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WTT MEMBER TICKET SPECIAL -
BNP Paribas Showdown
for the Billie
Jean King Cup
Four of the world's top women tennis players,
including 2008 Grand Slam Champions Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Ana
Ivanovic, along with Jelena Jankovic who ended 2008 as the world No. 1, will
face off in a one-night only single elimination event for a record $1.2 million
in prize money. The evening, which will celebrate tennis legend Billie  Jean King
and benefit the Dream Vaccines Foundation, is scheduled for Monday, March 2,
2009 at Madison Square Garden and will be telecast live on HBO beginning at 7:30
p.m. E.T.
There are two special offers for World TeamTennis
members.
- Use promotion code WTTREC for 20% off
seats priced at $75, $125 and $175.
- Use promotion code WTT50 for 50% off
$50 seats.
*discount does
not apply to previously purchased tickets or floor
seats.
Click HERE for special travel packages.
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Battle in Bradenton first up for Rec League
Tired of the snow, ice and just plain cold weather? There's still time to pack
your bags for the
first Advanta WTT Rec League National Qualifier of 2009 in sunny Bradenton,
Fla., Feb. 27-March 1. Teams from all over the U.S. are expected to compete at
the IMG Academy in eight divisions to
earn a regional title and a spot in the Advanta WTT Nationals this fall. The
new Super 60+ (3.5 and 4.0) will debut in Bradenton. Regional champions will
also be crowned in six other divisions - (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 50+ Senior 3.5,
50+ Senior 4.0).
Entry deadline for Bradenton is Feb. 13 For more
information on Bradenton and other Advanta WTT National Qualifiers, click HERE.
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USTA invests in WTT
World TeamTennis and the USTA are teaming up in
a brand new way. Last month the USTA become a 25% owner of Advanta World
TeamTennis Pro League. One of the main goals in the new partnership is to
provide an expanded marketing platform for the USTA's Jr. Team Tennis Program
through the Advanta World TeamTennis Pro League teams and players.
In each of the franchise markets,
Advanta WTT Pro League teams and USTA sections will work together on youth initiatives to broaden the reach of QuickStart
and Jr. Team Tennis programs. These recreational efforts are becoming integrated
with the WTT professional franchises to encourage more young children to take up
tennis as a team sport. Jr. Team Tenni s leagues are expected to contest some of
their playoff and championship matches on the same multi-colored courts used by
the WTT pro teams and will also have the opportunity to interact with many of
the top players who compete in the Pro League.
"Our vision is to grow tennis at every level across
the country," said World TeamTennis CEO/Commissioner Ilana Kloss. "We
believe the WTT team format can be one of the building blocks to do
that."
Photo: WTT co-founder Billie Jean King and USTA
President Lucy Garvin (Credit: Jennifer Pottheiser/USTA)
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Ozsome, Serena!
 How impressive was Serena Williams' run
through the Australian Open?
So
impressive that Dinara Safina, her overwhelmed finals opponent even admitted
after the 6-0, 6-3 drubbing that "I was just a ball boy on the court today."
With the win, Serena returned to
the top of the world rankings. She will also be returning to the Advanta WTT
Pro League and the Washington Kastles this July. The Kastles protected their
rights to Serena during the Advanta WTT Pro League Marquee Player Draft on Feb.
3. She will also be making visits to Boston, NY Sportimes and
Philadelphia.
Serena was just one
of four WTT players to bring home the hardware from Australia. She teamed with
her sister Venus
Williams (Philadelphia Freedoms) to win
the women's doubles championship. Bob and Mike Bryan (Kansas City Explorers) also captured the men's
doubles title.
photo: Fotosport International / Camerawork USA
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2009 Advanta WTT Pro League
Marquee Player Draft
The 2009 Advanta WTT Pro League Marquee Player
Draft featured some of the biggest names in tennis history - John McEnroe, Venus Williams, Serena
Williams, Anna Kournikova, Martina Navratilova, Michael Chang, and Bob and Mike Bryan. Collectively their total titles include 760
professional tour singles and doubles titles among them, including 115 Grand
Slam championships and a few Olympic Gold Medals.
Two of the Pro League teams will be playing  at new
homes this summer. John McEnroe (pictured) and the New York Sportimes move to a
spectacular new $15 million facility on Randall's Island in New York City which opens
in 2009. Their Empire State rivals, the New York Buzz, will try to defend their
2008 Championship in their new location at the University at Albany.
Schedules will be released by the end of February and
team rosters will be finalized on March 31, when the Roster Player Draft is held
in Miami.
