2008 New York Sportimes season

Last updated
2008 New York Sportimes season
Conference2nd Eastern
Record
2008 record10 wins, 4 losses
Home record7 wins, 0 losses
Road record3 wins, 4 losses
Games won–lost272–258
Team Info
Owner(s)Sportime Clubs et al
President/CEOClaude Okin
General ManagerAnn Marie Gaudio
CoachDustin Taylor
Captain John McEnroe
Stadium Sportime Stadium at Harbor Island
(capacity: 1,843)
← 2007
2009 →

The 2008 New York Sportimes season was the ninth season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT).

New York Sportimes team tennis franchise

The New York Sportimes were a professional tennis team competing in World TeamTennis (WTT). The team was originally based in eastern Long Island from 2000 to 2002, before moving to Westchester County, New York in 2003, and then to New York City in 2009. The team was founded as the New York Hamptons in 2000, before changing its name to the New York Sportimes in 2003. In 2005, the team made its first playoff appearance and went on to defeat the Newport Beach Breakers in the WTT Final to win its first King Trophy.

In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from April to October. In other team sports, like association football or basketball, it is generally from August or September to May although in some countries - such as Northern Europe or East Asia - the season starts in the spring and finishes in autumn, mainly due to weather conditions encountered during the winter.

World TeamTennis tennis team competition

World TeamTennis (WTT) is a mixed-gender professional tennis league played with a team format in the United States, which was founded in 1973.

Contents

The Sportimes had 10 wins and 4 losses and finished second in the Eastern Conference, missing the conference championship by losing a standings tiebreaker to the New York Buzz. The Sportimes lost to the Buzz, 25–17 in overtime, in the WTT Semifinals.

New York Buzz team tennis franchise

The New York Buzz was a professional tennis team competing in World TeamTennis (WTT). The team was originally based in Schenectady, New York from 1995 to 2007, before moving to Albany, New York in 2008, and Guilderland, New York in 2009. The team was founded as the New York OTBzz in 1995, before changing its name to the Schenectady County Electrics in 1999, and finally adopting the name New York Buzz in 2001. In 2008, the team won its third Eastern Conference Championship and went on to defeat the Kansas City Explorers to capture its first and only King Trophy in its fourth appearance in the WTT Final.

Season recap

Draft

The Sportimes protected John McEnroe in the Marquee Player Draft. [1] In the Roster Player Draft, the Sportimes had the fourth pick in each round. They protected Jesse Witten and Hana Šromová in the second and third rounds, respectively. The Sportimes left Ashley Harkleroad unprotected in the first round and instead chose Bethanie Mattek. Brian Wilson was taken in the fourth round, leaving Mirko Pehar unprotected. The team did not select any roster-exempt players. [2] Dustin Taylor replaced Chuck Adams as the head coach.

John McEnroe American tennis player

John Patrick McEnroe Jr. is an American retired tennis player. He was known for his shot-making artistry and volleying skills, and for confrontational on-court behavior that frequently landed him in trouble with umpires and tennis authorities.

Jesse Witten American tennis player

Jesse Witten is an American professional tennis player. He is a graduate of Lely High School and the University of Kentucky, where he majored in kinesiology.

Hana Šromová Czech tennis player

Hana Šromová is a retired Czech tennis player.

Luzhanska signed to substitute for Mattek

With Bethanie Mattek's availability in doubt, because she and her partner Sania Mirza reached the quarterfinals of the ladies' doubles tournament at Wimbedon, the Sportimes signed Tetiana Luzhanska as a substitute player to replace her. The team announced on July 2, 2008, that, with Mattek eliminated from Wimbledon the previous day, Luzhanska would play only in the season-opening match, and Mattek would be available beginning with the second match of the season on July 7. [3]

Sania Mirza Indian tennis player

Sania Mirza is an Indian professional tennis player. A former world No. 1 in the doubles discipline, she has won six Grand Slam titles in her career. From 2003 until her retirement from singles in 2013, she was ranked by the WTA as India's No. 1 player in both the categories. Throughout her career, Mirza has established herself as by far the most successful Indian (female) tennis player ever and one of the highest-paid and high-profile athletes in the country.

Cara Black and Liezel Huber were the defending champions but lost in the semifinals to Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur.

Tetiana Luzhanska Ukrainian-American tennis player

Tetiana Luzhanska is a retired Ukrainian-American professional female tennis player.

