Anaheim Oranges (1978)
November 8, 2015
World Team Tennis (1978) Born: December 6, 1977 – WTT’s dormant Philadelphia Keystones franchise is sold & relocated to Anaheim, CA Folded: January 5, 1979
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Category: World Team Tennis
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Golden Gaters
June 30, 2015
The Golden Gaters tennis team was the Bay Area franchise in the co-ed World Team Tennis league of the mid-1970’s. Of the league’s original 16 franchises that debuted in 1974, the Golden Gaters were one of just two that remained standing in its original city when the league played its final season in 1978. The league considered the Golden Gaters to be its “San Francisco” franchise, but the team played nearly all of its matches in blue-collar Oakland at the Coliseum Arena.
Sacramento Capitals
September 23, 2014
World Team Tennis (1986-2013) Born: 1986 – WTT expansion franchise Moved: February 4, 2014 (Las Vegas Neon) First Game: Last Game: World Team Tennis Champions: 1997,
San Antonio Racquets
May 18, 2014
The San Antonio Racquets were a long-standing club in World TeamTennis, the summer time co-ed tennis promotion fronted by Billie Jean King. The Racquets won two league championships (1986 and 1989) during their ten-year run in the league. Top players included Kim Warwick and Sammy Giammalva who both earned TeamTennis Male Most Valuable Player honors during their time with the Racquets.
Las Vegas Neon
May 13, 2014
The brief 30-day lifespan of the Las Vegas Neon was an sorry footnote in the long history of World TeamTennis. The niche co-ed tennis league lost its oldest franchise in February 2014 when the Sacramento Capitals moved to Las Vegas after 28 seasons in Northern California. The team’s last benefactor in Sacramento was Deepal Wannakuwatte, a medical supply company owner who took over the Capitals in 2011. Wannakuwatte announced the move to Las Vegas on February 4, 2014. Barely three weeks after announcing the move to Vegas, Deepal Wannakuwatte was arrested on charges of running a decade-long $150 million Ponzi scheme. Read more…