World Team Tennis Returns to New York City
This is the thirty-fourth season of Advanta World Team Tennis Pro League, but 2009 will be the first year since 1978 that New York City has been home to a World Team Tennis franchise. The NY Sportimes, led by New York City tennis legend, John McEnroe and partially-owned by Patrick McEnroe, are playing at the spanking new $15 million tennis center on Randall’s Island. The tennis stadium is part of the new Sportime tennis center
and reflects Sportime’s dedication to rebuilding Randall’s Island. Proceeds from the NY Sportimes Team Tennis franchise will benefit the Randall’s Island Sports Foundation and the tens of thousands of New Yorkers and their children that it serves. As part of WTT’s efforts to broaden the appeal of tennis, the NY Sportimes are offering the opportunity for underprivileged children and their families to experience WTT professional tennis at a NY Sportimes match. In addition, prior to a recent match, Serena Williams, in NYC with the Washington Kastles, attended a free clinic for children, each of whom received a free tennis racquet courtesy of the Sportimes, the Randall’s Island Sports Foundation, and Advanta.
World Team Tennis, founded by Billie Jean King, has created an experience for tennis fans that is quite different from the typical night at a professional tennis tournament or even an exhibition. All matches are played on the WTT’s multi-colored tennis court with music and other entertainment between sets and sometimes even between points! Most of the venues are intimate, seating a couple thousand fans which gives everyone a good view of the tennis action. Each team is comprised of two men, two women and a coach. Team matches consist of five sets, i.e. men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. Using “no-ad” scoring, the first team to win five games takes each set and a nine-point tiebreaker is played if a set reaches four all. Teams earn a point for each game won. If required, then Overtime and a “Supertiebreaker” are played to determine the outright winner of the team match. Another unique aspect of WTT is that the home team coach decides the order of the sets and the common strategy is to schedule the team’s strongest player(s) in the last set. If the team that wins the final set is trailing in the overall match then the match goes into Overtime. If the leading team wins one game in Overtime, the match is over and they win.
The three week WTT season runs during July and offers players the chance to get some matches in during their time off after Wimbledon. While several top women are competing this season, e.g. Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters, there is a lack of big name male players with the exception of American doubles specialists, the Bryan Brothers, and tennis legends such as Andre Agassi, John McEnroe and Michael Chang. Over the years, numerous tennis stars have played in Advanta Team Tennis including Tracy Austin, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Lindsay Davenport, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Billie Jean King, Anna Kournikova, Rod Laver, Martina Navratilova, Patrick Rafter, Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras and Monica Seles. WTT also features rising tennis stars who earn valuable experience playing in front of enthusiastic tennis fans on stadium courts. In fact, the top WTT mixed doubles team this season will receive a wildcard into the 2009 U.S. Open Mixed Doubles draw. The Eastern Conference WTT teams include the Boston Lobsters, New York Buzz (Albany, NY), New York Sportimes, Philadelphia Freedoms and the Washington Kastles. The Western Conference is comprised of the Kansas City Explorers, Newport Beach Breakers, Sacramento Capitals, St. Louis Aces and Springfield Lasers (Missouri). The Advanta WTT Conference Championships will be held on July 24th and then followed by the Advanta WTT Finals which will be held in Washington, DC, on July 26th to crown the 2009 Champions. It’s a jam-packed schedule for players competing in all the matches between the travel and back to back matches, but it also offers the pros the rare “team” experience. Players, especially the marquee players, also often spend time at kids clinics, as well as mixer events with sponsors prior to the evening’s matches. In the end, WTT emphasizes tennis being fun and entertaining while also recognizing the importance of giving back to both the kids and the sponsors who make the League thrive. The NY Sportimes provide New York City tennis fans with a diverting and entertaining prelude to the 2009 U.S. Open which begins on August 31st!
World Team Tennis, founded by Billie Jean King, has created an experience for tennis fans that is quite different from the typical night at a professional tennis tournament or even an exhibition. All matches are played on the WTT’s multi-colored tennis court with music and other entertainment between sets and sometimes even between points! Most of the venues are intimate, seating a couple thousand fans which gives everyone a good view of the tennis action. Each team is comprised of two men, two women and a coach. Team matches consist of five sets, i.e. men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. Using “no-ad” scoring, the first team to win five games takes each set and a nine-point tiebreaker is played if a set reaches four all. Teams earn a point for each game won. If required, then Overtime and a “Supertiebreaker” are played to determine the outright winner of the team match. Another unique aspect of WTT is that the home team coach decides the order of the sets and the common strategy is to schedule the team’s strongest player(s) in the last set. If the team that wins the final set is trailing in the overall match then the match goes into Overtime. If the leading team wins one game in Overtime, the match is over and they win.
The three week WTT season runs during July and offers players the chance to get some matches in during their time off after Wimbledon. While several top women are competing this season, e.g. Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters, there is a lack of big name male players with the exception of American doubles specialists, the Bryan Brothers, and tennis legends such as Andre Agassi, John McEnroe and Michael Chang. Over the years, numerous tennis stars have played in Advanta Team Tennis including Tracy Austin, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Lindsay Davenport, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Billie Jean King, Anna Kournikova, Rod Laver, Martina Navratilova, Patrick Rafter, Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras and Monica Seles. WTT also features rising tennis stars who earn valuable experience playing in front of enthusiastic tennis fans on stadium courts. In fact, the top WTT mixed doubles team this season will receive a wildcard into the 2009 U.S. Open Mixed Doubles draw. The Eastern Conference WTT teams include the Boston Lobsters, New York Buzz (Albany, NY), New York Sportimes, Philadelphia Freedoms and the Washington Kastles. The Western Conference is comprised of the Kansas City Explorers, Newport Beach Breakers, Sacramento Capitals, St. Louis Aces and Springfield Lasers (Missouri). The Advanta WTT Conference Championships will be held on July 24th and then followed by the Advanta WTT Finals which will be held in Washington, DC, on July 26th to crown the 2009 Champions. It’s a jam-packed schedule for players competing in all the matches between the travel and back to back matches, but it also offers the pros the rare “team” experience. Players, especially the marquee players, also often spend time at kids clinics, as well as mixer events with sponsors prior to the evening’s matches. In the end, WTT emphasizes tennis being fun and entertaining while also recognizing the importance of giving back to both the kids and the sponsors who make the League thrive. The NY Sportimes provide New York City tennis fans with a diverting and entertaining prelude to the 2009 U.S. Open which begins on August 31st!
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