World No. 11 Marion Bartoli Commits to Pilot Pen Tennis!

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:42:48 PST

World No. 11 Marion Bartoli, a finalist at Wimbledon last year, has become the third player to commit to the Pilot Pen.

Bartoli, who joins 2007 Pilot Pen finalists Agnes Szavay and Mardy Fish as players committed early to the event, began to leave her mark on the Tour in 2006 when she collected three titles at Auckland, Tokyo and Quebec City. She cemented her position as one of the game's elite players last year by defeating World No. 1 Justine Henin en route to the Wimbledon finals, reaching the finals of Prague and the semifinals of five other tournaments, and reaching a career-high ranking of No. 9 in the world.

CTC's World TeamTennis Rec League: May 19 - June 30

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:51:01 PST

CTC's World TeamTennis Rec League: May 19 - June 30.

Teams now forming.

Seeking captains and players at all levels to form new teams: e-mail Debby Dutton at wttleague@tenniscircuit.com

Have fun and make new friends playing the exciting WTT format!

Co-ed Teams 2 men, 2 women minimum
Min 4, max 8 players per team
Divisions: 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5
Singles, Doubles, Mixed, WTT Format
Top teams play WTT National Qualifiers

Just $20 per player or $100 team fee.

All players must join a team roster to compete.

Debby Dutton to Coordinate CTC's World Team Tennis

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:22:49 PST

I would like to announce that Debby Dutton will coordinate CTC's Recreational World Team Tennis league taking over for me as family, career and CTC require more of my attention.

Debby has been a player in the Connecticut Tennis Circuit Challenge and WTT leagues since 2001. Debby has agreed to partner with me to continue to offer and run the WTT Rec leagues under the CTC banner and web site at tenniscircuit.com.

Debby and her husband Joseph Sherman are exceptional tennis friends to whom I owe endless thanks. The CT tennis community and CTC in particular, are fortunate to have them in and on our courts.

Debby has also recently become district coordinator for USTA Team Tennis - a role that will undoubtedly provide synergy between competitive USTA and recreational WTT team tennis offerings in Connecticut.

Both Debby and I are looking forward to a fun-filled WTT season this spring and the continued growth of tennis in Connecticut.

Please congratulate Debby and give her your full support!

Teams are forming now for the 2008 CTC World Team Tennis season which runs May 19 - June 30.

Email Debby at ctc@playWTT.com to start a team or join one.

Robert A. Wright
Connecticut Tennis Circuit

Agnes Szavay is First Woman to Commit to 2008 Pilot Pen

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:00:00 PST

Szavay, ranked 13th in the world, played nine matches in eight days last year and reached the final before a back injury forced her to retire against second-ranked Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Szavay is the first woman to commit to the 2008 Pilot Pen.

"She had an amazing run [last year]," tournament director Anne Worcester said. "The Pilot Pen takes great pride in the fact that [this] always seems to be a tournament where rising stars and up-and-comers seem to make their initial mark and grab the world's attention. There have been several rising stars that have had a breakthrough event here. We're delighted that the Pilot Pen was a bit of a breakthrough for Agnes."

After New Haven, Szavay reached the quarterfinals in the US Open, upsetting No. 7 Nadia Petrova. She later won in Beijing, upsetting No. 3 Jelena Jankovic in the final.

Szavay, 19, finished the year No. 20 in the world after ending 2006 at No. 189. She was named Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Newcomer of the Year last year and she points to New Haven as the tournament that propelled her.

"I think it was a great tournament," Szavay said. "It was a really good week in my life. ... I'm really happy I could win the whole week and I'm really sorry I couldn't finish the final."

This year, Szavay lost to sixth-ranked Anna Chakvetadze in the final in Paris and reached the quarterfinals in Amelia Island, Fla., last week.

Tickets are available by calling 888-997-4568 or 203-776-7331 or visiting

www.pilotpentennis.com.

American Star Mardy Fish Commits to Pilot Pen Tennis!

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:24:43 PST

Fish, currently ranked No. 42 in the world, recently had one of the biggest wins of his career when he upset World No. 1 Roger Federer at the Pacific Life Open Masters Series event in Indian Wells, California, en route to the finals where he fell in three sets to World No. 3 Novak Djokovic. It was the first time an American had defeated Federer in more than four years, and was the second time Fish had reached a Masters Series final (Cincinnati 2003). In addition, earlier this year he had two solid performances when he reached the quarterfinals of Delray Beach and San Jose.

