Fresno State Athletics
Udwadia Guides Buzz to WTT Title
7/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
July 28, 2008
FRESNO, Calif. - Jay Udwadia never thought he'd coach the New York Buzz to the World Team Tennis Title in his first year as coach. But Udwadia did just that as the New York Buzz defeated the Kansas City Explorers 21-18 to win the organizations first title since joining the league 14 years ago. Sunday was the fourth time the Buzz played in final.
"It was a very good feeling," Udwadia said. "I was fortunate enough to have four great players that competed hard. It was easy to coach them. Our team worked real well together and came through as underdogs and just played great. This is a unique event where each gender plays the same importance in the outcome."
The four players Udwadia coached were Nathan Healey, Yaroslava Shvedova, Gabriela Navratilova and Patrick Briaud.
The tournament is nationally known among the tennis community as the likes of John McEnroe, Serena Williams, Anna Kournikova, Andy Roddick and Martina Navratilova all compete in the league.
According to Udwadia, many tennis stars use the World Team Tennis tournament as a warm-up for the upcoming US Open.
"A lot of grand slam champions play in this tournament every year," Udwadia said. "This is really recognized from around the world and players from all different country come to play."
The World Team Tennis was founded by tennis star Billie Jean King and Larry King. It is in its 33rd season of play and the league is created a unique gender-equity team concept in the early 1970's. The WTT Pro League first hit the courts in 1974 for a five-year run. After a short hiatus, the League returned in 1981 and has been a highlight of the annual U.S. tennis calendar for the past 28 consecutive years.
"Join the State - Fresno State!" - The first Big Ten team will travel to the Valley as the `Dogs take on Wisconsin in the home opener on Saturday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m. The game can be seen nationally on ESPN2. Be sure to reserve your seat for the Wisconsin game by purchasing a season ticket, family plan or 3-game mini plan for just $99. To purchase tickets, by logging on to www.gobulldogs.com and visiting the tickets page, calling the Bulldog Ticket Office at (559) 278-DOGS, or stopping by the Bulldog Ticket Office.
