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Roddick, Hingis, Venus & Serena top all-star list
at WTT Marquee Player Draft
Want to see some of the biggest names in  tennis play this summer? Then just go to a WTT Pro League match.
Andy Roddick topped an all-star list of names when he was selected as the top pick by the Philadelphia Freedoms in the 2010 WTT Marquee Player Draft. Martina Hingis, who was the second overall selection, returns to WTT as a member of the Albany-based New York Buzz. Hingis has signed on to play all 14 matches for the Buzz.
Other top names set for the 2010 WTT season are Lindsay Davenport and Anna Kournikova (St. Louis); Serena Williams and Venus Williams (Washington Kastles); Maria Sharapova (Newport Beach Breakers); Kim Clijsters and John McEnroe (New York Sportimes) and James Blake (Boston Lobsters).
Teams will complete their lineups at the Roster Player Draft on March 16. Follow the Roster Draft LIVE on www.WTT.com starting at 11am EST on March 16. The 2010 schedule will be released in early March.
photos: Fred & Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA |
Kids say it best
Essays describe WTT Junior Nationals event
Two participants from the 2009 World TeamTennis Junior Nationals have been awarded the Kathy Willette
Leadership Scholarships after writing winning essays about their experiences in the tournament.
Kenneth Dodd,
the male recipient from Nampa, Idaho, and Devlin-Ann Ammendola, the female
recipient from Farmindale High School in New York, have been granted a
scholarship award of $300 each from W TT Charities for their respective essays which
demonstrate a variety of lessons learned, friendships made, and the impact of
the coed team format on the individual player and his or her team. The scholarship is not based on on-court performance , but instead on the teens' reflection on the valuable
experiences from the event. The scholarship was started in 2009 to recognize Kathy Willette, who has helped run the WTT Junior Nationals Tournament in San Diego for over fourteen years.
Read Dodd and Ammendola's full essays HERE.
Photos: (above) Billie Jean King and Kathy Willette at the 2009 WTT Junior Nationals at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, Calif. Left: Kenneth Dodd Right: Devlin Ammendola
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The countdown continues
WTT's 35th
season celebration continues with the weekly countdown of 35 players who have made the biggest impact on World
TeamTennis. The latest name is one that is still making a big difference at WTT today - WTT CEO/Commissioner Ilana Kloss. Before she took the helms at WTT, Kloss was a successful player and coach in the WTT Pro League, coaching the Chicago Fyre to the 1983 title. Read more about Kloss HERE. For more on the 35th season, visit www.WTT.com/35.
photo: Ilana Kloss, WTT
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Rec League season kicks off in Bradenton next month
Bradenton is the first WTT Rec League qualifier of the year with more than 35 teams signed up to compete in eight divisions at the IMG Academy. While registration is closed for Bradenton, there's plenty of time to sign up for one of WTT's biggest qualifiers in Las Vegas. Registration deadline for the Las Vegas NQ is April 2 - click HERE to sign up now. There will be seven divisions contested at the Darling Tennis Center in Las Vegas, including the National Championships for the Open Division. For more information on Rec League programs, visit www.WTT.com.
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NQ EVENT DATE
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LOCATION
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REGISTRATION DEADLINE
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3/5/2010
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2/19/2010
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4/16/2010
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Darling Tennis Center -
Las Vegas, Nev.
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4/2/2010
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7/23/2010
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Plaza
Tennis Center -
Kansas City, Mo.
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7/9/2010
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8/20/2010
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Millbrook
Exchange Tennis Center - Raleigh, N.C.
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8/6/2010
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8/27/2010
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Cooperfield
Racquet & Health Club - Houston, Texas
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8/13/2010
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9/24/2010
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Heritage
Park -
Irvine, Calif.
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9/10/2010
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10/1/2010
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Hempfield
Sports Complex - Lancaster, Pa.
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9/17/2010
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11/5-7/2010
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WTT NATIONALS -
Indian Wells Tennis Garden -
Indian Wells, Calif.
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N/A
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Rec teams "Hitting for Haiti"
The tennis community continues to reach out to support those impacted by the earthquake in Haiti. World TeamTennis and the New York Sportimes donated clothing items for children to K.I.D.S. (Kids in Distressed Situations) and several of tennis' biggest names, led by Roger Federer, staged a fund-raising event on the eve of the Australian Open.
Three Recreational League teams from the St. Louis area have also started a fund-raising effort called Hitting for Haiti. The teams, who are set to compete in the upcoming Rec League National Qualifier in Bradenton, Fla., are asking for pledges that will benefit Haitian charities. For each game a team wins, 100% of the pledge will be donated to that team's charity for Haiti. For example, a 25 cent pledge to a team that wins 100 games would generate a $25 donation to that team's charity.
