2015 World TeamTennis season

2015 World TeamTennis season
40th season logo
League World TeamTennis
Sport Team tennis
Duration July 12 – August 2, 2015
Number of matches Regular season: 49 (14 for each team)
Postseason: 3
Number of teams 7
TV partner(s) ESPN2
ESPN3
Tennis Channel
Altitude Sports and Entertainment
Comcast SportsNet affiliates
Mediacom Connections
MSG
World TeamTennis Player Draft
Top draft pick Canada Eugenie Bouchard
Picked by Boston Lobsters
Regular season
Top seed Austin Aces
Season MVP Russia Teymuraz Gabashvili (Male MVP) (Austin)
Spain Anabel Medina Garrigues (Female co-MVP) (California)
Australia Anastasia Rodionova (Female co-MVP) (Washington)
Eastern Conference
Season champions Washington Kastles
  Runners-up Philadelphia Freedoms
Western Conference
Season champions Austin Aces
  Runners-up California Dream
Conference Championships
Eastern Conference champions Washington Kastles
Western Conference champions Austin Aces
World TeamTennis Final
Venue Kastles Stadium at the Charles E. Smith Center
Champions Washington Kastles
  Runners-up Austin Aces
Finals MVP India Leander Paes (Washington)

The 2015 World TeamTennis season was the 40th season of the top professional team tennis league in the United States. Pursuant to a sponsorship agreement with Mylan N.V., the official name of the league was Mylan World TeamTennis in 2015.[1] The Washington Kastles defeated the Austin Aces in the WTT Final to win their fifth consecutive King Trophy.

Competition format

The 2015 World TeamTennis season included seven teams split into two conferences (Eastern and Western). The Eastern Conference had three teams, and the Western Conference had four teams. Each team played a 14-match regular-season schedule with seven home and seven away matches. The top two teams in each conference qualified for the conference championship matches hosted by the first-place finishers. The conference champions met in the World TeamTennis Final hosted in 2015, by the Eastern Conference champion. A Western Conference champion that is a higher seed than an Eastern Conference champion would be treated as the "home" team in the WTT Final and have the right to determine order of play. The winner of the WTT Final was awarded the King Trophy.

Franchise movement

On February 23, 2015, WTT announced that a new ownership group had taken control of the Texas Wild and moved the team to Citrus Heights, California, renaming it the California Dream.[2]

Draft

Unlike previous seasons in which WTT conducted its Marquee Player Draft and its Roster Player Draft on different dates about one month apart, the league conducted a single draft at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California on March 16, 2015.[3] The order in which teams selected was based on the results the teams achieved in 2014, with weaker teams selecting earlier and stronger teams selecting later. The team with the worst regular-season record selected first in each round, and the remaining nonplayoff teams followed in order based on their records. After the nonplayoff teams chose, the conference championship loser with the worse record of the two selected and was followed by the other conference championship loser. The WTT runner up selected after the conference championship losers, and the WTT champion selected last. The draft position for the relocated California Dream franchise was based on the results achieved as the Texas Wild.[4] Each team could protect certain players from its 2014 roster. Marquee players or doubles teams and wildcard players could be protected if they appeared in a match for the team in 2014. Exempt, roster and substitute players who appeared in at least three matches for the team in 2014, could also be protected.[5] Teams could also protect players who qualified for protection based on match appearances in 2013, but were unable to play in 2014, due to injury.[6] Teams holding the right to protect players could trade those rights before or during the draft.[7] In another change from previous seasons, WTT eliminated its separate roster-exempt player draft. Instead, roster-exempt players were chosen in the roster player portion of the draft.[8] Since roster-exempt players are not required to be full-time members of the team, the rule change makes it possible for a team to make four selections in the roster player portion of the draft and not have two male and two female full-time players. In such cases, these teams are permitted to make selections in additional rounds of the roster player draft until they have a complete roster.[9] The selections made[3] are shown in the tables below.

