World TeamTennis

Infobox sports league
title = World TeamTennis
current_season =

pixels = 100px
sport = Tennis
founded = 1973
fame =
motto =
teams = 11
country = USA
champion = New York Buzz
website = http://www.wtt.com/
ceo = Ilana Kloss
TV = Tennis Channel

World TeamTennis is a league of team tennis in the United States.

History

First league

The league was founded in 1973 by George MacCall (who became its first commissioner), Larry King (who became the owner of San Francisco based Golden Gaters), Dennis Murphy (who also founded the World Hockey Association), Fred Barman (a Hollywood agent) with Chief Financial Officer Jim Jorgensen (who became President of the Soviet Union National Team). The league began play in May 1974 with 16 teams and suspended play after the 1978 season.

League format included; a colored no-line court, a 44 match season and 6 player teams (3 men and 3 women) playing 5 one-set no-ad matches women’s singles and doubles, men’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles – thus making it the first professional sports league to give equal weight to men and women in the scoring.

The league included such players as Rod Laver, Billie Jean King, Björn Borg, Chris Evert, John McEnroe, Evonne Goolagong and Jimmy Connors.

It was the first professional sports experience for Jerry Buss (eventual owner of Los Angeles Lakers NBA team and the Los Angeles Kings NHL team) and for Bob Kraft (owner of the New England Patriots NFL team).

Elton John wrote the theme song for the Philadelphia team, “Philadelphia Freedoms”, and the Soviet Union National Team became the first USSR team to participate in a US based sports league.

econd league

The league resumed play in 1981 as TeamTennis and has fluctuated between four and twelve professional teams since then. In 1992, the name was changed again to World TeamTennis (WTT). In 2005, twelve professional teams competed.

Billie Jean King became commissioner of the league in 1984 following her retirement from competition, eventually retiring as commissioner in February 2001. In February 2001, Ilana Kloss became the new WTT commissioner, a position which she currently holds.

Timeline

1974-1978

* Baltimore Banners (1974)
* Boston Lobsters (1974)
* Chicago Aces (1974)
* Cleveland Nets (1974-1977) / New Orleans Nets (1978)
* Denver Racquets (1974) / Phoenix Racquets (1975-1978)
* Detroit Loves (1974) / Indiana Loves (1975-1978)
* Florida Flamingos (1974)
* Hawaii Leis (1974-1976) / Sea-Port Cascades (1977) / Seattle Cascades (1977)
* Houston E-Z Riders (1974)
* Los Angeles Strings (1974-1978)
* Minnesota Buckskins (1974)
* New York Sets (1974-1976) / New York Apples (1977-1978)
* Philadelphia Freedoms (1974) / Boston Lobsters (1975-1978)
* Pittsburgh Triangles (1974-1976)
* San Francisco Golden Gaters (1974-1978)
* Toronto-Buffalo Royals (1974)
* San Diego Friars (1975-1978)
* Soviet National Team (Pennsylvania Keystones) (1977)
* Anaheim Oranges (1978)

The Soviet National team was originally named the Pennsylvania Keystones and were to play in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The name was changed before the beginning of the season.

1981-1991

Professional league play resumed in 1981 as TeamTennis with four California teams, expanding to eight teams in 1982. In 1985, a recreational league for non-professionals was added which was co-branded with the professional league.

1992-1999

In 1992, the current name World TeamTennis was adopted.
* Idaho Sneakers, 1994 - 1997

2000-present

In 2000, the current logo was adopted.

In 2005 & 2006 the league consisted of 12 teams and in 2007 the Hartford FoxForce ceased operations.

Prior to the 2008 season, the Houston Wranglers ceased operations and the Washington Kastles joined the league.

Teams

Past Champions

*1974 Denver Racquets 55, Philadelphia Freedoms 45
*1975 Pittsburgh Triangles 74, San Francisco Golden Gaters 65
*1976 New York Sets 91, San Francisco Golden Gaters 57
*1977 New York Apples 55, Phoenix Racquets 39
*1978 Los Angeles Strings 108, Boston Lobsters 93
*1979-1980 Play suspended
*1981 Los Angeles Strings (regular season champion, no playoffs)
*1982 Dallas Stars 27, Phoenix Sunsets 22
*1983 Chicago Fyre (regular season champion, no playoffs)
*1984 San Diego Buds 30, Long Beach Breakers 13
*1985 San Diego Buds 25, St. Louis Slims 24
*1986 San Antonio Racquets 25, Sacramento Capitols 23
*1987 Charlotte Heat 25, San Antonio Racquets 20
*1988 Charlotte Heat 27, New Jersey Stars 22
*1989 San Antonio Racquets 27, Sacramento Capitols 25
*1990 Los Angeles Strings 27, Raleigh Edge 16
*1991 Atlanta Thunder 27, Los Angeles Strings 16
*1992 Atlanta Thunder 30, Newport Beach Dukes 17
*1993 Wichita Advantage 26, Newport Beach Dukes 23
*1994 New Jersey Stars 28, Idaho Sneakers 25
*1995 New Jersey Stars 28, Atlanta Thunder 20
*1996 St. Louis Aces 27, Delaware Smash 16
*1997 Sacramento Capitals (regular season champion, championship match rained out)
*1998 Sacramento Capitals 30, New York OTBzz 13
*1999 Sacramento Capitals 23, Springfield Lasers 15
*2000 Sacramento Capitals 21, Delaware Smash 20
*2001 Philadelphia Freedoms 20, Springfield Lasers 18
*2002 Sacramento Capitals 21, New York Buzz 13
*2003 Delaware Smash 21, Sacramento Capitals 14
*2004 Newport Beach Breakers 23, Delaware Smash 17
*2005 New York Sportimes 21, Newport Beach Breakers 18 [cite web |url= http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/6925/wtt.html |title= Steve Dimitry's WTT Web Page |accessdate=2008-09-18 |work= source data for 1981-2005 |publisher= tennis-reference |date= ]
*2006 Philadelphia Freedom 21, Newport Beach Breakers 14
*2007 Sacramento Capitals 24, New York Buzz 20
*2008 New York Buzz 21, Kansas City Explorers 18

ources

* Greg Hoffman, The Art of World Team Tennis, San Francisco Book Company, 1977 ISBN 0-913374-65-2
* [http://www.wtt.com World TeamTennis, Official Website]
* [http://www.wtt.com/MediaCenter/2008%20WTT%20Pro%20Media%20Kit%20-%20June%2017%202008.pdf Brief History of World TeamTennis] . From the WTT site.

External links

* [http://www.worldteamtennis.com/ World TeamTennis] (official site)

References