For complete details on
the Marquee Player Draft, click HERE.
photo: Fred & Susan
Mullane/Camerawork USA
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It's A Team Game, Too!!
Is team play taking over tennis? Maybe not, but
it's certainly becoming a more prevalent and popular part of the game at every
level . . .
QuickStart:
QuickStart Tennis is an exciting new pl ay format for
learning tennis, designed to bring kids into the game by utilizing specialized
equipment, shorter court dimensions and modified scoring, all tailored to age
and size. It is divided into two different levels -- ages 8 and under and ages
10 and under.
Junior Team Tennis:
USTA Jr. Team Tennis is the largest youth
tennis league in the country, helping girls and boys ages 6 to 18 get in the
game, get on the court, and have a good time. Tea ms are coed and made up of at
least six players, three boys and three girls, based on similar ages and skill
levels. The emphasis is on skill development, fun, teamwork and friendly
competition, all with the possibility of advancing to the national
championship.
USTA Tennis on Campus:
The USTA's Tennis On Campus program is designed to
provide college students with opportunities for team camaraderie, social
networking, and rivaled competition through tennis without the rigors of a
varsity program. Perfect for athletes who have chosen not to make the jump
from high school to college varsity, Tennis On Campus offers co-ed team-based
play, regional and national championship competition, and helps students
maintain active and healthy lifestyles through their college years. Currently,
the program is offered on over 500 college campuses and services over 30,000
students. Section events and the USTA National Campus Championship feature the World TeamTennis format.
Advanta WTT Rec Leagues:
Recreational players across the
country can play just like the pros, competing in events and leagues utilizing
the unique World TeamTennis gender-equity format. Local rec league teams compete at National Qualifiers
held in each division to earn a spot in the Advanta WTT Nationals each November
to battle for a national championship title. National Qualifiers offer
competition in up to seven divisions. For more information on Rec League
programs and National Qualifers, visit WTT.com.
Advanta WTT Junior
Nationals:
This tournament, hosted by WTT co-founder Billie Jean
King, is a premier national junior tournament event featuring 16 co-ed teams
from across the U.S.
Advanta WTT Corporate
Leagues: 
Advanta WTT Corporate Leagues are one of World
TeamTennis' fastest growing programs. With support from the USTA, WTT is turning companies into teams
nationwide. Ranging from small community businesses to Fortune 100 corporations,
coworkers and friends are hitting the courts to take on other local companies
and also have the opportunity to compete at the WTT Nationals.
Advanta X-TeamTennis High School
Championships:
Think World TeamTennis with a quick and exciting
twist. The X TeamTennis format features high school co-ed teams competing in
three sets - boys' and girls' singles, and mixed doubles.
To learn more about WTT Recreational programs, visit
WTT.com or call
866-PLAY-WTT.
Advanta WTT Pro League:
 The very best in the world play the WTT format each
summer in the Advanta World TeamTennis Pro League. Co-founded by Billie Jean
King, the Advanta WTT Pro League 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. The New York Buzz (pictured above) won the
2008 title.
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Top 10 WTT League Directors
Top 10 League Directors of 2008 (in alphabetical
order)
1. David Bell (Raleigh,
N.C.)
2. Rich Gottfried (Rockville,
Md.)
3. Mike Hasan (San Diego,
Calif.)
4. Carol Jory (San Diego,
Calif.)
5. Lance Loken (Houston,
Texas)
6. Orly Mayron / Ann Bent
(South Palm Beach, Fla.)
7. Pat
Purcell (St. Louis, Mo.)
8. Steve
Riggs (Irvine, Calif.)
9. TCTA
(Albany, N.Y.)
10. Elaine Wingfield
(Key Biscayne, Fla.)
The Top 10 League Director list is based
on:
1) # of
participants that play in their leagues throughout the year.
2) # of teams that represent the
local league at National Qualifiers.
3) Bonus points are awarded if the
league director assists in getting a new league started.
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Did you know. . .
that March 2 is Tennis Night in America?
Tennis Night in America is a celebration of tennis
featuring the best female stars - Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Ana Ivanovic
and Jelena Jankovic - competing in the BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean
King Cup on Monday, March 2. The event will be broadcast live from Madison
Square Garden on HBO.
The event
also features Youth Registration Night, the USTA's largest youth tennis
recruitment effort ever. Parents can register their children for spring and
summer programs at thousands of facilities nationwide. The USTA will provide
turnkey promotional tools and marketing support to these facilities, as well as
priority access to coach training.
To learn more about Tennis Night in America - go
HERE.
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Spring time is just around the corner and
for many recreational players the question of "How often should I restring my
racquet" always comes up. Here's a good rule to follow.