A brilliant start

The Sportimes started their season with a four-match homestand that pitted them against the Boston Lobsters in the opener on July 3, 2008. The Sportimes found themselves trailing, 12–9, after three sets. Jesse Witten started the comeback with a 5–3 men's singles set win over Jan-Michael Gambill. Hana Šromová and Brian Wilson took the final set of mixed doubles, 5–3, and the Sportimes squeezed out a 19–18 victory. [4]

Boston Lobsters team tennis franchise (2005–2015)

The Boston Lobsters were a World TeamTennis team based in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. The Boston Lobsters played home matches at the Boston Lobsters Tennis Center at the Manchester Athletic Club in Manchester, MA, on Atwater Ave., near exit 15 of Rte 128 and about 25 minutes north of Boston. Seating is approximately 1,700.

Jan-Michael Gambill American tennis player

Jan-Michael Charles Gambill is an American tennis player who made his professional debut in 1996. His career-high singles ranking is World No. 14, which he achieved on June 18, 2001. Best known for his unusual double-handed forehand, Gambill reached the quarterfinals of the 2000 Wimbledon Championships, the final of the 2001 Miami Masters, and won three singles titles.

Brian Wilson is a former professional tennis player from the United States.

After three days off, the Sportimes returned to the court to host the Philadelphia Freedoms. Again, the Sportimes dug themselves a hole, trailing, 13–11, after three sets. Bethanie Mattek, making her Sportimes debut, dominated Audra Cohen, 5–0, in the women's singles set to give New York a 16–13 lead. After Mattek and Wilson dropped a tiebreaker in the fifth set of mixed doubles, they won the first game of overtime to give the Sportimes a 21–18 win. [5]

Philadelphia Freedoms

The Philadelphia Freedoms is a tennis team currently competing in World TeamTennis.

Audra Cohen American tennis player

Audra Marie Cohen is a former American professional tennis player. From Plantation, Florida, she was the # 1 collegiate female tennis player in the United States in 2007. She is currently the head women's tennis coach at the University of Oklahoma.

The following evening, the Sportimes built a 15–10 lead over the New York Buzz after three sets. Wilson and Witten opened the match with a 5–3 set win in men's doubles. Mattek and Šromová followed by taking a tiebreaker in women's doubles. Mattek and Wilson won the mixed doubles set, 5–3. The Buzz answered with Yaroslava Shvedova taking the women's singles set from Mattek, 5–3, and Nathan Healey topping Witten in men's singles by the same score. With the Sportimes clinging to a 21–20 lead, Witten won the first game of overtime over Healey to secure a 22–20 triumph. [6]

On July 10, 2008, the Sportimes welcomed Serena Williams and the expansion Washington Kastles to Harbor Island. Wilson and Witten won the opening set of men's doubles in a tiebreaker, and Williams and Mashona Washington did the same in women's doubles to tie the match at 9 all. In the third set, Williams teamed with Justin Gimelstob for a 5–2 mixed doubles set win over Mattek and Wilson that gave the Kastles a 14–11 lead. Facing Williams in women's singles, Mattek built a 3–1 lead, before the Kastles inserted Washington as a substitute. Mattek closed out the set win, 5–2, to tie the match at 16 all. In the final set of men's singles, Witten won a tiebreaker over Scott Oudsema to clinch a 21–20 victory for the Sportimes and complete their perfect homestand with a record of 4 wins and 0 losses. [7]

The following evening, the Sportimes faced their first challenge on the road, when they visited the Delaware Smash. Witten opened the match by winning a tiebreaker in men's singles. Mattek followed with a 5–0 set win over Madison Brengle in women's singles. After the Smash won the men's doubles set in a tiebreaker, Mattek and Šromová earned a 5–3 set win in women's doubles that gave the Sportimes a 19–12 lead. A 5–2 mixed doubles set win by Liezel Huber and Chris Haggard cut the lead to 21–17, but Mattek and Wilson responded by winning the first game of overtime to secure a 22–17 win. [8]

The Sportimes returned home on July 12, 2008, to face the Freedoms for the second time. The Freedoms won the first two sets to build a 10–5 lead. Witten won the men's singles set, 5–2, to cut the lead to 12–10. After the Freedoms won the fourth set of mixed doubles, the Sportimes found themselves trailing, 17–13. Mattek took on Lisa Raymond in women's singles and won the set, 5–1, to tie the match at 18 all and send it to a super tiebreaker. Mattek completed the comeback by taking the super tiebreaker from Raymond, 7–5. [9] The 19–18 victory improved the Sportimes' record to 6 wins and 0 losses and left them as one of only two undefeated teams in WTT.

