Battle of the Martinas

TennisWorld Cabalist Tony Lance, who works in the office next door here at the mother ship, high above the din and bustle of New York’s fabulous Madison Avenue, is all fired up about World TeamTennis. Yep, you read that right—WTT. The ultimate tennis netherworld, which has been around since almost forever—meaning, as long as Billie Jean King has been on the pro tennis scene. It’s her baby, and has been from the get-go. So I asked Tony to share with us exactly why he’s so excited.

He wrote:

I’m not as optimistic as Tony about these developments heralding a turning point for WTT; the only way the league can ever flourish and grow is if the Lords of Tennis—and the top players—determine that it ought to become part of the “official” game (I’ve always loved the idea myself). That’s unlikely, given the insane calendar the ATP and WTA have created. WTT’s window of opportunity may have opened—and closed—back in the league’s heyday some three decades ago. Only a sea change will lead to it being re-opened.

Still, there will be buzz about WTT this summer—don’t forget that the league has also chosen to use instant-replay to challenge line calls.