 Count how many
times you play tennis in a week. This would also be the same amount you should restring your
racquet in a year. So, if you play 5 times per week, you should re-string your
racquet at least 5 times per year.
When you visit your local pro shop,
ask your dealer about Wilson's NEW Hollow Core String. Hollow is Wilson's new
patented air filled synthetic string. The triangle shaped hollow core has a
rebounding affect for power, control and a crisp comfortable feel. This string
is excellent for a variety of playing levels.
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Make the world a better place . . .
play more tennis and print fewer emails!
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REC
LEAGUE ADDS SUPER SENIOR DIVISIONS
There's a new twist to Advanta WTT
Rec League Qualifiers in 2009. WTT has added two new divisions - Super Senior
(60+) 3.5/under and 4.0/under. Those divisions will be offered at three WTT
National Qualifiers in 2009 - Bradenton, Fla.; Irvine, Calif.; and the qualifier set for October in Lancaster, Pa. The winners of each division will
advance to the WTT Nationals in Indian Wells, Calif. Teams do not have to play
in a local league to qualify. For more information and an entry form, contact
Jennifer Smith at 800-832-6836 or jsmith@wtt.com.
2009
WTT MEMBER BENEFITS:
Interested in discounts on pro
tournaments, movie tickets, hotels and rental cars? Those are just some of the
benefits of being a WTT Member. Visit HERE for a full list of discounts
and benefits.
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2009 Advanta WTT
Pro League
Marquee Player
Draft:(p) =
protection
ROUND
ONE:1. St. Louis Aces PASS 2. Washington Kastles
SERENA WILLIAMS (p) 3. Springfield
Lasers PASS 4. Philadelphia Freedoms VENUS WILLIAMS
(p) 5. New York Sportimes JOHN McENROE
(p) 6. Boston Lobsters MARTINA NAVRATILOVA
(p) 7. Newport Beach
Breakers PASS 8. Sacramento Capitals MICHAEL
CHANG 9. Kansas City Explorers BOB & MIKE
BRYAN (p) 10. New York Buzz PASS ROUND
TWO:1. St. Louis Aces ANNA KOURNIKOVA
(p) MARQUEE PLAYER
VISITSBOB & MIKE
BRYANKansas
City, NY Sportimes, St. Louis, Sacramento MICHAEL
CHANGSacramento, Newport
Beach ANNA
KOURNIKOVASt. Louis,
NY Sportimes, Philadelphia, Springfield, Washington, Sacramento JOHN McENROENY Sportimes (2), Newport
Beach, Philadelphia, Washington MARTINA NAVRATILOVABoston, New York Buzz, NY
Sportimes SERENA WILLIAMSWashington, Boston, NY
Sportimes, Philadelphia VENUS
WILLIAMSPhiladelphia, New York
Buzz, Washington
player's home team in green
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NOVO NORDISK
DONNELLY AWARDSThe Novo Nordisk Donnelly Awards annually
award $15,000 in scholarships including two one-time $5,000 scholarships given
to two young people, ages 14-21, who have diabetes and play tennis competitively
in tournaments or on their school team. Two regional finalist awards of
$2,500 each are also included in the scholarship program. The awards are to be
used for education, tennis development and/or medical care. World
TeamTennis is currently accepting applications for the 2009 Novo Nordisk
Donnelly Awards. Applications must be received by April 15,
2009, 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.
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2009
WTT CALENDAR
FEBRUARY:
2/27-3/1
Rec National Qualifier - Bradenton, Fla.
MARCH:
3/2
Tennis Night in America / BJK Cup
(Madison Sq. Garden)
3/31
WTT Roster Player Draft -
Miami, Fla.
APRIL:
4/16-18
USTA
National Campus Championship - Surprise, Ariz.
4/17-19
Rec National Qualifier -
Las Vegas,
Nev.
4/17-19
Rec Open Division Nationals - Las
Vegas, Nev.
JULY:
7/2-22
WTT Pro League Regular
Season
7/24-26
WTT Championship Weekend - location
TBD
7/17-19
Rec National Qualifier -
Kansas
City, Mo.
AUGUST:
8/5-8
WTT
Junior Nationals -
San Diego, Calif.
Date TBD
X
TeamTennis High School Championships - TBD
8/28-30
Rec National Qualifier -
Raleigh,
N.C.
SEPTEMBER:
9/25-27
Rec National Qualifier -
Irvine,
Calif.
OCTOBER:
10/2-4
Rec
National Qualifier -
Lancaster, Pa.
10/30 - 11/1
WTT Rec Nationals
Indian Wells, Calif.
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Pro Tour Results
ATP Tour results |
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