No. 43-2011
USTA ANNOUNCES PLAYERS AND COACHES FOR 2011 WORLD TEAM CUP
U.S. Teams to Compete in Wheelchair Tennis’ Premier International Team Competition, April 25-May 1
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., March 16, 2011 – The USTA announced today the players and coaches who will represent the United States at the 2011 World Team Cup. The nation’s top wheelchair tennis players will compete against participants from around the globe, April 25–May 1, on the hard courts of the University of Pretoria in Pretoria, South Africa. The university, which is one of three ITF regional training centers, has 22 hard courts and is also the main training base for able- bodied tennis players in South Africa.
South Africa will become the 16th nation to host this prestigious event. Often referred to as the wheelchair tennis equivalent of pro tennis’ Davis Cup and Fed Cup competitions, the World Team Cup tournament brings the world’s best wheelchair tennis players together to compete for national pride in one of the world’s premier tennis team events.
Over 200 players from more than 30 nations are expected to participate in the 2011 event in South Africa.
Representing the United States at the 2011 World Team Cup will be:
Men’s Team Quad Team Dan James (Coach) Oakdale, Minn. Jason Harnett (Coach) Irvine, Calif. Paul Moran Northfield, Ill. Bryan Barten Tucson, Ariz. Jon Rydberg Oakdale, Minn. Nick Taylor Wichita, Kan. Stephen Welch Southlake, Texas David Wagner Hillsboro, Ore.
Women’s Team Junior’s Team Paul Walker (Coach) Lakeland, Fla. Keri Preng (Coach) Cold Spring, Ky. Emmy Kaiser Ft. Mitchell, Ky. Shelby Baron Honolulu, Hawaii Dana Mathewson San Diego, Calif. Ryan Nelson Sandy, Utah Kaitlyn Verfuerth Tucson, Ariz. Katherine Stuteville Colleyville, Texas
Team Trainer Team Manager Jenna Street Colorado Springs, Colo. Jeremiah Yolkut White Plains, N.Y.
Team Staff William Taylor Wichita, Kan.
The United States Quad Team will look to bring home the quad title for the fifth time in the last seven years at the World Team Cup. The two-time Paralympic Doubles Gold Medalists’ team of David Wagner and Nick Taylor are looking to defend the U.S. quad title that they won over Israel last year.
The USTA was officially designated by the USOC as the national governing body for the Paralympic sport of wheelchair tennis in June 2002, becoming the first Olympic national governing body to earn this recognition. As the national governing body for wheelchair tennis, the USTA manages wheelchair tennis in the United States, including the sanctioning of tournaments, overseeing wheelchair rankings, creating and managing a High Performance program for developing elite disabled athletes, and selecting teams to compete internationally for the United States.
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The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level -- from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with 750,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 90-plus Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., is a minority owner and promotional partner of World TeamTennis, and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. USTA Serves, the National Charitable Foundation of the USTA, provides financial support for disadvantaged youth and people with disabilities through tennis and education programs. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.
For more information, contact: Tom LaDue, Manager, Communications, USTA (914) 697-2352; [email protected]
Amanda Korba, Publicity Associate, USTA (914) 697-2219; [email protected]