   You may consider some of us old stuffed shirts but I don’t think Pam Shriver or Mary Carillo would enjoy being lumped under that category! The committee is chaired by Tony Trabert and consists of some twenty people who are steeped the traditions of the game, either as former players; officials or journalists. Stan Smith, Frew McMillan, John Barrett, Gordon Forbes, Ingrid Lofdahl Bentzer, Brian Tobin are just some of the committee members and this year former Wimbledon champion Jan Kodes joined us.

                   We take the job presented to us extremely seriously and the discussions are fascinating. A person’s character is taken in account but the notion that Safin would not get nominated because he didn’t fit is absolutely untrue. What we do have to decide, for instance, is whether a record of one Grand Slam singles titles and twelve doubles titles is more deserving than two Grand Slam singles titles and one doubles title.

                   And there is another huge consideration of which we are becoming increasingly mindful. We do not have the final word. The process is so democratic that the names of the people we nominate are then sent out on a ballot to 150 tennis journalists worldwide and the nominees must receive a 75% approval vote before they can enter the Hall of Fame.

                   That is a tough ask and is one reason why we restrict the number of nominees each year so as to increase the chance of those we do select of actually getting in. Although it is perfectly permissible to vote ‘yes’ to everyone we nominate, the tendency is to pick and choose if the list is long. Many deserving people we have nominated have failed by small margins to make it. They can go back on the ballot for two more years but, if they fail again, then have to step aside for five years before being nominated again.

                   There are various categories under which a person’s name can be put forward for consideration.  The Recent Player category is the one under which Safin’s name will appear in due course. Then there is the Master Player category for players from past decades, dating all the way back to the game’s beginnings, who have failed to get elected as a Recent Player. There is also a Contributer category for people like the stalwart photographer Russ Adams who was elected some years ago and Mark McCormack and Gene Scott who will be inducted at Newport, Rhode Island, in a few days time.

                   So, you see Dobey, a fair amount of thought, consideration and effort goes into the process with a great many opinions offered and listened to. I hope this explanation gives you a better understanding of how it all works,

                    Keep watching,

                   Richard Evans

                    Tennis Week Editor-At-Large