Quick Links - WTT Player Updates
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2007 Rec League National Qualifiers kick off this month in Bradenton
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WTT National Finals returns to Indian Wells in November
The first of six WTT Recreational League National
Qualifiers gets underway Feb. 23-25 at the IMG
Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
In addition to the Bradenton qualifier, WTT National
Qualifying events will be held in Las Vegas (April
20-22), St. Louis (July 20-22), Raleigh, N.C. (Aug.
24-26), Irvine, Calif. (Sept. 28-30) and Wilmington,
Del. (Oct. 5-7).
Coed recreational teams are battling for titles in
seven divisions in Bradenton: 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5,
Open, Senior 3.5/under and Senior 4.0/under.
Winners in each division advance to the WTT
Nationals, Nov. 1-4, in Indian Wells, Calif., where
they will face off for national titles against
champions from five other qualifying events held
throughout the U.S.
2007 WTT Rec League National Qualifying
Schedule
Feb. 23-25 IMG Bollettieri Academy -
Bradenton, Fla.
April 20-22 Darling Tennis Center - Las Vegas, Nev.
register
by April 6
July 20-22 Dwight Davis Tennis Center – St. Louis,
Mo. register
by July 6
August 24-26 Millbrook Exchange Tennis Center -
Raleigh, N.C. register
by August 10
September 28-30 Heritage Park - Irvine, Calif.
register
by September 14
October 5-7 DuPont Country Club - Wilmington, Del.
register
by September 21
November 1-4 WTT Nationals – Indian Wells,
Calif.
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WTT Pro League schedule announced
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Williams, Sampras, McEnroe, Kournikova, Vaidisova and the Bryan brothers sign on for WTT action
Start making your plans for the 2007 WTT Pro League
season presented by Advanta. The League announced
the regular season schedule and tickets are on sale in
most team markets. Some of the greatest names in
the game will take to the multi-colored WTT courts
this summer, including a trio of former world No. 1
players - Pete Sampras (Newport Beach Breakers),
Venus Williams (Philadelphia Freedoms) and John
McEnroe (New York Sportimes). Other players
confirmed for the season are Anna Kournikova
(Sacramento Capitals), Nicole Vaidisova (Sacramento
Capitals), and the world's top doubles team , Mike
and Bob Bryan (Kansas City Explorers).
The WTT Pro League regular season runs July 5-25 in
11 markets throughout the U.S. The top two teams
from both the Western and Eastern Conference advance
to the WTT Championship Weekend, July 27-29, in
Roseville, Calif. Conference champions will be
decided July 27-28, with the WTT Finals set for
Sunday, July 29.
Visit www.WTT.com for a full
schedule.
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Short Sets
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WTT is now accepting applications for the Novo
Nordisk Donnelly Awards, two one-time $5,000
scholarships given annually to two young people,
ages 14-21, who have diabetes and play tennis
competitively in tournaments or on their school
team.
The awards are sponsored by Novo Nordisk, a world
leader in diabetes care, and are to be used for
education, tennis development and/or medical
care.
Applications must be received by May 1, 2007, along
with two letters of recommendation and a short essay
regarding the significance of diabetes in the
applicant’s life. For more details on the Novo
Nordisk Donnelly Awards and to download an
application form, visit www.WTT.com.
For more information, contact Diane Donnelly Stone
at dstone@wtt.com or 212-586-3444, x. 20.
In addition to their scholarships, the recipients
receive an expense-paid trip to a World TeamTennis
Pro League match during the summer of 2007 to
receive their awards from WTT co-founder Billie Jean
King.
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Tennis Tips from Wilson
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ADD OPTIONS TO IMPROVE YOUR TENNIS GAME
The more options you add to your tennis game, the
better player you will become. Many tennis players
become frustrated because, in my opinion, they spend
too much time adding and subtracting from how they
play tennis.
They read an article on how to hit a particular
shot, which is different from how they learned to
hit the shot. Therefore, they “subtract” what they
were doing and “add” the new information. They take
a lesson from a teaching pro who suggests a
different approach to a stroke than a previous
teaching pro and so on. Continually adding and
subtracting.