CT Tennis Challenge begins May 1

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:47:45 PST

The Connecticut Tennis Circuit is now accepting online and mail-in registrations for our 2008 CT Tennis Challenge outdoor league for Singles and Doubles play.

2008 Regular Season runs: May 1 through August 24, 2008.
Conference Playoffs run: August 25 through September 28.
State Championships held: October 4-5 at a CT outdoor site tbd.

Regular Season Prizes:

Points*: Prize
10: CTC water bottle
25: CTC T-shirt or cap
50: Pro shop prize to $25 retail value
75: Pilot Pen box seats CTC (by Aug 12)
100: Pro shop prize to $50 value
125: CTC Hoodie or Fleece

Challenge Format:

Play on your schedule
Challenge players/doubles teams to matches+
Higher ranked players have home court choice
*Prize Points earned for matches played:

➔ 1 point to the challenger
➔ 2 points for a win
➔ 1 point for the match

Report scores on CTC web site
Track results and check player stats on web site
Complete rules are on the CTC web site: http://www.tenniscircuit.com/ctc.html
Sponsors include Racquet Koop- New Haven, Racquet Koop -West Hartford, Pilot Pen Tennis and USTA New England.

+Player contact info is available to registered players via login on the CTC web site

Lobsters Head North for a New Home in 2008

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:00:00 PST

After three years at Harvard University, the Boston Lobsters of World TeamTennis will move northward for their seven home matches in 2008. Owner Bahar Uttam announced on March 19 that the team will relocate to the Ferncroft Country Club in Middleton. Boston's first home match will be Monday, July 7 against the Delaware Smash. The match begins at 7 p.m.

"We're thrilled to call Ferncroft our new home," Uttam told reporters in a press conference at Ferncroft. "The North Shore is a hotbed of tennis activity, with a knowledgeable and passionate fan base, and still it is close enough to Boston and its suburbs to attract our fans from other regions. Our goal is to bring a championship to all the tennis fans in New England."

Ferncroft, which is owned by Affinity Management, is located just north of Boston, at the intersection of Interstate 95 and Route 1. A new outdoor tennis stadium with seating between 1,500 and 2,000 is being built now and will be ready long before the season opens.

Three of the seven home matches for the Lobsters will feature "marquee" names - Venus Williams, playing for the Philadelphia Freedom on July 10, and Martina Navratilova, who will play for the Lobsters on July 16 and July 19.

Click below for full story

Serena Williams to Play WTT at NY SPORTIMES Stadium July 10

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:14:57 PST

Serena Williams will appear in WTT action at NY SPORTIMEs’ Stadium in Mamaroneck NY July 10th 2008.

Serena will play as a member of WTT’s newest team, the Washington Kastles.

Visit http://www.nysportimes.com for more info.

2008 Ticket Information

Contact the team …
Tickets go on sale May 1st!
Call our ticket hotline …
914-620-1634

NY Sportimes
PO Box 783
Mamaroneck, NY 10573
914-620-1634
www.nysportimes.com

2007 CT TENNIS CHALLENGE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS OCTOBER 6-7, BEACON FALLS HS

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 09:07:20 PST

THE 10 ANNUAL CT TENNIS CHALLENGE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS INVITATIONAL WILL BE HELD OCTOBER 6-7, BEACON FALLS HS

SINGLES QUALIFIERS, WOULD-BE WILD CARDS AND ALL WHO WISH TO PLAY DOUBLES: PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR AVAILABILITY via email to CTC.

The CTC State Championships is an Invitational Tournament for CT Tennis Challenge Singles Conference Playoff Semifinalists, Quarterfinal alternates and accepted Wild Cards.

SINGLES EVENTS: Men’s Novice, Intermediate, Advanced. Women’s Intermediate, Advanced. Draws are limited to 16 players. Players may only enter one singles event. SINGLES PLAYOFF SEMIFINALISTS: PLEASE CONFIRM your availability for this Tournament.

SINGLES PLAYERS MAY ALSO EMAIL CTC REQUESTING A WILD-CARD ENTRY.