Mattek departs, and the Sportimes struggle

Without any formal announcement by the Sportimes or WTT, Bethanie Mattek vanished from the team after its sixth match. Mattek had played a key role in the early-season success of the Sportimes, who won all five matches in which she appeared. After the WTT season ended, Mattek was still featured prominently on the Sportimes' website home page. [10] She was apparently not injured, since she appeared in the LA Women's Tennis Championships, which opened on July 21, before the WTT season had concluded. Mattek was replaced for the Sportimes' July 13 road match against the Boston Lobsters by Robin Stephenson, who had appeared against them earlier in the season as a member of the Philadelphia Freedoms but had been released. [11]

The Sportimes opened a three-match road trip by falling behind the Lobsters, 10–3, after two sets. Set tiebreaker wins by Jesse Witten in men's singles and Hana Šromová in women's singles cut the deficit to 18–13. But the Lobsters won a tiebreaker in the final set of mixed doubles to put away a 23–17 victory and hand the Sportimes their first loss of the season. [11]

On July 14, 2008, the Sportimes signed Milagros Sequera with the apparent intention of replacing Mattek for the remainder of the season. Her first match with the team came that same day on the road against the Freedoms, and John McEnroe also made his season debut in that match. The Freedoms opened the match with a 5–1 set win over McEnroe and Brian Wilson in men's doubles. Sequera teamed with Šromová to win a tiebreaker in the women's doubles set. McEnroe managed to take a men's singles tiebreaker over Alex Bogomolov Jr. that cut the Freedoms' lead to 13–11. The Sportimes pushed in front, when Sequera won the women's singles set, 5–1. Sequera then teamed with Wilson for a 5–1 set win in mixed doubles that clinched a 21–15 win for the Sportimes. [12]

The next evening, the Sportimes built an early 10–2 lead in the finale of their road trip against the Washington Kastles. They were led by Sequera who teamed with Wilson for a 5–1 set win in the opening set of mixed doubles and followed by taking the women's singles set by the same score. However, the Kastles won the next three sets and tied the match at 17 all, when Mashona Washington and Sacha Jones took the final set of women's doubles from Sequera and Šromová, 5–1. Washington and Jones won the super tiebreaker, 7–5, to give the Kastles an 18–17 victory. [13]

After an off day, the Sportimes returned to Harbor Island for the final two home matches on their schedule. They won the first four sets of their match against the Springfield Lasers, the first three in tiebreakers, to take a 20–14 lead. After dropping the final set of mixed doubles, Sequera and Wilson won the first game of overtime to secure a 24–19 victory. [14]

The following evening, the Sportimes hosted the Newport Beach Breakers. After dropping the opening set of men's doubles in a tiebreaker, the Sportimes took a 9–5 lead, when Sequera and Šromová dominated Michaela Paštiková and Rebecca Bernhard in women's doubles, 5–0. Sequera later teamed with Wilson for a 5–3 set win in the fourth set of mixed doubles and closed out a 22–14 win by taking the final set of women's singles, 5–1. [15] The victory gave the Sportimes a perfect record of 7 wins and 0 losses at home and improved their overall record to 9 wins and 2 losses with three road matches to play to close the regular season.

On July 22, 2008, the Sportimes opened their three-match road trip to close the season against the second-place New York Buzz. The Sportimes' magic number for clinching the Eastern Conference championship stood at 2. A victory in this match would not only clinch the conference title but also no worse than the number 2 seed in the WTT playoffs. While the Sportimes enjoyed a day off the previous day, they clinched a playoff berth and a bye to the WTT semifinals when the Kansas City Explorers defeated the Kastles, 24–13. On this day, however, the Sportimes struggled. They dropped the first two sets and fell behind, 10–3. Witten won the third set of men's singles to cut the deficit to 13–8. But the Buzz cruised to easy set wins in the fourth and fifth sets on their way to a 23–11 victory. [16] The dominant win assured the Buzz of the standings tiebreaker edge against the Sportimes, since the teams had split their two regular season matches, but the Buzz had a 43–33 advantage in games won in those matches.

After a win over the Breakers, the Sportimes' magic number for winning the Eastern Conference title was reduced to 1. Playing on the West Coast in the Pacific Time Zone against the defending champion Sacramento Capitals on the final day of the regular season, the Sportimes and Capitals closed the WTT regular season in a match with myriad implications. A Capitals victory would give them the number 4 seed in the WTT playoffs, clinch a playoff berth for the Lobsters, eliminate the Freedoms and give the Buzz the Eastern Conference championship and the number 2 seed. A Sportimes win would give them the Eastern Conference title and the number 2 seed, clinch a playoff berth for the Freedoms, eliminate the Lobsters, drop the Buzz to the number 3 seed and drop the Capitals to the number 5 seed. Witten opened the match with a 5–3 set win in men's singles. The Capitals won the next two sets to take a 13–10 lead. Sequera continued to be reliable for the Sportimes and won the fourth set of women's singles, 5–2, to tie the match at 15 all. The final set of men's doubles came down to a tiebreaker, and Sam Warburg and Eric Butorac squeezed out the victory over Wilson and Witten to give the Capitals a 20–19 triumph. [17] Thus, the Sportimes' chances of winning the Eastern Conference title vanished on what was literally the final point played of the WTT regular season, after they had spent virtually the entire season as frontrunners.

