WTT finalizes lineups at Roster Player Draft
April 1, 2008 - World TeamTennis (WTT) News Release
(Miami) - World TeamTennis franchises finalized their lineups today at the WTT Roster Player Draft in Miami, Fla., completing the player selection process that began last month when marquee player protections were announced. First round roster player draft selections for the 11 teams in the WTT Pro League presented by Advanta included Lisa Raymond, Justin Gimelstob, Rennae Stubbs and American teenager Madison Brengle.
Dmitry Tursunov will be a featured roster player for the Sacramento Capitals this summer, playing one home match on July 11. Liezel Huber, the world's top-ranked doubles player, is a roster exempt player for the Delaware Smash. Huber will play three matches for the Smash on July 8, 9, and 11.
During the WTT Player Draft, 46 roster players representing 17 countries were added to the 2008 lineup, joining previously announced marquee players including Venus Williams (Philadelphia Freedoms), Serena Williams (Washington Kastles), Anna Kournikova (St. Louis Aces), John McEnroe (New York Sportimes), Lindsay Davenport (Newport Beach Breakers), Andy Roddick (St. Louis Aces) and Mike and Bob Bryan (Kansas City Explorers) to fill out the player list for the 2008 season.
Raymond returns to the Philadelphia Freedoms while another doubles standout, Rennae Stubbs, will play in Kansas City along with her tour partner Kveta Peschke. Gimelstob makes his WTT debut this summer with the League's newest franchise, the Washington Kastles. Brengle, a Dover, Del. native, will play in front of a friendly home crowd this summer for the Smash.
The League's two West Coast teams are looking to their WTT veterans to lead their 2008 squads. Sacramento protected Caps stalwart Elena Likhovtseva in the first round while Newport Beach did the same for long-time fan favorite Ramon Delgado. Jasmin Woehr returns to the Aces while 2007 WTT Female MVP Tamarine Tanasugarn will be back for the Springfield Lasers.
The Boston Lobsters selected Jan-Michael Gambill with their first pick and League newcomer Yaroslava Shvedova will make her debut for the New York Buzz.
The schedule for the WTT Pro League presented by Advanta includes 77 matches in 11 markets beginning July 3 and running through July 23 with the season-ending WTT Championship Weekend, set for July 24-27, in Roseville, Calif., home of the Sacramento Capitals.
The 11-team League was co-founded by Billie Jean King in the early 1970s. Each team has two male and two female players who play singles, doubles and mixed doubles matches.
For details on the complete draft results and the 2008 schedule, visit www.WTT.com
WTT ROSTER PLAYER DRAFT - APRIL 1, 2008 - MIAMI
ROUND 1:
NEWPORT BEACH BREAKERS: Ramon Delgado (protection)
ST. LOUIS ACES: Jasmin Woehr^
BOSTON LOBSTERS: Jan-Michael Gambill
NEW YORK SPORTIMES: Bethanie Mattek
DELAWARE SMASH: Madison Brengle**
WASHINGTON KASTLES: Justin Gimelstob
KANSAS CITY EXPLORERS: Rennae Stubbs#
PHILADELPHIA FREEDOMS: Lisa Raymond (protection)
SPRINGFIELD LASERS: Tamarine Tanasugarn (protection)
NEW YORK BUZZ: Yaroslava Shvedova
SACRAMENTO CAPITALS: Elena Likhovtseva (protection)
ROUND 2:
NEWPORT BEACH BREAKERS: Angelika Bachmann
ST. LOUIS ACES: Jelena Pandzic
BOSTON LOBSTERS: Amir Hadad (protection)
NEW YORK SPORTIMES: Jesse Witten (protection)
DELAWARE SMASH: Ryler de Heart
WASHINGTON KASTLES: Sacha Jones
KANSAS CITY EXPLORERS: Kveta Peschke
PHILADELPHIA FREEDOMS: Travis Parrott (protection)
SPRINGFIELD LASERS: Shenay Perry
NEW YORK BUZZ: Nathan Healey
SACRAMENTO CAPITALS: Eric Butorac*
ROUND 3:
NEWPORT BEACH BREAKERS: Bruno Echagaray
ST. LOUIS ACES: Uladzimir Ignatik
BOSTON LOBSTERS: Marie-Eve Pelletier
NEW YORK SPORTIMES: Hana Sromova (protection)
DELAWARE SMASH: Chris Haggard (protection)
WASHINGTON KASTLES: Scott Oudsema
KANSAS CITY EXPLORERS: James Auckland
PHILADELPHIA FREEDOMS: Alex Bogomolov Jr. ##%
SPRINGFIELD LASERS: Todd Perry (protection)
NEW YORK BUZZ: Gabriela Navratilova (protection)
SACRAMENTO CAPITALS: Tammy Hendler
ROUND 4:
NEWPORT BEACH BREAKERS: Michaela Pastikova (protection)
ST. LOUIS ACES: Travis Rettenmaier
BOSTON LOBSTERS: Raquel Kops-Jones
NEW YORK SPORTIMES: Brian Wilson
DELAWARE SMASH: Christina Fusano
WASHINGTON KASTLES: Mashona Washington
KANSAS CITY EXPLORERS: Dusan Vemic (protection)
PHILADELPHIA FREEDOMS: Audra Cohen
SPRINGFIELD LASERS: Glenn Weiner
NEW YORK BUZZ: Vladimir Obradovic
SACRAMENTO CAPITALS: Sam Warburg (protection)
^ - St. Louis pick via trade with Sacramento. St. Louis traded their 1st round selection position to the Sacramento Capitals for the rights to Anna Kournikova last month. St. Louis also received the Capitals second round roster draft selection.
