No. 1 Bryan Brothers highlight 2009 Explorers season
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Feb. 3, 2009) --- They were unstoppable on the courts at the U.S Open. They dominated at the 2009 Australian Open and now the world’s top-ranked Bryan Brothers are taking the courts in Kansas City this July.
The Kansas City Explorers protected the No. 1 men’s doubles team in the world at the Advanta World TeamTennis marquee draft on Tuesday, three days after their victory in Melbourne.
“We are thrilled to have the Bryans back this season,” said General Manager Jeff Launius. “Our goal at the Explorers is to combine world-class tennis and a high energy atmosphere. The Bryans do just that; they are absolutely amazing to watch!”
In 2008, the Explorers finished with the best season in the team’s history. With a team composed of four top-five players, the Explorers earned the Western Conference Championship title and made their way to the finals, where they lost in a close match to the New York Buzz.
The men’s, women’s and mixed doubles teams all placed in the top-ranking spots in the league. Rennae Stubbs earned the league and playoff Most Valuable Player awards, while Coach Brent Haygarth received the Coach of the Year award.
“Last year was an outstanding season for our team,” said Launius. “We were so excited to make it to the finals and we are committed to go even further this season. The Bryans provide the team with a solid anchor in achieving even more success in 2009.”
The remainder of the team will be selected on March 31 during the WTT roster draft in Miami. The 2009 WTT regular season will run from July 2-22. All Explorers home matches are played at Barney Allis Plaza in downtown Kansas City.
Don’t miss a single serve of the 2009 Explorers Season! Season tickets are now available. Individual tickets will go on sale May 20. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Explorers at (816) 513-5630. Visit the Kansas City Explorers website, www.kcexplorers.com, for more information about the team and ticket sales.
League Background
The Advanta World TeamTennis Pro League, co-founded by Billie Jean King, is a professional co-ed sports league featuring three generations of tennis stars playing in a team format. The 34th season of the Advanta WTT Pro League runs July 2-26, concluding with the Advanta WTT Championship Weekend where teams battle for the coveted King Trophy.
WTT is well known for introducing innovative elements to tennis including instant replay, co-ed format, multi-colored courts, cumulative and no-ad scoring, on-court coaching, Supertiebreakers and player names on back of their shirts.