Battle for New York in WTT Semifinals

The Sportimes were the overall number 3 seed which matched them with the number 2 seed, the New York Buzz, in the WTT Semifinals on July 26, at Allstate Stadium at Westfield Galleria at Roseville in Roseville, California, the site of WTT's 2008 Championship Weekend. Just hours before the match, WTT announced that Milagros Sequera had been injured and would be unavailable for the postseason. In her place, the Sportimes re-signed Ashley Harkleroad. [18]

In the first ever postseason meeting between the two New York clubs, the Buzz dominated the match winning the first four sets. Nathan Healey and Yaroslava Shvedova opened the match with a 5–3 set win against John McEnroe and Hana Šromová in mixed doubles. Shvedova followed with a 5–2 women's singles win over Harkleroad. Healy took care of Jesse Witten, 5–2, in men's singles. Gabriela Navrátilová and Shvedova needed a tiebreaker to beat Harkleroad and Šromová, 5–4, and give the Buzz a 20–11 lead heading to the final set. McEnroe and Witten won a tiebreaker over Patrick Briaud and Healy in men's doubles to force overtime with the Buzz leading 24–16. Briaud and Healy won the second game of overtime to give the Buzz a 25–17 victory and end the Sportimes' season. [19]

Event chronology

Draft picks

With 6 wins and 8 losses, the Sportimes had the fifth worst record in WTT in 2007. Since the Houston Wranglers folded after the 2007 season, the Sportimes selected fourth in each round of the WTT's two drafts.

Marquee player draft

The Sportimes protected John McEnroe in the first round of the WTT Marquee Player Draft and did not make a second-round selection. [1]

Roster player draft

The league conducted its 2008 Roster Player Draft on April 1, in Miami, Florida. The selections made [2] by the Sportimes are shown in the table below.

RoundNo.OverallPlayer chosenProt?
144 Flag of the United States.svg Bethanie Mattek N
2415 Flag of the United States.svg Jesse Witten Y
3426 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Hana Šromová Y
4437 Flag of the United States.svg Brian Wilson N

The Sportimes did not select any roster-exempt players.