Marquee draft - first round
No. Team Player chosen Prot? Notes
1Boston LobstersCanada Eugenie BouchardN
2California DreamUnited States Bob and Mike BryanYDoubles team
3Austin AcesUnited States Andy RoddickY
4Philadelphia FreedomsPass–
5San Diego AviatorsUnited States Madison KeysNDesignated
6Springfield LasersUnited States John IsnerY
7Washington KastlesSwitzerland Martina HingisY
Marquee draft - second round
No. Team Player chosen Prot? Notes
1Boston LobstersPass–
2California DreamPass–
3Austin AcesPass–
4Philadelphia FreedomsPass–
5San Diego AviatorsPass–
6Springfield LasersPass–
7Washington KastlesUnited States Venus WilliamsY
Marquee draft - third round
No. Team Player chosen Prot? Notes
1Boston LobstersPass–
2California DreamPass–
3Austin AcesPass–
4Philadelphia FreedomsPass–
5San Diego AviatorsPass–
6Springfield LasersPass–
7Washington KastlesUnited States Serena WilliamsNDesignated
Roster draft - first round
No. Team Player chosen Prot? Notes
1Boston LobstersUnited States Irina FalconiN
2California DreamAustralia Jarmila GajdošováN
3Austin AcesUnited States Nicole GibbsN
4Philadelphia FreedomsUnited States Taylor TownsendY
5San Diego AviatorsUnited States Taylor FritzNAmateur
6Springfield LasersGermany Andre BegemannN
7Washington KastlesUnited States Sam QuerreyNExempt
Roster draft - second round
No. Team Player chosen Prot? Notes
1Boston LobstersUnited States Scott LipskyN
2California DreamSpain Anabel Medina GarriguesN
3Austin AcesRussia Alla KudryavtsevaN
4Philadelphia FreedomsUnited States Robby GinepriN
5San Diego AviatorsSouth Africa Raven KlaasenY
6Springfield LasersUnited States Alison RiskeNExempt
7Washington KastlesIndia Leander PaesY
Roster draft - third round
No. Team Player chosen Prot? Notes
1Boston LobstersUnited States Chase BuchananN
2California DreamUnited States Tennys SandgrenN
3Austin AcesUnited States Jarmere JenkinsN
4Philadelphia FreedomsBrazil Marcelo MeloY
5San Diego AviatorsSouth Africa Chanelle ScheepersN
6Springfield LasersGermany Anna-Lena GrönefeldY
7Washington KastlesPass–
Roster draft - fourth round
No. Team Player chosen Prot? Notes
1Boston LobstersSpain Arantxa Parra SantonjaN
2California DreamPakistan Aisam QureshiN
3Austin AcesRussia Teymuraz GabashviliN
4Philadelphia FreedomsUnited States Liezel HuberN
5San Diego AviatorsCzech Republic Květa PeschkeY
6Springfield LasersUnited States Michael RussellY
7Washington KastlesAustralia Anastasia RodionovaY
Roster draft - fifth round[Draft 1]
No. Team Player chosen Prot? Notes
1Springfield LasersPass–
2Washington KastlesPass–

Notes:

  1. ↑ The Springfield Lasers and Washington Kastles each drafted one exempt player during the first four rounds of the roster draft and could have selected another player in the fifth round.

