Helen Kelesi, Jane O'Hara and Andrew Sznajder will enter the Hall of Fame of Canadian Tennis in Halifax on September 14.

Maurice Leclerc of Laval, Que. will also be inducted in the builder category.

Kelesi, a Victoria native and Saskatoon resident, was No. 13 in the world in 1989 and 1990 before a nagging hamstring forced her to retire in 1995.

Andrew Sznajder was Canada's finest in 1986, 1988 and 1989.(CP Photo)
Andrew Sznajder was Canada's finest in 1986, 1988 and 1989.(CP Photo)

She returned to play three more tournaments in 1997 after recovering from a 15-hour operation to remove a brain tumour.

A second tumour was later discovered behind her right eye and removed.

Canada's top-ranked female player in 1985 and from 1987-1991, Kelesi reached the quarter-finals of the French Open in 1988 and 1989.

Kelesi, 32, went 10-4 in Federation Cup play between 1986-1993 and represented Canada at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

"It feels great," Kelesi said. "I?m ecstatic.

"I've been playing tennis for my whole life. It's nice to have my hard work pay off."

Sznajder, who turned 35 on May 25, ranked as high as No. 48th in the world and remains the lone Canadian male to crack the top-50 in the Open era.

Born in Preston, England, the Oakville, Ont. resident was Canada's male player of the year in 1986 and 1988-89.

Sznajder was also a member of Canada's Davis Cup team from 1987-1993.

He retired from the ATP Tour in 1996 having won 58 of 134 singles matches and $419,995 US in prize money.

"It's a great honour to be among the greats in the tennis community of Canada," Sznajder said. "It's always nice to be recognized based on past performance and past perception.

"When I heard the news, it meant a lot because I put a lot into my career."

O'Hara was Canada's No. 1 women's player in 1975.

She reached the round of 16 at the 1972 U.S. Open.

O'Hara and Australian John Bartlett also advanced to the quarter-finals in mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 1971.