Match log

Regular season

Legend
Sportimes WinSportimes Loss
Home team in CAPS
MatchDateVenue and locationResult and detailsRecord
1July 3 Sportime Stadium at Harbor Island
Mamaroneck, New York 		NEW YORK SPORTIMES 19, Boston Lobsters 18 [4]
* MD: Brian Wilson/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5, Jan-Michael Gambill/Amir Hadad (Lobsters) 2
* WD: Raquel Kops-Jones/Marie-Ève Pelletier (Lobsters) 5, Tetiana Luzhanska/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 2
* WS: Marie-Ève Pelletier (Lobsters) 5, Tetiana Luzhanska (Sportimes) 2
* MS: Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5, Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) 3
* XD: Hana Šromová/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 5, Raquel Kops-Jones/Amir Hadad (Lobsters) 3		1–0
2July 7 Sportime Stadium at Harbor Island
Mamaroneck, New York 		NEW YORK SPORTIMES 21, Philadelphia Freedoms 18 (overtime) [5]
* MD: Brian Wilson/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5, Alex Bogomolov Jr./Travis Parrott (Freedoms) 3
* WD: Audra Cohen/Robin Stephenson (Freedoms) 5, Bethanie Mattek/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 3
* MS: Alex Bogomolov Jr. (Freedoms) 5, Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 3
* WS: Bethanie Mattek (Sportimes) 5, Audra Cohen (Freedoms) 0
* XD: Robin Stephenson/Travis Parrott (Freedoms) 5, Bethanie Mattek/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 4
*** Robin Stephenson substituted for Audra Cohen at 4–4
* OT - XD: Bethanie Mattek/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 1, Robin Stephenson/Travis Parrott (Freedoms) 0		2–0
3July 8 Sportime Stadium at Harbor Island
Mamaroneck, New York 		NEW YORK SPORTIMES 22, New York Buzz 20 (overtime) [6]
* MD: Brian Wilson/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5, Patrick Briaud/Nathan Healey (Buzz) 3
* WD: Bethanie Mattek/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 5, Gabriela Navrátilová/Yaroslava Shvedova (Buzz) 4
* XD: Bethanie Mattek/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 5, Yaroslava Shvedova/Nathan Healey (Buzz) 3
* WS: Yaroslava Shvedova (Buzz) 5, Bethanie Mattek (Sportimes) 3
* MS: Nathan Healey (Buzz) 5, Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 3
* OT - MS: Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 1, Nathan Healey (Buzz) 0		3–0
4July 10 Sportime Stadium at Harbor Island
Mamaroneck, New York 		NEW YORK SPORTIMES 21, Washington Kastles 20 [7]
* MD: Brian Wilson/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5, Scott Oudsema/Justin Gimelstob (Kastles) 4
* WD: Mashona Washington/Serena Williams (Kastles) 5, Bethanie Mattek/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 4
* XD: Serena Williams/Justin Gimelstob (Kastles) 5, Bethanie Mattek/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 2
* WS: Bethanie Mattek (Sportimes) 5, Mashona Washington (Kastles) 2
*** Mashona Washington substituted for Serena Williams at 1–3
* MS: Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5, Scott Oudsema (Kastles) 4		4–0
5July 11 DuPont Country Club
Brandywine Hundred, Delaware 		New York Sportimes 22, DELAWARE SMASH 17 (overtime) [8]
* MS: Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5, Ryler DeHeart (Smash) 4
* WS: Bethanie Mattek (Sportimes) 5, Madison Brengle (Smash) 0
* MD: Chris Haggard/Ryler DeHeart (Smash) 5, Brian Wilson/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 4
* WD: Bethanie Mattek/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 5, Liezel Huber/Christina Fusano (Smash) 3
*** Christina Fusano substituted for Madison Brengle at 1–2
* XD: Liezel Huber/Chris Haggard (Smash) 5, Bethanie Mattek/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 2
* OT - XD: Bethanie Mattek/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 1, Liezel Huber/Chris Haggard (Smash) 0		5–0
6July 12 Sportime Stadium at Harbor Island
Mamaroneck, New York 		NEW YORK SPORTIMES 19, Philadelphia Freedoms 18 (super tiebreaker, 7–5) [9]
* MD: Alex Bogomolov Jr./Travis Parrott (Freedoms) 5, Brian Wilson/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 1
* WD: Lisa Raymond/Audra Cohen (Freedoms) 5, Bethanie Mattek/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 4
* MS: Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5, Alex Bogomolov Jr. (Freedoms) 2
* XD: Lisa Raymond/Travis Parrott (Freedoms) 5, Bethanie Mattek/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 3
* WS: Bethanie Mattek (Sportimes) 5, Lisa Raymond (Freedoms) 1
* STB - WS: Bethanie Mattek (Sportimes) 7, Lisa Raymond (Freedoms) 5		6–0
7July 13 Ferncroft Country Club
Middleton, Massachusetts 		BOSTON LOBSTERS 23, New York Sportimes 17 [11]
* MD: Amir Hadad/Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) 5, Brian Wilson/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 2
* WD: Raquel Kops-Jones/Marie-Ève Pelletier (Lobsters) 5, Hana Šromová/Robin Stephenson (Sportimes) 1
* MS: Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5, Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) 4
* WS: Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 5, Marie-Ève Pelletier (Lobsters) 4
* XD: Raquel Kops-Jones/Amir Hadad (Lobsters) 5, Robin Stephenson/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 4
*** Robin Stephenson substituted for Hana Šromová at 0–1		6–1
8July 14 King of Prussia mall
Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania 		New York Sportimes 21, PHILADELPHIA FREEDOMS 15 [12]
* MD: Alex Bogomolov Jr./Travis Parrott (Freedoms) 5, John McEnroe/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 1
* WD: Milagros Sequera/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 5, Lisa Raymond/Audra Cohen (Freedoms) 4
* MS: John McEnroe (Sportimes) 5, Alex Bogomolov Jr. (Freedoms) 4
* WS: Milagros Sequera (Sportimes) 5, Lisa Raymond (Freedoms) 1
*** Lisa Raymond substituted for Audra Cohen at 0–3
* XD: Milagros Sequera/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 5, Lisa Raymond/Travis Parrott (Freedoms) 1		7–1
9July 15 Kastles Stadium at CityCenterDC
Washington, District of Columbia 		WASHINGTON KASTLES 18, New York Sportimes 17 (super tiebreaker, 7–5) [13]
* XD: Milagros Sequera/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 5, Mashona Washington/Justin Gimelstob (Kastles) 1
* WS: Milagros Sequera (Sportimes) 5, Mashona Washington (Kastles) 1
* MS: Scott Oudsema (Kastles) 5, John McEnroe (Sportimes) 2
* MD: Scott Oudsema/Justin Gimelstob (Kastles) 5, Brian Wilson/John McEnroe (Sportimes) 4
* WD: Mashona Washington/Sacha Jones (Kastles) 5, Milagros Sequera/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 1
* STB - WD: Mashona Washington/Sacha Jones (Kastles) 7, Milagros Sequera/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 5		7–2
10July 17 Sportime Stadium at Harbor Island
Mamaroneck, New York 		NEW YORK SPORTIMES 24, Springfield Lasers 19 (overtime) [14]
* MD: Brian Wilson/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5, Glenn Weiner/Todd Perry (Lasers) 4
* WD: Milagros Sequera/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 5, Shenay Perry/Chanelle Scheepers (Lasers) 4
* MS: Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5, Glenn Weiner (Lasers) 4
* WD: Milagros Sequera (Sportimes) 5, Chanelle Scheepers (Lasers) 2
* XD: Shenay Perry/Todd Perry (Lasers) 5, Milagros Sequera/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 3
* OT - XD: Milagros Sequera/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 1, Shenay Perry/Todd Perry (Lasers) 0		8–2
11July 18 Sportime Stadium at Harbor Island
Mamaroneck, New York 		NEW YORK SPORTIMES 22, Newport Beach Breakers 14 [15]
* MD: Ramón Delgado/Kaes Van't Hof (Breakers) 5, Brian Wilson/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 4
* WD: Milagros Sequera/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 5, Michaela Paštiková/Rebecca Bernhard (Breakers) 0
* MS: Ramón Delgado (Breakers) 5, Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 3
* XD: Milagros Sequera/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 5, Michaela Paštiková/Kaes Van't Hof (Breakers) 3
* WS: Milagros Sequera (Sportimes) 5, Michaela Paštiková (Breakers) 1		9–2
12July 20 Washington Avenue Armory Sports and Convention Arena
Albany, New York 		NEW YORK BUZZ 23, New York Sportimes 11 [16]
* WD: Gabriela Navrátilová/Yaroslava Shvedova (Buzz) 5, Milagros Sequera/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 0
* XD: Yaroslava Shvedova/Nathan Healey (Buzz) 5, Milagros Sequera/Brian Wilson (Sportimes) 3
* MS: Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5, Nathan Healey (Buzz) 3
* WS: Yaroslava Shvedova (Buzz) 5, Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 1
*** Hana Šromová substituted for Milagros Sequera at 0–1
* MD: Patrick Briaud/Nathan Healey (Buzz) 5, Brian Wilson/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 2		9–3
13July 22 Breakers Stadium at the Newport Beach Country Club
Newport Beach, California 		New York Sportimes 17, NEWPORT BEACH BREAKERS 15 (overtime) [20] [21]
* WD: Milagros Sequera/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 5, Lilia Osterloh/Michaela Paštiková (Breakers) 1
* XD: Milagros Sequera/John McEnroe (Sportimes) 5, Michaela Paštiková/Kaes Van't Hof (Breakers) 2
* MD: Ramón Delgado/Kaes Van't Hof (Breakers) 5, John McEnroe/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 0
* WS: Milagros Sequera (Sportimes) 5, Lilia Osterloh (Breakers) 2
* MS: Ramón Delgado (Breakers) 5, Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 1
* OT - MS: Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 1, Ramón Delgado (Breakers) 0		10–3
14July 23 Allstate Stadium at Westfield Galleria at Roseville
Roseville, California 		SACRAMENTO CAPITALS 20, New York Sportimes 19 [17]
* MS: Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5, Sam Warburg (Capitals) 3
* WD: Elena Likhovtseva/Tamaryn Hendler (Capitals) 5, Milagros Sequera/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 3
* XD: Elena Likhovtseva/Eric Butorac (Capitals) 5, Milagros Sequera/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 2
*** Jesse Witten substituted for Brian Wilson at 1–4
* WS: Milagros Sequera (Sportimes) 5, Tamaryn Hendler (Capitals) 2
* MD: Sam Warburg/Eric Butorac (Capitals) 5, Brian Wilson/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 4		10–4

