McEnroe, Clijsters, Roddick, Blake, Serena and Hingis Headed to New York This Summer!
The New York Sportimes gear up for the 2010 World TeamTennis season
The world’s top tennis professionals will compete in World TeamTennis (WTT) action once again this July at the state-of-the-art Sportime at Randall’s Island Tennis Center, where the New York Sportimes will play their second season at their new home in New York City. New York will open their home schedule against the defending WTT Champion, the Washington Kastles, on Monday, July 5 at 7:00 p.m.
World TeamTennis at Sportime at Randall’s Island Tennis Center is the perfect place to come this summer to see the stars of tennis up close and personal in high-energy and exciting tennis matches. It is great fun for the whole family, as the atmosphere and entertainment is fantastic.
The Sportimes will once again be captained by New York tennis legend John McEnroe, playing in his 10th WTT season. On Monday, July 19, McEnroe will take the court in a star-studded night of Grand Slam champions, teaming with defending U.S. Open Champion Kim Clijsters in her only New York pre-U.S. Open appearance, to face off against former number one-ranked women’s player Martina Hingis and her New York Buzz team. McEnroe will also play at home for the Sportimes when they host the 2009 Western Conference Champions Springfield Lasers on Monday, July 12.
Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open Men’s Singles Champion, will make his first-ever WTT playing appearance in New York on Wednesday, July 14, leading the Philadelphia Freedoms against the Sportimes. Roddick is presently ranked number eight in the world and has 28 career singles titles. He is a former world number one-ranked player and has played for the United States Davis Cup Team.
Other highlights of the Sportimes’ home schedule include visits by New York native James Blake playing for the Boston Lobsters on Wednesday, July 7, and a return match with the Washington Kastles and their star, Serena Williams, on Thursday, July 15.
“We were very pleased to be able to bring back four of my favorite New York Sportimes players ever, especially welcoming new mom Ashley Harkleroad back to full-time WTA and WTT action. With Ashley’s husband, and proud baby daddy, Chuck Adams returning for his third stint as coach, it will be a family affair in 2010,” said Sportimes Chief Executive Officer Claude Okin. “This group, combined with the many great fan-friendly elements we have in store, not to mention the leadership of our great captain John McEnroe and the addition of our newest star, Kim Clijsters, should make 2010 very competitive and a lot of fun. We want to win a second championship this year, while bringing great professional tennis to New York area fans, up close and personal the WTT way.”
Season tickets are currently available. Tickets for the Sportimes are available by calling (888) WTT-NYC1 or by visiting www.nysportimes.com. The team will be adding a number of fan-friendly promotions, and will offer free shuttle bus service from the east side of Manhattan on all event days and nights this season.
►Click here to access the full New York Sportimes schedule for the 2010 season.
Sportimes sponsorship opportunities available
For information on becoming a sponsor of the 2010 New York Sportimes, contact John Dato by phone at (212) 792-8500 or e-mail jdato@nysportimes.com. The 2010 Sportimes partners include:
Willow Hotels
GEICO
Pershing Capital
Principal Funds
ALL RISK Insurance
Fontana Wines
Sportime Clubs
Zurita Architects
Prestige Plumbing
Lippolis Electric
Efficiency HVAC
Randall’s Island Sports Foundation
2010 WTT full rosters (including marquee and roster players)
James Blake, Eric Butorac, Jan-Michael Gambill, Coco Vandeweghe and Raquel Kops-Jones (Coach Bud Schultz)
Jarmila Groth, Sam Groth, Kveta Peschke and Ricardo Mello (Coach: Brent Haygarth)
Prakesh Armitraj, Ramon Delgado, Noppowan Lertcheewakam, Courtney Nagle and Andy Roddick (Coach: Craig Kardon)
Sarah Borwell, Alex Domijan, Martina Hingis and Scoville Jenkins (Coach Jay Udwadia)
Kim Clijsters, Ashley Harkleroad, Robert Kendrick, John McEnroe, Abigail Spears and Jesse Witten (Coach Chuck Adams)
Lester Cook, Julie Ditty, David Martin, Marie-Eve Pelletier and Maria Sharapova (Coach Trevor Kronemann)
Brett Joelson, Vania King, Dusan Vemic and Riza Zalameda
Lindsay Davenport, Liga Dekmeijere, Anna Kournikova, Andrei Pavel and Tripp Phillips (Coach: Rick Leach)
Martin Damm, Rik DeVoest, Carly Gullickson and Chani Scheepers (Coach: John-Laffnie de Jager)
Angela Haynes, Leander Paes, Bobby Reynolds, Rennae Stubbs, Serena Williams and Venus Williams (Coach: Murphy Jensen)
New York Sportimes player profiles
Long Island’s own John McEnroe is a former world number one-ranked professional player. McEnroe won seven Grand Slam singles titles—three at Wimbledon and four at the U.S. Open—nine Grand Slam men’s doubles titles and one Grand Slam mixed-doubles title.
Kim Clijsters is a two-time U.S. Open Champion (2005 and 2009) returns to WTT this summer, but this time as a member of the Sportimes. Clijsters is a former world number one-ranked women’s player who, because of her enthusiasm, spontaneity and sportsmanship, will have make many fans amongst the New York crowd.
A native of Flintstone Ga., and a long-time crowd favorite on the WTA Tour, Ashley Harkleroad, aka “Pebbles,” is playing in her fourth WTT season; her third for the Sportimes. She recently resumed her professional career in Miami, playing with a protected ranking of 77th in the world after having given birth to her first child, with husband and Sportime’s coach Chuck Adams, in March of 2009. Ashley has achieved a career-high ranking of 39th in the world in both singles and doubles.
Robert Kendrick is an ATP veteran and is in his fourth WTT season with the Sportimes, he was a member of the Sportimes’ WTT championship team in 2005. Kendrick is a former All-American at both the University of Washington and Pepperdine University, and achieved his career-high ranking of 69th in the world during last year’s WTT season.
Abigail Spears is a native Californian is playing in her third WTT season, her second for the Sportimes. Spears is currently the 47th-ranked doubles player in the world, having achieved a career-high ranking of 40th in the world in doubles and 66th in singles.
2010 will be his Jesse Witten’s fourth consecutive WTT season with the New York Sportimes. He was Male Rookie of the Year in 2007, and is a former all-American at the University of Kentucky. Jesse reached the third round of the 2009 U.S. Open before losing to Novak Djokovic in four sets and achieving his career-high ranking of 163rd in the world.