The ONLY time I ever have my students stop doing
something or subtract a feature from how they play
tennis is when it might have the potential to cause
an injury. Otherwise, I let them keep what they
already know and do. Then it is just a matter of
adding more options to how they play tennis.
Let us take a look at some options you can add to
your strokes. While there are many more options
available than I am suggesting in this article, the
following are some of the more common ones I use in
my teaching. How often you use a particular option,
even if it is only 1% of the time is not relevant.
What is important is you have that option to
use.
GROUND STROKES
Option A
If I play you in a tennis match and I can hit
underspin, flat and topspin for both my forehand and
backhand while you only hit flat; then I have two
more options on each stroke than you do. If one of
my options is not working, I can use the other two.
If your one way of hitting the ball is not working
then you are stuck with it, errors and all!
Therefore, whatever you are unable to do of these
three options, add them to your game!
“Spin” is a great option to practice and add to
almost any stroke in tennis. Spin provides more
control.
Option B
Learn to hit “Open Stance” shots. Almost everyone
who has ever learned the game of tennis began on the
ground strokes with the traditional closed stance
style i.e. Turn sideways and step into the shot. By
adding the open stance to your game, you will now
have two options on hitting your ground strokes. In
addition, as you improve, the better players hit
with more pace, which will limit your ability to hit
with a closed stance. Ditto on return of serve.
The pros all hit with an open stance in part because
they do not have the time to turn sideways; the same
will be true for you.
Option C
If you have a two-handed backhand, practice a
one-handed backhand. As someone who plays with a
one-handed backhand, rarely am I forced to hit a
two-handed backhand. But two-handed players up to
and including those on the pro tour are sometimes
forced to hit one-handed, i.e. Having to reach out
to return a serve; low volleys, running for ground
strokes are just a few examples.
SERVE
Many tennis players work on adding spin, direction
and power to their serves. However, one of the most
important yet least practiced options is depth.
We do not want our serves landing in the middle of
the service box any more than we want our ground
strokes landing around the service line. Even if
your serve is not very fast, it can be effective if
it is deep. By deep I would suggest at least in the
back 1/3 of the service box.
VOLLEY
Often tennis players do not play well in matches
because they do not practice what will happen in a
match. In terms of the volley it would mean when
our opponent forces us to play a low volley or those
in which the point of contact is below the white net
band.
Whether it is with a friend, using a ball machine or
from a teaching pro, many tennis players practice
the volley standing too close to the net and
contacting the ball only when it is above the white
net band. There are many “touch shot” volleys
played at the net, particularly in doubles, when the
point of contact is below the white net band. The
next time you are practicing your volley, do so for
10-15 minutes with every shot being contacted below
the white net band.
Remember, it is not necessary to subtract from your
tennis game! Make a list of what features you would
like to have in your tennis game and begin to work
on them. Keep adding options and you will be a
better player!
Dave Kensler has 24 years of teaching experience
with Peter Burwash International (PBI), the most
successful international tennis management company.
PBI directs tennis programs at 60+ exclusive
resorts, hotels and clubs in 23 countries and has
taught over 3 million students in their 30-year
history. For information on PBI tennis destinations
and employment opportunities please go to
http://www.pbitennis.com/. All PBI Tennis
Professionals play with Wilson rackets, use Wilson
bags and wear Wilson shoes. The year 2006 marks the
20th Anniversary of PBI Tennis Professionals using
Wilson products.
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Around the League
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SACRAMENTO
CAPITALS: Wayne Bryan is having a
good year. In January alone, the reigning WTT Coach
of the Year signed a new 3-year deal to stay at the
helm of the Sacramento Capitals. And it looks like
he will have another strong team to coach if he can
bring back the nucleus of his 2006 squad. At least
based on their performances at the recent Australian
Open.