Playoffs

Legend
Sportimes WinSportimes Loss
Home team in CAPS
World TeamTennis Semifinals
DateVenue and locationResult and details
July 26 Allstate Stadium at Westfield Galleria at Roseville
Roseville, California 		NEW YORK BUZZ 25, New York Sportimes 17 (overtime) [22]
* XD: Yaroslava Shvedova/Nathan Healey (Buzz) 5, Hana Šromová/John McEnroe (Sportimes) 3
* WS: Yaroslava Shvedova (Buzz) 5, Ashley Harkleroad (Sportimes) 2
* MS: Nathan Healey (Buzz) 5, Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 2
* WD: Gabriela Navrátilová/Yaroslava Shvedova (Buzz) 5, Ashley Harkleroad/Hana Šromová (Sportimes) 4
* MD: John McEnroe/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5, Patrick Briaud/Nathan Healey (Buzz) 4
* OT - MD: Patrick Briaud/Nathan Healey (Buzz) 1, John McEnroe/Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 1

Team personnel

Players and coaches

Front office

Notes:

  1. 1 2 3 Player appeared in fewer than three matches during the season as a substitute player and was not eligible to be protected in the following year's draft.
  2. ↑ Player left the team during the regular season for undisclosed reasons. It is not clear whether her departure was excused.

