THISDAYonline

Former world number one tennis player Boris Becker of Germany heads this year's list of those to be enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in July.

Francoise "Frankie" Durr of France, American Nancy Richey and Brian Tobin of Australia also will be honored, International Tennis Hall of Fame president Tony Trabert announced Tuesday.

Becker won six Grand Slam titles and concluded his career with 49 singles and 15 doubles crowns. He held the world No. 1 ranking for 109 weeks and finished among the year-end top 10 11 times.

"I am very delighted and feel the great honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame," Becker said. "It has always been my dream to be a part of this honorable institution and I will treat my membership with great respect."

As a redheaded teenager, Becker took the world by surprise in 1985 by winning Wimbledon, becoming the youngest male ever to claim a major - at 17 years, 7 months. Adding titles in 1986 and 1989, he reached the final seven times in 10 years.

While he played, Becker was known for his booming serve, heavy ground strokes and diving volleys. In his retirement, he has made news with tax problems and philandering.

Ranked as high as third in 1967, Durr won one singles and 11 doubles Grand Slam titles and collected 26 singles crowns and over 40 doubles championships.

In 1967, Durr won the French Open women's singles - the last French woman to triumph in her native land until Mary Pierce in 2000.

Durr, a member of her country's Fed Cup team in the 1960s and 70s and team captain in 1996, was known for her unorthodox grips and accurate ground strokes.

Richey won two singles and four doubles Grand Slam titles and was ranked as high as No. 2 in 1969. In 1966, the only doubles major to elude her was the French Open.