It's Opening Day!

The New York Sportimes kick off the 2007 World TeamTennis season when they host an afternoon match again the Delaware Smash.  Action kicks off at 1 p.m. (eastern) on July 5 and from then until the last shot is hit at the WTT Finals on July 29, it’s non-stop WTT action.

July 5 - OPENING DAY in Mamaroneck, N.Y. @ 1 p.m. EST

Can the Delaware Smash put behind the heartbreak of the 2006 season to rally this summer?  All the Smash had to do in 2006 was to win their final match of the season and they were going to the WTT Championship Weekend.  Instead they lost, giving their rival Philadelphia Freedoms a pass into the Playoffs.  Coach Mariaan de Swardt is determined that won’t happen again . . . so determined that the former WTT Female MVP is getting back out onto the court for opening day to fill in for Liezel Huber who is still playing at Wimbledon.  DeSwardt will be teamed with 2006 WTT Female MVP Angela Haynes.

On the other side of the net, the Sportimes have been in the middle of the battle for the WTT title for the past several seasons.  Ashley Harkleroad returns as the backbone of the team with new teammates Hana Sromova, Mirko Pehar and Jesse Witten.

Match to watch:  Harkleroad vs. Haynes in women’s singles

July 5 - OPENING NIGHT in Roseville, Calif. @ 7:30 p.m. Pacific

Anna Kournikova is back for her 5^th WTT season (3^rd with the Sacramento Capitals) to help the Caps break in their new stadium at the Westfield Galleria in Roseville, Calif.   Yes the Caps are playing in a mall parking lot but there won’t be much time for Kournikova and her teammates to shop, they will be too busy getting to know each other.  Anna K and hometown fave Sam Warburg have played together for three seasons, but their longtime teammates Elena Likhovtseva and Mark Knowles are still playing at the Wimbledon Championships.  Filling in will be Milagros Sequera and Stephen Huss. Sequera is ranked in the top 60 in singles on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, and Huss is in the top 70 in doubles  After qualifying for his first Wimbledon main draw last week, Warburg should be on an emotional high fueled by the Caps’ loyal (and loud) fans.

Springfield shuffled nearly their entire lineup for this season, bringing in Martin Verkerk, Tamarine Tanasugarn, and Glenn Weiner to join 2006 holdover Andreea Vanc.  Verkerk’s comeback from injury will get a strong test during the 14-match season.  Verkerk advanced to the finals of the 2003 French Open but was sidelined nearly two years by a shoulder injury.  With solid play from WTT rookie Tanasugarn and a return to form by Verkerk, could be one of the surprise teams of the 2007 season.  Abi Spears is filling in on opening night for Vanc.  Also new to the lineup is the Lasers coach John Laffnie de Jager (aka “JL”) who replaces long-time Lasers coach Trevor Kronemann (now at the helm of the Newport Beach Breakers).