The New York Sportimes were a professional tennis team competing in World TeamTennis (WTT). The team was originally based in eastern Long Island from 2000 to 2002, before moving to Westchester County, New York, in 2003, and then to New York City in 2009. The team was founded as the New York Hamptons in 2000, before changing its name to the New York Sportimes in 2003. In 2005, the team made its first playoff appearance and went on to defeat the Newport Beach Breakers in the WTT Final to win its first King Trophy.
On February 14, 2011, WTT announced that the New York Sportimes and New York Buzz had merged and would play the 2011 season as the New York Sportimes. In the three seasons following the merger, the Sportimes played 12 home matches in New York City and nine in the Capital District. On January 16, 2014, Claude Okin, CEO of the New York Sportimes announced that the franchise had been sold to businessman Russell Geyser, and the team would be relocated to San Diego, California, and renamed the San Diego Aviators.
Team history
Early years as New York Hamptons
The New York Hamptons were founded by Patrick McEnroe and Richard Ader as a WTT expansion franchise in 2000. The Hamptons made their debut with a 22–21 loss on the road against the Schenectady County Electrics at the Central Park Tennis Stadium in Schenectady, New York on July 10, 2000. Appearing in that first match for the Hamptons were player/owner McEnroe, Jonathan Stark, 15-year-old Monique Viele, and Erika deLone. After another road loss to the Delaware Smash, the Hamptons played their home opener against the Sacramento Capitals on July 13, 2000, and fell, 21–16, dropping their record to 0 wins and 3 losses. The Hamptons got their first win in franchise history at home against the Delaware Smash, 22–21, on July 14, 2000. During the season, the Hamptons signed Tina Križan as a free agent. In their inaugural season, the Hamptons played their home matches at Sportime Quogue in East Quogue, New York. The Hamptons marquee player former world number 1 Jim Courier who was committed to play in four matches during the 2000 season did not appear in either of their first two matches. The Hamptons finished their inaugural season with 5 wins and 9 losses, last in the Eastern Conference.
In 2001, the Hamptons drafted Jan-Michael Gambill as their marquee player. Patrick McEnroe, Jonathan Stark and Tina Križan returned from the previous season's team. The Hamptons chose 20-year-old Katarina Srebotnik in the roster draft. After five years away from WTT having last played with the Kansas City Explorers in 1996, John McEnroe also made a few appearances with his younger brother's team. The Hamptons improved to a record of 7 wins and 7 losses, finishing in third place in the Eastern Conference.
Move to Amagansett In 2002, Claude Okin of Sportime Clubs became involved with Patrick McEnroe in running the team. After two years in East Quogue, the Hamptons moved their home matches to the Amagansett-East Side Tennis Club in Amagansett, New York. John and Patrick McEnroe both returned to the team along with Tina Križan and Katarina Srebotnik. The Hamptons added Robert Kendrick in the roster draft. The Hamptons had their first winning season with 10 wins and 4 losses, finishing second in the Eastern Conference just 1 game behind the New York Buzz but missing the playoffs. Srebotnik was named WTT Female Most Valuable Player.
Name change to New York Sportimes and move to Westchester In 2003, Sportime NY became a co-owner of the Hamptons with Patrick McEnroe remaining part of the ownership group, and the name of the team was changed to the New York Sportimes. The team moved again, this time from eastern Long Island to Westchester County, and started playing its home matches at Sportime Harbor Island located in both the village and town of Mamaroneck, New York. John and Patrick McEnroe both returned to the court in 2003, for the Sportimes and were joined by Julia Vakulenko, Ellis Ferreira and Bea Bielik who were selected in the roster draft. The Sportimes slipped to 7 wins and 7 losses, finishing third in the Eastern Conference. Bielik was named WTT Female Rookie of the Year.
John and Patrick McEnroe did not return for 2004. The Sportimes selected Monica Seles in the marquee player draft. Bea Bielik was the only player to return from the previous season. Ruxandra Dragomir, Hermes Gamonal and Joe Sirianni were added to the team through the roster draft. John Roddick was named coach of the Sportimes. The Sportimes stumbled to the poorest showing in franchise history with 2 wins and 12 losses, the worst record in WTT.