The participating teams are:
4.0 Senior
Level (Captain) Bob Faust
Team
Members: Jana Goeke, Gerry Goeke, Denise Inman, Dave Inman, Norma Feldman,
Terry Fleming
Charity:
West Indies Self Help (WISH)
WISH
ministers to the people of LaGonave, Haiti by providing water, electricity and business
opportunities to break their entrapping cycle of poverty. The Goekes have
traveled to Haiti and worked with WISH since 2006.
4.0 Level
(Captain) Bob Faust
 Team
Members: Bob Ballsrud, Libby Sharp, Jimmy Walley, Maggie Wlson, Carol Schwent,
Jerry
Clark, Liz Gordon, Steve Robertson, Debbie Hogan
Charity:
Crudem Foundation
Operates
a large hospital in Northern Haiti. Several St. Louis physicians make
regular
trips
there volunteering their services
 4.5 Level
(Captain) Jimmy Walley
Team
Members: Randy Nistler, Renee Nistler, Kyle Laramie, Jennifer Stenson, Julie
Siemers
Charity:
American Red Cross
To donate or make a pledge of support to one of these Rec League teams, please visit www.hittingforhaiti.com.
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Mast receives USTA Middle States' highest honor
Delaine
Mast, National Director of WTT Rec Leagues, recently received the USTA
Middle States section's highest honor - the Mangan Award. Mast is pictured with
USTA MS President Jeff Harrison.
Mast, former President  (1998-1999) and Executive
Director of USTA Middle States (USTA MS) was presented with the 2009 Mangan
Award at the 2010 USTA MS Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony held at the
Hyatt Regency Princeton in Princeton, N.J., on Feb. 21.
The Mangan Award is the
honor award of USTA MS and was established by the family of Thomas J. Mangan to
honor and recognize individuals who, through their actions and examples have
made significant contributions to the game of tennis in USTA MS, and in so
doing, demonstrate unselfish devotion and a spirit of cooperation which serves
as an inspiration to all. Barbara and
Elsie Pitocchelli, the wife and daughter of the late Thomas J. Mangan,
presented Mast with the award.
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WTT's a hit down under
The World TeamTennis format was a hit down under as Team Australian edged the International Team 22-21 in a Supertiebreaker to win the inaugural Australian Open Legends Invitational. The event, which featured the WTT format, kicked off celebrations for the League's 35th season this year.
The one-night special
WTT event included three generations of popular Australian and international
players. Team Australia featured veterans Nicole
Bradtke, Pat Cash and Patrick Rafter, along with current player Alicia Molik
and young stars Monika Wejnert and Luke Saville. Team International was captained by former US
player Mary Joe Fernandez, and featured other former stars Austrian Thomas
Muster, American Tracy Austin, Swede Anders Jarryd, and top juniors Heather
Watson from the United Kingdom and Barrett Franks from New Zealand.
Australian tennis champions have been
very much a part of the WTT history with Rod Laver, Margaret Court, Evonne
Cawley, Roy Emerson, Pat Rafter, John Newcombe, Tony Roche, Ken Rosewall, Wendy
Turnbull and Mark Philippoussis all playing at some point in their careers.
Current day players Casey Dellacqua, Rennae Stubbs, Ashley Fisher and Joe
Sirianni are also among the 74 Australians who have collectively played 203
seasons and won 22 titles in World TeamTennis in its rich three decade history.
Read about WTT in Australia HERE.
photo: WTT
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Wilson -- Big Success at the Australian Open
 Wilson's Tour Team started the new decade in style as
Roger Federer took his 16th career Grand Slam title, Serena Williams won her
12th career Grand Slam title to tie Wilson Tennis legend Billie Jean King and
Venus & Serena Williams continued their doubles success as they won their
11th Grand Slam Doubles title.
For full results from this year's Australian Open, click here to check out Wilson's Tour Update.
If you would like to receive Wilson's Tour Update by
email, please email [email protected].
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Stock up on custom tennis gear from Turfer Athletic
 
Need gear for your Rec League team? Want to wear the same hoodie jacket as the WTT Champions?
Visit www.Turfer.com/WTT for the latest from Turfer Athletic, the official apparel of World TeamTennis.
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2010 WTT PRO LEAGUE
CALENDAR
early March:
2010 schedule released
MARCH 16
Roster Player Draft
LIVE on WTT.com
JULY 5-22
Pro League
Regular Season
JULY 23
WTT Conference
Championships
Location TBD
JULY 25
WTT Pro League Finals
Location TBD |
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Pro Tour Results
ATP Tour results |
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