Tombstone
Born: 1981 – Team Tennis expansion franchise
Folded: March 19831Butler, Penny. “TENNIS; Phoenix backs out, shuns Team Tennis”. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ). March 18, 1983
First Match: July 7, 1982 (W 28-27 vs. Oakland Breakers)
Last Match: July 31, 1982 (L 27-22 vs. Dallas Stars)
Team Tennis Championships: None
Arena
Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Opened: 1965
Marketing
Team Colors: Burgundy & White
Ownership
Owner: Jock Miller
Attendance
Fun While It Lasted used game recaps from The Arizona Republic to re-construct Phoenix Sunsets attendance from the 1982 season, but we are missing a published figure from one match (aargh).
1982 Phoenix Sunsets Results & Attendance
The team drew a season high of 3,787 at the 14,660-seat Veterans Memorial Coliseum for a July 24th, 1982 contest against the Los Angeles Strings. The Strings’ roster included Billie Jean King, one of the league’s top gate attractions.
Sources: Cited on .PDF
Background
The Phoenix Sunsets tennis team existed for one year (well, actually, one month) in Billie Jean King’s Team Tennis league in the summer of 1982. The Team Tennis format called for four-person teams (two men, two women). A match consisted of five sets – one each for men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles. The entire league season took place in the month of July 1982, during which time the Sunsets hosted a few matches at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, including the league-wide playoffs.
The Sunsets four-player roster consisted of veteran tour pros Tom Gullikson, Ann Kiyomura, Andy Pattison and Pam Teeguarden.
Pattison, who served the dual role of Player-Coach, previously played for the defunct Phoenix Racquets (1975-1978) of the 1970’s version of World Team Tennis. That was a much grander and more ambitious operation than the 1980’s re-boot of the league. (Both the Racquets and the rest of the original league folded after the 1978 season).
The Sunsets finished the 1982 Team Tennis season as runners-up to the Dallas Stars. On July 31st, 1982, the Sunsets hosted the league championship game against Dallas, falling 27-22 before a Veterans Memorial Coliseum crowd of 2,272.
Demise & Aftermath
In March of 1983 Sunsets ownership withdrew from Team Tennis citing the decision by superstar Martina Navratilova not to participate in the league’s 1983 season2Butler, Penny. “TENNIS; Phoenix backs out, shuns Team Tennis”. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ). March 18, 1983. Navratilova was the expected to be the league’s premier gate attraction.
New ownership quickly formed a replacement team known as the Arizona Racquets, who set up shop at the Paradise Valley Tennis Club. Like the Sunsets, the Arizona Racquets lasted only one season before folding.
World Team Tennis took a fourth crack at Phoenix in 1992 with the formation of the Phoenix Smash (1992-1994). The Smash lasted for three seasons at America West Arena and featured Jimmy Connors.
World Team Tennis Shop
Downloads
1982 Phoenix Sunsets Game Results & Attendance
1982 Phoenix Sunsets Results & Attendance
Links
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One Response
We were ball boys for the Sunsets in ’82, and then again when it was moved to the much smaller Paradise Valley Racquet Club in ’83.
You say the Sunsets didn’t return in 1983 — are you referring to that official franchise/name? I’m not positive they were called the Sunsets in ’83, but there was definitely a team, featuring Butch Walts, Tom Gullikson, Pam Teegaurden and Ann Kiyomura, who hated the way I tossed her the ball!