Serena Williams tops Advanta WTT Marquee Player Draft
Published on February 3, 2009 under World TeamTennis (WTT) News Release
NEW YORK, N.Y. (Feb. 3, 2009) - Just days after winning her 10th Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open and regaining the world No. 1 ranking, Serena Williams is on top again as the first pick in the Advanta WTT Pro League Marquee Player Draft. Williams will return for her fourth WTT season and her second with the Washington Kastles.
The Advanta WTT Pro League, co-founded by Billie Jean King, is a professional co-ed sports league featuring three generations of tennis stars playing in a team format in 10 U.S. markets. The 2009 Advanta WTT Pro League season runs July 2-26, concluding with the Advanta WTT Championship Weekend.
With more than 760 professional tour singles and doubles titles among them, including 115 Grand Slam championships, the field for the 2009 Advanta WTT Pro League is an all-star lineup.
Four players who captured 2009 Australian Open Championships last weekend are returning to the League. Her convincing 6-0, 6-3 win over Dinara Safina in the finals gave Serena Williams her fourth Australian Open and her 20th overall Grand Slam title, including 10 singles, eight doubles and two mixed doubles championships. Serena Williams will play a total of four matches this July, one at home in Washington, D.C., and three road matches in Philadelphia, Boston and at the new home of the New York Sportimes in Randall's Island, N.Y.
In addition to the women's singles champion, the WTT lineup will also include 2009 Australian Open doubles champion Venus Williams who will be back on the court for the Philadelphia Freedoms. The Williams sisters captured their eighth Grand Slam doubles title at the 2009 Australian Open. Venus Williams, the 2008 Wimbledon Champion, has played WTT for six seasons, including four with the Freedoms. She will play one home match in Philadelphia and road matches in Washington, D.C. and also at the University of Albany in Albany, N.Y., the new home of the New York Buzz.
Bob and Mike Bryan were protected by the Kansas City Explorers. The world's top-ranked doubles team won their seventh Grand Slam title last week, rolling past Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles in the Australian Open finals. The win vaulted the American duo back to the top spot in the ATP Tour doubles rankings. It was the 51st career title for the Bryans as a team. This is the seventh WTT season for the Bryans who will play one home match in Kansas City and road matches at St. Louis, Sacramento and New York Sportimes.
Anna Kournikova will be wearing a St. Louis Aces uniform again this summer when she returns for her seventh consecutive season, her second in St. Louis. Kournikova won 16 doubles titles including two Grand Slam titles during her pro career, and was ranked as high as No. 8 in singles. Kournikova will play a total of six WTT matches, one home match in St. Louis and five on the road against Sacramento, Philadelphia, Washington, New York Sportimes and Springfield.
John McEnroe returns to the New York Sportimes for his ninth WTT season and his sixth with the Sportimes. McEnroe won seven Grand Slam singles titles including three Wimbledon Championships and four US Opens, and 10 Grand Slam doubles titles. During his long career on the ATP Tour, the Hall of Famer also won 77 singles and 71 doubles titles. McEnroe currently plays senior events and is a popular television commentator. McEnroe will play two home matches and three road matches at Newport Beach, Washington, and Philadelphia.
Martina Navratilova returns for a League record 20th season, playing once again for the Boston Lobsters. Navratilova, the winningest player in tennis history with 167 singles titles and 177 doubles, has played WTT in four decades. She played for the Lobsters in 1978, 2005, 2006 and 2008. Navratilova will play one home match in Boston and road matches against the New York Buzz and the New York Sportimes.
Michael Chang, who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2008, will be making his WTT debut this summer for the Sacramento Capitals. Chang built a reputation throughout his 16-year pro career as one of the quickest players on tour. One year after turning pro in 1988, he became the youngest male French Open champion by winning the 1989 title at the age of 17 years, 3 months. Chang reached a career high world ranking of No. 2, was ranked in the world top 10 for seven years and won 34 singles titles. Chang will play one home match in Sacramento and one on the road in Newport Beach.
Dates for the Marquee Player appearances will be announced when the League schedule is released later this month. Team lineups will be finalized at the WTT Roster Draft on March 31 in Miami. Marquee players typically play a limited schedule while roster players play the full 3-week season. Additional marquee players could be added prior to the start of the season.
Advanta WTT Pro League Marquee Player Draft Selections:
Washington Kastles: Serena Williams
Philadelphia Freedoms: Venus Williams
Boston Lobsters: Martina Navratilova
SACRAMENTO CAPITALS: Michael Chang
NEW YORK SPORTIMES: John McEnroe
KANSAS CITY EXPLORERS: Bob and Mike Bryan
ST. LOUIS ACES: Anna Kournikova
NOTE: Springfield Lasers, Newport Beach Breakers and New York Buzz did not draft marquee players on their team.
Marquee Player Matches (dates TBD):
BOSTON LOBSTERS: Martina Navratilova (1 home match); Serena Williams
KANSAS CITY EXPLORERS: Bob and Mike Bryan (1 home match)
NEW YORK BUZZ: Venus Williams, Martina Navratilova
NEW YORK SPORTIMES: John McEnroe (2 home matches); Serena Williams, Bob and Mike Bryan, Martina Navratilova, Anna Kournikova
NEWPORT BEACH BREAKERS: John McEnroe, Michael Chang
PHILADELPHIA FREEDOMS: Venus Williams (1 home match); Serena Williams, John McEnroe, Anna Kournikova
SACRAMENTO CAPITALS: Michael Chang (1 home match), Anna Kournikova, Bob and Mike Bryan
SPRINGFIELD LASERS: Anna Kournikova
ST. LOUIS ACES: Anna Kournikova (1 home match); Bob and Mike Bryan
WASHINGTON KASTLES: Serena Williams (1 home match); Venus Williams, John McEnroe, Anna Kournikova
World TeamTennis Stories from February 3, 2009
- Tennis' Anna Kournikova Comes to Springfield - Springfield Lasers
- Serena Williams tops Advanta WTT Marquee Player Draft - WTT
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