The world's No. 1 ranked junior, Anastasia
Pavlyuchenkova, defended her singles title at the
Australian Open juniors. Nicole Vaidisova advanced
to the women's singles semifinals before losing a
close one, 7-6(5), 6-4 to eventual champ Serena
Williams. Elena Likhovtseva teamed with Daniel Nestor
(Philadelphia Freedoms) to win the mixed doubles
championship. Nestor and Mark Knowles advanced to
the men's doubles semifinals before they were ousted
by Wayne Bryan's sons, Mike and Bob. The Bryan
brothers, who play for the Kansas City
Explorers,
went on to win the 2007 Australian Open doubles
championship.
With the Bryan brothers Davis Cup win over the
weekend, February is looking pretty good for Coach
Wayne as well.
NEWPORT
BEACH BREAKERS: The Newport Beach
Breakers have contracted with Newport Beach-based
Hoag Hospital Foundation to manage the World
TeamTennis Pro League team and be its beneficiary in
2007.
In addition to new management, the Breakers will
play in a new venue. The Breakers’ new tennis
stadium will be erected in the parking lot of the
Newport Beach Country Club, located along Pacific
Coast Highway and overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Seating capacity is for 2,200.
Pete Sampras will return in 2007 to play for the
Breakers, who lost the 2006 WTT Finals to the
Philadelphia Freedoms. Marquee players scheduled to
visit Newport Beach include Anna Kournikova, John
McEnroe and Venus Williams.
NEW YORK
BUZZ: The buzz in Schenectady is
all about the return of Pete Sampras to the area for
the first time in nearly 20 years. New York Buzz GM
Nitty Singh made the announcement at a mid-day press
conference and by the time she returned to the
office after making the afternoon media rounds,
there were already 40 voice mail messages inquiring
about tickets to Sampras' match on July 18 when he
leads his Newport Beach Breakers to upstate New
York.
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WTT Corporate League Directors plan for 2007
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More than one dozen WTT Corporate League Directors
from throughout the U.S. gathered in St. Louis this
month for meetings and networking. The hot topic of
the day was the growth potential of WTT Corporate
League programs. More than 120 corporations now
participate and WTT Rec League National Director
Delaine Mast expects that
number to grow in 2007. "WTT Leagues are a great
option for many businesses," said Mast. "Not only
does it allow co-workers to get together in a fun,
social environment, but it's just the type of
healthy, fitness alternative that many companies are
looking for provide to their employees."
For a list of WTT Corporate Leagues, visit
www.WTT.com
or call (866) 752-9988 to set up a
Corporate League at your company.
PHOTO: Attending the WTT Corporate League
Directors Meeting in St. Louis. Front: Elaine
Wingfield, Key Biscayne, Fla.; Annette Broersma,
Irvine, Calif.; Angelika Sadar, Philadelphia; Ronita
Elder, Los Angeles; Kevin Kurtz, Sacramento, Calif.;
Back: Dale Shepard, Phoenix, Ariz.; Mark Platt, St.
Louis; Boris Rolnik, New York, N.Y.; Bob Williams,
Minneapolis, Minn.; Laura Graham, Cleveland, Ohio;
Carol Jory, San Diego, Calif.; Bronwyn Greer,
Houston, Texas; Mary Jane Clemente, San Diego,
Calif.
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Bälle de Mätch offers special deals for WTT members
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Take advantage of the special WTT discount at Bälle
de Mätch. WTT
members get 15% off suggested retail on Bälle de Mätch
Team and Basic apparel at www.balledematch.com.
Bälle de Mätch is the official apparel of both the
WTT Pro and Rec Leagues.
Order product from Bälle de Mätch directly online
by visiting the special WTT League Player page at balledematch.com.
To place an order, login using the WTT League
Player user id (wttplayer) and password
(playwtt).
Order online or call Bälle de Mätch directly at
1-800-356-1021 and speak to a customer service
representative about the program by mentioning WTT
League Player.
For the latest Bälle de Mätch merchandise, visit
www.balledematch.com.
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WTT HOT SHOT
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Billie Jean King - Supermodel. King was a hit
during Fashion Week in New York City earlier
this month. King participated in the The Heart
Truth fashion show to raise awareness of women and
heart disease. King received a standing ovation as
she took to the catwalk in a red pantsuit designed
by Gustavo Cadile
Photo courtesy of The Heart Truth, National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
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