DOUBLES: CTC is opening Doubles entries to all CTC players. Both team members must have played CTC Singles or Doubles in 2007. DOUBLES ENTRANTS MUST CONFIRM BY EMAIL TO CTC BY 10/4.

DOUBLES EVENTS: Men’s Int, Men’s Adv, Women’s Int, Women’s Adv, Mixed Int, Mixed Adv. Minimum 4 teams, maximum 8 teams per event.

DEADLINE: 9PM, October 4, 2007

ENTRY FEE: $40 pp for Singles, $20 pp for Doubles PAID AT THE EVENT.

REFRESHMENTS AND DOOR PRIZES FOR ALL PLAYERS

CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZES:

Champions: $100 pro shop gift certificate (2 x $50 for dbls)
Finalists: $50 pro shop gift certificate (2 x $25 for dbls)

Robert A. Wright - Director
Connecticut Tennis Circuit
ctc@tenniscircuit.com

CT TENNIS CHALLENGE PRIZES, PILOT PEN TICKET WINNERS

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 19:05:00 PST

Congratulations to CT Tennis Challenge winners of Pilot Pen box seats for most points in their Conference during June:

Chad Martin, Hartford Conference: 54 pts
David Danner, New Haven Conference: 27 points
John Gregoriio, Waterbury Conference: 23 points
Brian Skinner, Fairfield Conference: 16 points
George Watts, Shoreline-East Conference: 4 points

****

Congratulations to winners of special incentive prizes for women June 5 - July 5:

Most matches, Box of 4 Premium CTC box seats at the Pilot Pen with Racquet Club Passes, Winner: Christine Danner, 12 matches

Runner-up most matches, Pair of Premium CTC box seats with Racquet Club Passes, Winner: Yuan Zeng, 8 matches

Second runner-up (third place in matches), Pair of Pilot Pen box seats, Winner: Erin Ladner, 7 matches

Special Drawing, Pair of Pilot Pen box seats, Winner: Meredith Dommu

****

Congratulations winners of Pilot Pen box seats for most points in their Conference during May:

Chad Martin and Warren Abbey, Hartford Conference, 70 points
John Gregorio, Waterbury Conference, 38 points
David Danner New Haven Conference, 16 points
Richard Potrzebowski, Fairfield Conference, 14 points
Ed Kang, Shoreline-East Conference, 10 points

****

Prize for most points in Conference for July-Aug 15: a pair of US Open tickets.

****

Additional prizes for all players:

CTC Water bottle: 10 pts (about 3 matches)
Choice of CTC T-shirt or Cap: 20 pts
Pro shop prize: 40 pts
Pilot Pen tickets: 60 pts
Pro shop tennis bag: 80 pts
Premium Pilot Pen Box seats or $50 gift cert: 100 pts.

See you on the Circuit ...

Robert A. Wright - Director,
Connecticut Tennis Circuit

Congratulations 2007 CTC World TeamTennis Winners!

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 23:33:00 PST

Congratulations to our 2007 CTC World TeamTennis Winners!

3.5: Cheers 7-1, captained by Bonnie Reidinger
4.0: Outside Edge 6-2, captained by Bob Wright
4.5: High Strung 7-1, captained by Sharon Weston

The local WTT professional team the NY Sportimes from Mamaroneck, NY has invited our winning teams as special guests to their Saturday July 14 home match vs. NY Buzz at 7:30PM. Each team member may also bring a guest. They plan to honor our league and winning players during intermission.

We had a lot of fun playing many exciting team matches in overtime and super tiebreakers. It was also a pleasure to meet many new players as our WTT Rec league grew to over 150 partcipants.

Winning teams (at 3.5, 4.0, 4.5) have one year to register for a WTT National Qualifier event. The schedule of remaining National Qualifiers in 2007:

7/20/2007 Dwight Davis Tennis Center - Saint Louis, MO, entry deadline 7/6/2007
8/24/2007 Millbrook Exchange Tennis Center - Raleigh, NC, entry deadline 8/10/2007
9/28/2007 Heritage Park - Irvine, CA, entry deadline 9/14/2007
10/5/2007 DuPont Country Club - Wilmington, DE, entry deadline 9/21/2007

Captains may register their teams or get more info on WTT National Qualifiers at WTT.com

Thanks to all the CTC/WTT Rec League players for making this season so successful and so much fun!