Event chronology

Off-season

Regular season

  • July 13, 2015: After opening the season with a loss on the road, the California Dream played its inaugural match at the new Dream Stadium at Sunrise Mall and defeated the Springfield Lasers, 23–18. Tennys Sandgren won the opening set of men's singles for the Dream in a tiebreaker. Jarmila Gajdošová and Anabel Medina Garrigues followed with a 5–2 set win in women's doubles to give the Dream a 10–6 lead. Anabel Medina Garrigues teamed with Neal Skupski in mixed doubles for another 5–2 set win to put the Dream was on top, 15–8. After Gajdošová lost the women's singles set in a tiebreaker, the Lasers took the final set of men's doubles, 5–3, to cut the Dream's lead to 22–18 and send the match to extended play. Sandgren and Skupski won the first game of extended play to secure the victory.[10]
  • July 24, 2015: The Washington Kastles earned a 22–14 road win over the Austin Aces, who entered the match with 8 wins and only 1 loss. The victory improved the Kastles' record to 7 wins and 3 losses and clinched their fifth consecutive playoff berth. The Kastles won four of the five sets in the convincing performance. Martina Hingis led the way, teaming with Leander Paes in the first set of mixed doubles and Anastasia Rodionova in the second set of women's doubles to give the Kastles an early 10–4 lead. Paes and Sam Querrey took the fourth set of men's doubles to extend the lead to 17–11, before Querrey took the final set of men's singles, 5–3, over Teymuraz Gabashvili to close out the match.[11]
  • July 25, 2015: With a record of 3 wins and 7 losses, the Springfield Lasers were eliminated from WTT playoff contention when the California Dream defeated the Boston Lobsters, 21–19, in extended play. The Lobsters' loss also clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference and home-court advantage for the Eastern Conference Championship Match for the Washington Kastles.[12]
  • July 26, 2015: With a record of 9 wins and 2 losses, the Austin Aces clinched the franchise's first playoff berth since 2012, with a 25–8 victory over the San Diego Aviators.[13]
  • July 26, 2015: With a record of 8 wins and 4 losses, the California Dream clinched a playoff berth with a 22–16 win over the Philadelphia Freedoms.[14] It is the first playoff berth for the franchise since 2013. The Dream's victory eliminated the San Diego Aviators, who had a record of 4 wins and 7 losses, from WTT playoff contention.
  • July 27, 2015: With a record of 9 wins and 2 losses, the Austin Aces clinched the top seed in the Western Conference and home-court advantage for the Western Conference Championship Match when the Washington Kastles defeated the California Dream, 19–17.[15]
  • July 28, 2015: The Austin Aces defeated the four-time defending WTT champion Washington Kastles, 19–16, to improve their record to 11 wins and 2 losses and clinch the best overall regular-season record in WTT for 2015. Trailing 10–7 after two sets, Teymuraz Gabashvili gave the Aces a 12–10 lead with a 5–0 set win over Sam Querrey in men's singles. After dropping the fourth set of mixed doubles, the Aces found themselves trailing, 15–14, heading into the final set of women's singles. Elina Svitolina, making her Aces home debut, topped Madison Brengle, 5–1, to give the Aces the victory.[16]
  • July 29, 2015: With an opportunity to clinch the final available playoff spot on the final day of the regular season, the Boston Lobsters fell to the Washington Kastles, 22–14, clinching a playoff berth for the idle Philadelphia Freedoms.[17] Since the Freedoms and Lobsters finished the regular season with identical 5–9 records, the WTT standings tiebreaker system was used to break the tie. The teams split their four regular-season meetings. So, the tie was broken by comparing games won in head-to-head matches, which favored the Freedoms, 78–71. The biggest contribution to this margin was made by the Freedoms' 24–14 road victory over the Lobsters on July 22.

Playoffs

Standings

Eastern Conference
PosTeamMPWLPCTMBGWGL
1Washington Kastles14104.7140289228
2Philadelphia Freedoms1459.3575260267
3Boston Lobsters1459.3575253283
2015 Eastern Conference Playoffs
Philadelphia and Boston split their head-to-head meetings during the regular season, 2 matches each. Philadelphia wins the tiebreaker on games won in head-to-head meetings, 78–71.
Western Conference
PosTeamMPWLPCTMBGWGL
1Austin Aces14122.8570290235
2California Dream1495.6433283259
3San Diego Aviators1459.3577249297
4Springfield Lasers14311.2149247302
2015 Western Conference Playoffs
Boston swept both head-to-head meetings with San Diego during the regular season and wins the tiebreaker in the overall standings.

Results table

Abbreviation and Color Key:
Austin Aces - AUS • Boston Lobsters - BOS • California Dream - CAL • Philadelphia Freedoms - PHI
San Diego Aviators - SDA • Springfield Lasers - SPR • Washington Kastles - WAS

Win  • Loss  • Home  • Away

TeamMatch
1234567891011121314
Austin AcesBOSWASCALCALSPRCALSDASPRPHIWASSDASDAWASSPR
22–18
(EP)		22–1720–1922–1619–18
(STB,
7–1)		20–1824–1723–1614–22
(EP)		14–2225–825–13
(EP)		19–1621–15
Boston LobstersWASAUSSPRSDAPHICALSDAWASPHIWASCALPHIPHIWAS
17–2018–22
(EP)		25–18
(EP)		25–1321–1717–2020–1913–2514–2414–2519–21
(EP)		17–2019–17
(EP)		14–22
California DreamSDASPRPHIAUSAUSBOSAUSSPRSDASDABOSPHIWASSDA
19–2423–18
(EP)		22–2019–2016–2220–1718–2022–1925–1120–1921–19
(EP)		22–1617–1920–15
Philadelphia FreedomsSPRSDACALBOSWASWASSPRWASBOSAUSSPRCALBOSBOS
22–1921–22
(STB,
5–7)		20–2217–2120–216–2319–2018–1624–1422–14
(EP)		18–2116–2220–1717–19
(EP)
San Diego AviatorsCALPHIBOSWASSPRBOSAUSCALCALSPRAUSAUSSPRCAL
24–1922–21
(STB,
7–5)		13–2522–1819–2219–2017–2411–2519–2025–178–2513–25
(EP)		22–1615–20
Springfield LasersPHICALBOSWASSDAAUSPHICALAUSPHISDAWASSDAAUS
19–2218–23
(EP)		18–25
(EP)		16–2122–1918–19
(STB,
1–7)		20–1919–2216–2321–1817–2516–24
(EP)		16–2215–21
Washington KastlesBOSAUSSPRSDAPHIPHIPHIBOSBOSAUSSPRCALAUSBOS
20–1717–2221–1618–2221–2023–616–1825–1325–1422–1424–16
(EP)		19–1716–1922–14