* - Sacramento pick via trade with St. Louis
# - Kansas City pick via trade with Delaware
## - Delaware pick via trade with Kansas City
% - Bogomolov traded from Delaware to Philadelphia for Philadelphia's 3rd Round Pick
** - Selected by Delaware with Philadelphia's 3rd Round Pick via trade
2008 WTT lineups
BOSTON LOBSTERS: Jan-Michael Gambill, Amir Hadad, Raquel Kops-Jones, Martina Navratilova, Marie-Eve Pelletier,. Coach: Tim Mayotte
DELAWARE SMASH: Madison Brengle, Christina Fusano, Chris Haggard, Ryler de Heart, Liezel Huber,. Coach: Mariaan de Swardt
KANSAS CITY EXPLORERS: James Auckland, Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Kveta Peschke, Rennae Stubbs, Dusan Vemic. Coach: Brent Haygarth
NEW YORK BUZZ: Nathan Healey, Gabriela Navratilova, Vladimir Obradovic, Yaroslava Shvedova. Coach: Jay Udwadia
NEW YORK SPORTIMES: Bethanie Mattek, John McEnroe, Hana Sromova, Jesse Witten. Coach: TBD
NEWPORT BEACH BREAKERS: Angelika Bachmann, Lindsay Davenport, Ramon Delgado, Bruno Echagaray, Michaela Pastikova. Coach: Trevor Kronemann
PHILADELPHIA FREEDOMS: Alex Bogomolov Jr., Audra Cohen, Travis Parrott, Lisa Raymond, Venus Williams. Coach: Craig Kardon
SACRAMENTO CAPITALS: Eric Butorac, Tammy Hendler, Elena Likhovtseva, Dmitry Tursunov, Sam Warburg. Coach: Wayne Bryan
SPRINGFIELD LASERS: Shenay Perry, Todd Perry, Tamarine Tanasugarn, Glenn Weiner. Coach: John-Laffnie de Jager
ST. LOUIS ACES: Uladzimir Ignatik, Anna Kournikova, Jelena Pandzic, Travis Rettenmaier, Andy Roddick, Jasmin Woehr. Coach: Greg Patton
WASHINGTON KASTLES: Justin Gimelstob, Sacha Jones, Scott Oudsema, Mashona Washington, Serena Williams. Coach: TBD
About WTT:
The 2008 season will be the 33rd year of World TeamTennis action. WTT is well known for introducing innovative elements to tennis including instant replay, co-ed format, cumulative and no-ad scoring, on-court coaching, Supertiebreakers, multi-colored courts and player names on back of their shirts.
Advanta is the presenting sponsor of the WTT Pro League and the official business credit card of World TeamTennis. Official WTT Pro League sponsors for the 2008 season are Bälle dê Mätch, FirmGreen Energy, Gatorade, GEICO and Wilson Racquet Sports.
For more information on WTT including team rosters, visit www.WTT.com.
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World TeamTennis Stories from April 1, 2008
- WTT finalizes lineups at Roster Player Draft - WTT
- Springfield Lasers 2008 Team Announced - Springfield Lasers
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