Robert Wright, CTC

CTC WTT League Grows 30% - NY Sportimes to Honor Winners

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 20:00:00 PST

MAMARONECK, NY – June 17, 2007: The Connecticut Tennis Circuit organization announced today a 30% growth for their 2007 World TeamTennis Recreational League. CTC’s players continue to expand their infectious enthusiasm for the League and for their love of the sport. The local WTT franchise, the New York Sportimes, is sponsoring the Connecticut Tennis Circuit and its players.

Each team member of the Connecticut Tennis Circuit's winning divisions, at 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 NTRP, will be honored at the New York Sportimes home match on Saturday, July 14th when they face off against their division rivals, the New York Buzz from Schenectady. Winners will be guests of the Sportimes and the team will pay tribute to them on center court.

“We recognize the enthusiasm that the Connecticut players and fans have for World Team Tennis”, commented Claude Okin, managing partner of the Sportimes. He continued, “It is our pleasure to celebrate the players and welcome them as our guests.”

“The Connecticut Tennis Circuit has been the premier WTT recreational organization in the nutmeg state since 1999,” said Bob Wright, its Director. He continued, “The Sportimes have warmed our hearts by stepping up to close ranks and embrace our local league as a valued member of their WTT family following the loss of our treasured Hartford FoxForce franchise this past season.”

The New York Sportimes invite you to visit www.WTT.com to learn about how you can join thousands of recreational players across the United States who are having fun playing World Team Tennis in both corporate and local leagues.

For more information about the New York Sportimes, visit www.nysportimes.com. Marquee players appearing at Sportime Stadium this season include John McEnroe playing for the Sportimes July 19th and visits from the #1 ranked doubles team, the Bryan Brothers and Wimbledon champion, Venus Williams July 17th. Tickets for the Sportimes are available by calling 914-574-8280 or through www.ticketweb.com. The complete home match schedule follows:

2007 Home Match Schedule
Date/Opponent
Thurs., July 5    vs. Delaware (1pm)
Tues., July 10    vs. Kansas City Explorers & the Bryan Brothers
Wed., July 11    vs. Springfield Lasers
Sat., July 14    vs. NY Buzz
Tues., July 17    vs. Philadelphia Freedoms & Venus Williams
Thurs., July 19    NYS featuring John McEnroe vs. Boston Lobsters
Sat., July 21    vs. NY Buzz

All Matches at Sportime Stadium Begin at 7:30pm except where noted.

The regular WTT season runs July 5-25.

The top two teams in both the Eastern and Western Conferences will advance to the season- ending WTT Championship Weekend, set for July 27-29, in Roseville, California.

For further information, visit our team website at www.nysportimes.com for complete match details, ticket availability and more! Full details are available at www.ticketweb.com or www.nysportimes.com.

* * * * *
About WTT: Now in its 32nd year of play, World TeamTennis is well known for introducing innovative elements to tennis. Instant replay, which debuted at WTT matches in 2005 as the WTT Coaches Challenge, marked the first time the technology had been used in a professional tennis match, will return to select WTT matches in 2007. Other WTT firsts include co-ed format, cumulative and no-ad scoring, on-court coaching, Supertiebreakers, multi-colored courts and player names on back of their shirts.

The unique gender-balanced team concept for WTT was created in the early 70s by League co-founders Billie Jean King and Larry King. The format used for a WTT Pro League match features teams comprised of two men, two women and a coach. Each match consists of five sets, with one set each of men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

Advanta is the presenting sponsor of the WTT Pro League and the official business credit card of World TeamTennis. Official WTT Pro League sponsors also include Bälle de Mätch, Gatorade, Geico and Wilson Racquet Sports. For more information on WTT including team rosters, visit www.WTT.com

USTANE Awards the CT Tennis Circuit Marketing Grant for 2007

Fri, 04 May 2007 06:00:00 PST

CTC is pleased to announce that USTA New England has awarded the CT Tennis Circuit a $1000 marketing grant. Deirdre Tindall of USTNE said "We really felt you (CTC) were deserving of a grant because you do so much for tennis and truly care that tennis remains and continues to be a lifelong sport".

The award will help fund our recent web design and web infrastructure improvements.

The amount of the award is not as important as what it symbolizes: That CTC and USTANE are seriously committed to the CT Tennis Community.