Explorers pass on Marquee Draft; still focused on acquiring top stars for 2010 season
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Feb. 11, 2010) --- The Kansas City Explorers passed on drafting a marquee player for the 2010 World TeamTennis season during the WTT Marquee Player Draft on Thursday, February 11. The Explorers plan to build a winning team by obtaining players through other drafting options.
“The marquee drafting grid didn’t work in our favor this year and even though we were not able to draft the big names, I am optimistic that when the Explorers take the court this season we will have an excellent team,” said Jeff Launius, Explorers General Manager. “There are other ways to acquire top tennis talent and I am working hard to continue to bring a high caliber of tennis to Kansas City this July.”
The Explorers are currently in talks to bring back the world’s No. 1 men’s doubles team and 2010 Australian Open Champions, the Bryan Brothers, for their sixth season with the team. Other marquee players may also be acquired through the league’s Exempt Player option, which allows teams to recruit top players outside the Marquee Draft. The Explorers also have the possibility of hosting 3-time Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport of the St. Louis Aces and former world No. 1 Martina Hingis of the New York Buzz. Dates for the 2010 Explorers home season and possible marquee visits will be released at the end of February.
The Explorers will finalize their lineup for the 2010 season on March 16 during the WTT Roster Draft. The 2010 WTT season will run from July 5-23 and conclude with the WTT Championships on July 25. All Explorers home matches are played at Barney Allis Plaza in downtown Kansas City. For more information on the Kansas City Explorers, visit www.kcexplorers.com
About WTT Pro League
The World TeamTennis (WTT) Pro League showcases the best in professional team tennis with the innovative co-ed team format co-founded by Billie Jean King in the 1970s. The WTT Pro League, which celebrates its 35th season in July 2010, is a showcase for three generations of tennis standouts, including legends, current tour players and future champions. Since the League’s debut, virtually every major champion of the Open era has played World TeamTennis. WTT is well known for showcasing and introducing innovative elements to tennis including instant replay, co-ed format, cumulative and no-ad scoring, on-court coaching, Overtime and Supertiebreakers, multi-colored courts and player names on the back of shirts. For more information on the WTT Pro League, visit www.wtt.com.
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