Playoff bracket

Conference Championships
(July 30) 		WTT Final
(August 2)
      
E1 Washington Kastles 25
E2 Philadelphia Freedoms 9
2 Washington Kastles 24*
1 Austin Aces 18
W1 Austin Aces 25
W2 California Dream 14

* indicates match went to extended play.

Playoff match summaries

Eastern Conference Championship Match

July 30 at Kastles Stadium at Charles E. Smith Center, Washington, District of Columbia: WASHINGTON KASTLES 25, Philadelphia Freedoms 9[18]

Western Conference Championship Match

July 30 at Gregory Gymnasium, Austin, Texas: AUSTIN ACES 25, California Dream 14[19]

WTT Final Match

August 2 at Kastles Stadium at the Charles E. Smith Center, Washington, District of Columbia:[Final 1] Washington Kastles 24, AUSTIN ACES 18 (extended play)[20]

Note:

  1. ↑ Prior to the start of the season, WTT determined that the World TeamTennis Championship Match would be played on the home court of the Eastern Conference champion. Austin, as the higher seed, was treated as the "home" team under WTT rules for determining order of play.

Individual statistical leaders

The tables below show the WTT players who had the highest regular-season winning percentages in each of the league's five events. Only players who played in at least 40% of the total number of games played by their team in a particular event are eligible to be listed among the official WTT league leaders for that event.[21]

Mixed doubles
Rank Player Team GP GW GL PCT
1Anabel Medina GarriguesCalifornia Dream915734.626
2Neal SkupskiCalifornia Dream804634.575
3Alla KudryavtsevaAustin Aces1035944.573
4Taylor TownsendPhiladelphia Freedoms854837.565
5Teymuraz GabashviliAustin Aces965442.563
6Marcelo MeloPhiladelphia Freedoms1105753.518

Individual honors

Reference: [20][22]

Award Recipient Team
Female Co-Most Valuable PlayersAnabel Medina GarriguesCalifornia Dream
Anastasia RodionovaWashington Kastles
Male Most Valuable PlayerTeymuraz GabashviliAustin Aces
Female Rookie of the YearAlla KudryavtsevaAustin Aces
Male Rookie of the YearNeal SkupskiCalifornia Dream
Coach of the YearRick LeachAustin Aces
WTT Final Most Valuable PlayerLeander PaesWashington Kastles

Team statistics

The tables below show the regular-season winning percentages of each team in each of the league's five events.[21][Stats 1]

Mixed doubles
Rank Team GP GW GL PCT
1California Dream1046143.587
2Austin Aces1035944.573
3Philadelphia Freedoms1105753.518
4Washington Kastles1085355.491
5Boston Lobsters1135261.460
6San Diego Aviators1115061.450
7Springfield Lasers1155065.435

Notes:

  1. ↑ Tim Smyczek's statistics are not included in the team totals shown on WTT's website. The Boston Lobsters' men's singles and men's doubles statistics shown in this section have been corrected to include Smyczek as described in the article about the 2015 Lobsters season.

Television

The 2015 season was the second year of a four-year television rights contract between WTT and ESPN, Inc. The WTT Final was telecast live on ESPN2. ESPN3 streamed the conference championship matches along with one match each night during the regular season.[23]

In a June 2, 2015 press release, WTT announced that the WTT Final would start at 11:30 am EDT on August 2, and would be streamed from the start by ESPN3. Live television coverage would begin on ESPN2 at 1:00 pm with the match already in progress. The start times for the conference championship matches would be 7:00 pm local time on Thursday July 30.[24]

Four regular-season matches were nationally televised on the Tennis Channel as well as on regional sports networks Altitude Sports and Entertainment, Comcast SportsNet affiliates, Mediacom Connections and MSG. These matches were as follows:

