WTT Champs to be Recognized at US Open
September 1, 2009 - World TeamTennis (WTT) News Release
New York, N.Y. (September 1, 2009) --- The home of the US Open is named after World TeamTennis co-founder Billie Jean King, but the WTT connection doesn't stop there.
The WTT format and players will be featured throughout the two weeks of tennis' biggest stage at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. On Wednesday, Sept. 2, the 2009 WTT Champion Washington Kastles will be presented with the King Trophy and recognized on court between the two evening matches in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The Kastles recently completed a remarkable sophomore season in the Advanta WTT Pro League by rallying from an 0-4 start to finish the season with a victory over the Springfield Lasers in the Advanta WTT Finals on July 26. Team members are Serena Williams, Rennae Stubbs, Olga Puchkova, Leander Paes, Scott Oudsema, Nadia Petrova and coach Murphy Jensen. Kastles owner Mark Ein will also join his team, along with Billie Jean King, WTT CEO/Commissioner Ilana Kloss and WTT Board Member-At-Large Dennis Alter of Advanta, for the on-court ceremony.
World TeamTennis' presence continues when Abigail Spears and Robert Kendrick of the New York Sportimes, one of the top mixed doubles teams from the 2009 WTT season, hit the courts. The duo received a wild card into the US Open Mixed Doubles tournament based on their WTT performance.
The World TeamTennis format will be used for the first time in US Open history when some of the greats of the game team up in the US Open Champions Invitational event during the second week of action. Tracy Austin, Mary Joe Fernandez, Goran Ivanisevic, Hana Mandlikova, Todd Martin, Ilie Nastase, Stan Smith and Guillermo Vilas are a few of the names that will form three co-ed teams to compete in WTT matches. King, Pat Cash and Ivan Lendl will coach the three teams which are made up of past Grand Slam finalists or champions.
The three teams, which have a combined total of 23 seasons of WTT experience, will play two matches each between Sept. 8-12. Each match consists of one set each of men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles. The event will use the traditional WTT format, which includes cumulative scoring, sets to five games, no-ad scoring, playing let serves, Overtime and Supertiebreakers.
Full US Open Champions Invitational team lineups (subject to change) are:
TEAM KING: Mary Joe Fernandez, Gigi Fernandez, Stan Smith and Mal Washington. Coach: Billie Jean King
TEAM LENDL: Tracy Austin, Conchita Martinez, Guillermo Vilas and Goran Ivanisevic. Coach: Ivan Lendl
TEAM CASH: Iva Majoli, Hana Mandlikova, Ilie Nastase and Todd Martin. Coach: Pat Cash
Check www.USOpen.org for more details on the US Open Champions Invitational schedule.
World TeamTennis Stories from September 1, 2009
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