Statistics

Players are listed in order of their game-winning percentage provided they played in at least 40% of the Sportimes' games in that event, which is the WTT minimum for qualification for league leaders in individual statistical categories.

Men's singles - regular season
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
Jesse Witten 995247.525
John McEnroe 1679.438
Total1155956.513
Women's singles - regular season
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
Milagros Sequera 403010.750
Bethanie Mattek 32248.750
Hana Šromová 1468.429
Tetiana Luzhanska 725.286
Total936231.667
Men's doubles - regular season
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
Brian Wilson 1034756.456
Jesse Witten 934251.452
John McEnroe 20515.250
Total1084761.435
Women's doubles - regular season
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
Milagros Sequera 492425.490
Bethanie Mattek 432122.488
Hana Šromová 1054857.457
Tetiana Luzhanska 725.286
Robin Stephenson 615.167
Total1054857.457
Mixed doubles - regular season
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
Milagros Sequera 512922.569
Brian Wilson 1005050.500
John McEnroe 752.714
Hana Šromová 954.556
Robin Stephenson 844.500
Jesse Witten 211.500
Bethanie Mattek 411823.439
Total1095653.514
Team totals - regular season
EventGPGWGLPCT
Men's singles1155956.513
Women's singles936231.667
Men's doubles1084761.435
Women's doubles1054857.457
Mixed doubles1095653.514
Total530272258.513
Men's singles - playoffs
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
Jesse Witten 725.286
Total725.286
Women's singles - playoffs
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
Ashley Harkleroad 725.286
Total725.286
Men's doubles - playoffs
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
John McEnroe 1165.545
Jesse Witten 1165.545
Total1165.545
Women's doubles - playoffs
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
Ashley Harkleroad 945.444
Hana Šromová 945.444
Total945.444
Mixed doubles - playoffs
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
John McEnroe 835.375
Hana Šromová 835.375
Total835.375
Team totals - playoffs
EventGPGWGLPCT
Men's singles725.286
Women's singles725.286
Men's doubles1165.545
Women's doubles945.444
Mixed doubles835.375
Total421725.405
Men's singles - all matches
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
Jesse Witten 1065452.509
John McEnroe 1679.438
Total1226161.500
Women's singles - all matches
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
Milagros Sequera 403010.750
Bethanie Mattek 32248.750
Hana Šromová 1468.429
Ashley Harkleroad 725.286
Tetiana Luzhanska 725.286
Total1006436.640
Men's doubles - all matches
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
Jesse Witten 1044856.462
Brian Wilson 1034756.456
John McEnroe 311120.355
Total1195366.445
Women's doubles - all matches
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
Milagros Sequera 492425.490
Bethanie Mattek 432122.488
Hana Šromová 1145262.456
Ashley Harkleroad 945.444
Tetiana Luzhanska 725.286
Robin Stephenson 615.167
Total1145262.456
Mixed doubles - all matches
PlayerGPGWGLPCT
Milagros Sequera 512922.569
Brian Wilson 1005050.500
John McEnroe 1587.533
Robin Stephenson 844.500
Jesse Witten 211.500
Hana Šromová 1789.471
Bethanie Mattek 411823.439
Total1175958.504
Team totals - all matches
EventGPGWGLPCT
Men's singles1226161.500
Women's singles1006436.640
Men's doubles1195366.445
Women's doubles1145262.456
Mixed doubles1175958.504
Total572289283.505

Transactions

See also

Related Research Articles

Washington Kastles

The Washington Kastles is one of six franchises that compete in World Team Tennis.

The 2014 World TeamTennis season was the 39th season of the top professional team tennis league in the United States. Pursuant to a sponsorship agreement with Mylan N.V., the official name of the league was Mylan World TeamTennis in 2014. The Washington Kastles defeated the Springfield Lasers in the WTT Final to win their fourth consecutive King Trophy.