Nationally televised matches were also streamed on ESPN3. In addition to the televised ones, the following regular-season matches were streamed exclusively on ESPN3:

  • 7:00 pm PDT, Monday, July 13: Philadelphia Freedoms at San Diego Aviators
  • 7:00 pm EDT, Tuesday, July 14: Austin Aces at Washington Kastles
  • 7:00 pm EDT, Monday, July 20: Washington Kastles at Philadelphia Freedoms
  • 7:00 pm CDT, Saturday, July 25: San Diego Aviators at Springfield Lasers
  • 8:00 pm EDT, Sunday, July 26: California Dream at Philadelphia Freedoms
  • 7:00 pm EDT, Monday, July 27: Philadelphia Freedoms at Boston Lobsters
  • 7:00 pm PDT, Tuesday, July 28: Springfield Lasers at San Diego Aviators
  • 7:00 pm EDT, Wednesday, July 29: Boston Lobsters at Washington Kastles[24]

Sponsorship

On December 8, 2014, WTT announced that its title-sponsorship agreement with Mylan N.V. was extended for two more years through the 2017 season. As part of its partnership with WTT, Mylan will continue to sponsor events at which children meet with WTT players and are introduced to tennis, charitable events and the Mylan Aces program which allows each team to select a local charity for which it can earn money donated by Mylan by recording the most aces in the league on a given day during the regular season.[25]

See also

  • Tennis portal

References

  1. ↑ "World TeamTennis and Mylan Announce Three-Year Collaboration". World TeamTennis. October 16, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Mylan World TeamTennis Returns to Sacramento Area in 2015 with California Dream". World TeamTennis. February 23, 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-02-24. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Serena Williams, Eugenie Bouchard Headline Mylan World TeamTennis Player Draft for Historic 40th Season". World TeamTennis. March 16, 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Player Draft". World TeamTennis. March 3, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  5. ↑ 2015 Mylan WTT Official Rules Guide (PDF). World TeamTennis. 2015. pp. 17–18. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  6. ↑ 2014 Mylan WTT Official Rules Guide (PDF). World TeamTennis. 2014. p. 18. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  7. ↑ 2015 Mylan WTT Official Rules Guide (PDF). World TeamTennis. 2015. p. 28. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  8. ↑ 2015 Mylan WTT Official Rules Guide (PDF). World TeamTennis. 2015. p. 26. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  9. ↑ 2015 Mylan WTT Official Rules Guide (PDF). World TeamTennis. 2015. p. 27. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Mylan World TeamTennis – Final Results for Monday, 7/13/2015". World TeamTennis. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Mylan World TeamTennis - Results for Friday, 7/24/2015". World TeamTennis. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Mylan World TeamTennis - Results for Saturday, 7/25/2015". World TeamTennis. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Aces Defeat Conference Rival San Diego Aviators 25-8". World TeamTennis. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Mylan World TeamTennis - Results for Sunday, 7/26/2015". World TeamTennis. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Mylan World TeamTennis - Results for Monday, 7/27". World TeamTennis. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Austin Aces Defeat Defending Champions Washington Kastles at Home 19-16". World TeamTennis. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  17. ↑ Kane, David. "MylanWTT StreamCap: BOS vs. WAS". World TeamTennis. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  18. 1 2 "Washington Kastles One Win Away From Record Fifth Straight Mylan WTT Title". World TeamTennis. July 30, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  19. 1 2 "Austin Aces Capture First Mylan WTT Western Conference Championship". World TeamTennis. July 30, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  20. 1 2 3 "Washington Kastles Defeat Austin Aces 24-18 to Win Record 5th Consecutive Mylan World TeamTennis Title". World TeamTennis. August 2, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  21. 1 2 "2015 League Leaders". World TeamTennis. Archived from the original on 2016-09-07. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Gabashvili, Rodionova and Garrigues Named Mylan World TeamTennis MVPs". World TeamTennis. July 31, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Mylan WTT, ESPN Agree to Multi-Year Deal for Matches on ESPN2, ESPN3". World TeamTennis. June 24, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  24. 1 2 3 "Mylan World TeamTennis – Facts & Figures" (PDF) (Press release). World TeamTennis. June 2, 2015. p. 11. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  25. ↑ "World TeamTennis and Mylan Announce Title Sponsorship Extension through 2017". World TeamTennis. December 8, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
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