Etc.

Hoping for a net profit, team tennis opens its new season

World TeamTennis is a rarity in professional sports – a league that suspended operations for a time, regrouped under a new name (TeamTennis) for about a decade, and finally restored its original identity. On Thursday, the WTT, which began in 1974, lifts the curtain on the 2008 season, with 11 teams vying for the King Trophy, named for the legendary Billie Jean King, its cofounder and former commissioner who has long been a leading advocate for the innovative coed team format. At various times, superstars such as Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf, John McEnroe, and sisters Venus and Serena Williams have graced WTT rosters. In terms of geography and team names, the league is an interesting mix. The lineup of teams for the new season (in alphabetical order):