WTT â Stronger than ever in 2004
June 30, 2004 - World TeamTennis (WTT) News Release
A World TeamTennis match is physical. The fans love this stuff; They are zealous, involved, and vocal. You just might get an elbow in your cheek if you're not careful. WTT League Ambassador and Sacramento Capitals player Andre Agassi loves the atmosphere. "Everyone is allowed to be involved. You can scream, you can shout, you actually feel like you're at a sporting event, which is a nice thing." As St. Louis Aces star Andy Roddick puts it, "WTT is like extreme tennis, anything goes." Fun, interactive and electric. This is team tennis as Billie Jean King envisioned it when she co-founded the League in the 1970's. The players are just as hot today, and the fans just as entertained.
There is a reason for such longevity. "We have a special format that is engaging to tennis fans," explains Ilana Kloss, League Commissioner and CEO of WTT. "The action is fast, and with the cumulative scoring, the focus stays on the team, not individual players. The atmosphere is approachable, so kids who go to the matches can see themselves as one of the players."
This is taking tennis to the people. Reserve is not spoken here. As players lunge and scramble to win a point, WTT fans are part of the action. Like sports enthusiasts everywhere, they reward those who put out 100 percent. Fans are going to love Philadelphia Freedoms top draft pick Patrick Rafter, who returns to tennis in his WTT debut this summer. The Aussie star will be joined by other high voltage players like Agassi, Roddick and Anna Kournikova with the Kansas City Explorers. Monica Seles returns from an injury absence to the New York Sportimes, Martina Navratilova remarkably endures with the New York Buzz, and Maria Sharapova, an emerging champion, will play for the Newport Beach Breakers.
America's best will be showcased during the season when the entire U.S. Davis Cup Team takes to the WTT courts. Roddick, Mardy Fish (Hartford FoxForce), and the number one doubles coupling of Mike and Bob Bryan (Newport Beach Breakers) have joined the lineup.
"Along with Andre, they're the best of American men's tennis," says Kloss who is still musing over WTT's staying power. She continues, "We're all about equality on the playing field. Both the men and women want victory and unite to achieve it. The gender balance on the teams not only increases the intensity of the match, it is a great leveler. At any time, a marquee player can face a tour journeyman with the point up for grabs." WTT legend Martina Navratilova agrees, "I enjoy the TeamTennis format, I think it's great that it is equal for men and women."
The unexpected keeps WTT thriving. 2003 closed with The Delaware Smash relieving the Sacramento Capitals of the King Trophy and the WTT Pro League Championship title in a 21-14 victory. As the new champions, the Smash will return with Liezel Huber, Paul Goldstein and Samantha Reeves, the core of their 2003 squad. This season, the face off between Western and Eastern conference winners will take place August 27-28, at the USTA National Tennis Center.
"We're grateful to the team communities for their loyalty and support over these years. They've made us stronger and better," says Kloss. "We've taken some risks, but in the end, landed a full roster of dynamic players. This could be our best season ever."
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World TeamTennis Stories from June 30, 2004
- WTT â Stronger than ever in 2004 - WTT
- Caps player Dmitry Tursunov conquers Marat Safin and Sargis Sargsian at Wimbledon - Sacramento Capitals
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