Tombstone
Born: September 20, 1984 – TeamTennis expansion franchise1Burnes, Cathie. “Billie Jean’s Big Goal: Helping League Click”. The Dispatch (St. Louis, MO). September 21, 1984
Folded: Postseason 1985
First Match: July 10, 1985 (W 28-23 @ San Antonio Racquets)
Last Match: August 11, 1985 (L 25-24 vs. San Diego Buds @ San Antonio, TX)
TeamTennis Championships: None
Arena
St. Louis Arena
Opened: 1929
Demolished: 1999
Marketing
Team Colors:
Ownership
Owner: Harry Ornest
WTT Wear
World Team Tennis
Logo T-Shirt
World Team Tennis has been around in one form or another for nearly fifty years now, but this chill logo tee from our partners at Old School Shirts pays tribute to the original league and its mid-70’s glory days when Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Bjorn Borg and Ilie Nastase suited up for their WTT clubs in between Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows.
Also available in women’s scoop neck and women’s racerback tank styles!
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Background
The St. Louis Slims were a One-Year Wonder that played in the Domino’s Pizza TeamTennis league at the St. Louis Arena during the summer of 1985. Yes, that was the league’s official name that summer – it would later revert back to World Team Tennis, as a better-publicized predecessor league was known during the 1970’s.
The league in 1985 consisted of eight teams, each with two male and two female players from the pro tour. Players received no salary, but earned between $2,500 and $60,000 for a month’s work from an incentive package based on wins. The total prize purse for all 32 players was only $400,000, which meant that no major stars took part in the league during the 1985 season. The best known star in the league was 36-year Rosie Casals of the Chicago Fire. The Miami Beach Breakers also featured a pre-stardom 15-year old Gabriela Sabatini that summer.
The St. Louis Slims roster was typical of the journeymen nature of the league. The Slims featured Sandy Collins, John Mattke, Terry Moor and Candy Reynolds.
The Slims played a brief 14-match schedule between July 10 and August 11, 1985. TeamTennis matches consists of five single sets – one each of men’s and women’s singles and doubles, plus a mixed doubles set.
The Slims were owned by St. Louis Blues owner Harry Ornest. Ornest’s son Maury owned the league’s San Diego Buds franchise during the same summer. The two family-owned teams met in the 1985 TeamTennis championship match on August 11th, 1985 in San Antonio Texas. The Buds edged the Slims 25-24 in what proved to be the final match played by both clubs. The Ornests shut down both franchises following the 1985 season.
World Team Tennis continues to operate today, opening its 39th season in the spring of 2019.
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