San Diego Aviators team tennis franchise

The San Diego Aviators are a World TeamTennis (WTT) team that plays at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California in the United States of America. The team is the successor to two WTT franchises. The first was created in 1995, as the New York OTBzz, later renamed the Schenectady County Electrics and then the New York Buzz. The second was created in 2000, as the New York Hamptons, later renamed the New York Sportimes. The Aviators, founded in 1995, are the oldest continuously operating franchise in WTT. The team has won the King Trophy as WTT champions three times: once playing as the New York Sportimes in 2005, once as the New York Buzz in 2008, and once as the San Diego Aviators in 2016. As of 2016, the three championships is the second most of any active WTT franchise behind the Washington Kastles, who have won six.

The 2013 New York Sportimes season was the 19th season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT) including the history it inherited from the 2011 merger with the New York Buzz, the 15th season since the founding of the New York metropolitan area-franchise and its third playing home matches in both New York City and the Capital District.

The 2014 Philadelphia Freedoms season was the 14th season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT).

2015 World TeamTennis season sports season

The 2015 World TeamTennis season was the 40th season of the top professional team tennis league in the United States. Pursuant to a sponsorship agreement with Mylan N.V., the official name of the league was Mylan World TeamTennis in 2015. The Washington Kastles defeated the Austin Aces in the WTT Final to win their fifth consecutive King Trophy.

The 2014 Boston Lobsters season was the tenth season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT).

The 2015 Washington Kastles season was the eighth season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT).

New York Empire (tennis) team tennis franchise

The New York Empire is a World TeamTennis (WTT) team that plays its home matches at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in Bronx, New York City.

The 2016 New York Empire season was the inaugural season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT). The Empire finished last in WTT with 2 wins and 10 losses.

The 2016 Washington Kastles season was the ninth season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT). The Kastles finished third in WTT with seven wins and five losses and missed the postseason for the first time since 2010, ending their run of five consecutive WTT championships.

The 2016 San Diego Aviators season was the 22nd season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT) and its third playing in San Diego County, California.

The 2008 New York Buzz season was the 14th season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT).

The 2008 World TeamTennis season was the 33rd season of the top professional team tennis league in the United States.

The 2008 Boston Lobsters season was the fourth season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT).

The 2008 Philadelphia Freedoms season was the eighth season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT).

The 2008 Washington Kastles season was the inaugural season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT). The Kastles finished fifth in WTT's Eastern Conference with 6 wins and 8 losses and failed to qualify for the postseason.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "John McEnroe Returns for 8th WTT Season". World TeamTennis . March 19, 2008. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "WTT Finalizes Lineups at Roster Player Draft". World TeamTennis . April 1, 2008. Archived from the original on October 28, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "WTT Pro League Notes". World TeamTennis . July 2, 2008. Archived from the original on April 28, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Boston Lobsters @ New York Sportimes". World TeamTennis . July 3, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved November 22, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  5. 1 2 "Philadelphia Freedoms @ New York Sportimes". World TeamTennis . July 7, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  6. 1 2 "New York Buzz @ New York Sportimes". World TeamTennis . July 8, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  7. 1 2 "Washington Kastles @ New York Sportimes". World TeamTennis . July 10, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved November 22, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  8. 1 2 "New York Sportimes @ Delaware Smash". World TeamTennis . July 11, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  9. 1 2 "Philadelphia Freedoms @ New York Sportimes". World TeamTennis . July 12, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  10. ↑ "NY Sportimes: Are You in or out?". New York Sportimes . August 23, 2008. Archived from the original on August 23, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "New York Sportimes @ Boston Lobsters". World TeamTennis . July 13, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  12. 1 2 3 4 "New York Sportimes @ Philadelphia Freedoms". World TeamTennis . July 14, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  13. 1 2 "New York Sportimes @ Washington Kastles". World TeamTennis . July 15, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  14. 1 2 "Springfield Lasers @ New York Sportimes". World TeamTennis . July 17, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  15. 1 2 "Newport Beach Breakers @ New York Sportimes". World TeamTennis . July 18, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  16. 1 2 "New York Sportimes @ New York Buzz". World TeamTennis . July 20, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved October 24, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  17. 1 2 "New York Sportimes @ Sacramento Capitals". World TeamTennis . July 23, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  18. 1 2 3 "#2 NY Buzz vs. #3 NY Sportimes - Semifinal Preview". World TeamTennis . July 26, 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  19. 1 2 "New York Buzz Advances to WTT Final with 25-17 Win over New York Sportimes". World TeamTennis . July 26, 2008. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  20. ↑ "World Team Tennis 2008". TalkAboutTennis.com. July 22, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Newport Beach Breakers Close Out WTT Home Schedule with Overtime Loss to New York Sportimes". World TeamTennis . July 22, 2008. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  22. ↑ "New York Sportimes @ New York Buzz". World TeamTennis . July 26, 2008. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved November 1, 2016.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.