First playoff appearance and King Trophy Following their difficult 2004 season, the Sportimes had the first choice in the 2005 marquee player draft and used it to select John McEnroe who returned to the team after a one-year absence. The team also landed former world number 1 Martina Hingis. Hingis, who had retired from tennis due to injuries at the age of 22 in February 2003, was looking to launch a comeback. After two years away from the team, Robert Kendrick, who was part of the Sportimes' successful 2002 campaign, was chosen in the roster draft. The Sportimes used their other picks to select Jenny Hopkins, Natalie Grandin and Mark Merklein. Joe Guiliano was named the team's coach. Rajeev Ram and Jeff Morrison were later signed as free agents. The complete makeover of the roster paid off as the Sportimes registered 9 wins against 5 losses and finished first in the Eastern Conference.
The Sportimes made the first playoff appearance in franchise history on September 16, 2005, in the Eastern Conference Championship Match against the Boston Lobsters in Citrus Heights, California. The Sportimes completely dominated the Lobsters winning all five sets and taking the match by a score of 25–7. Martina Hingis made a huge difference for the Sportimes who had lost both of their regular-season encounters with the Lobsters without her. Hingis won the women's singles set over Martina Navratilova, 5–2, combined with Jenny Hopkins to win the women's doubles, 5–2, over Navratilova and Kristen Schlukebir and paired with Rajeev Ram to top Navratilova and Johan Landsberg in mixed doubles, 5–2. The 18-game margin of victory was the largest ever in a WTT playoff match. The victory gave the Sportimes their first Eastern Conference Championship and advanced them to the WTT Final.
The following day, the Sportimes met the defending champion Newport Beach Breakers for the WTT title. The Breakers jumped out to an early led when Devin Bowen and Ramón Delgado beat Jeff Morrison and Rajeev Ram, 5–2, in men's doubles. Martina Hingis responded with a 5–1 set win over Katerina Bondarenko in women's singles to give the Sportimes a 7–6 lead. Hingis and Ram followed with a 5–2 set win in mixed doubles over Anastassia Rodionova and Delgado to extend the Sportimes' lead to 12–8. Hingis then teamed with Jenny Hopkins to top Bondarenko and Rodionova in women's doubles, 5–2, to give the Sportimes a 17–10 lead going to the final set. Delgado registered a 5–3 set win over Morrison in men's singles to send the match to overtime with the Sportimes leading 20–15. Delgado then won the first three games of overtime to cut the Sportimes' lead to 20–18 before Morrison won the fourth game to secure the match, 21–18, and give the Sportimes their first King Trophy. The victory topped off a nearly perfect season for Hingis. The only set she lost was in the Sportimes' second match of the regular season to Meghann Shaughnessy in women's singles. For her heroics, Hingis was named WTT Championship Most Valuable Player.
Repeat as Eastern Conference champions John McEnroe and Martina Hingis both returned to the defending champion Sportimes for the 2006 season. The team selected husband and wife Alex Bogomolov Jr. and Ashley Harkleroad as well as John Paul Fruterro and Vladka Uhlířová in the roster draft. Chuck Adams was named new coach of the Sportimes. David Martin and Cara Black were later signed as free agents. With WTT's 2006 conference championships decided based on regular-season records, the Sportimes' mark of 10 wins and 4 losses gave them the title over the second-place Philadelphia Freedoms, who finished 8–6. The Sportimes missed having the best overall record in WTT by losing a standings tiebreaker to the Sacramento Capitals and were seeded second in the WTT playoffs. Martin was named WTT Male Rookie of the Year.
The Sportimes met the third-seeded Freedoms in the WTT Semifinals in Newport Beach, California on July 29, 2006. The Freedoms won women's doubles and women's singles to jump out to a 10–5 lead. Alex Bogomolov Jr. topped Jaymon Crabb in a tiebreaker, 5–1, to win the third set, 5–4, and cut the Freedoms' lead to 14–10. The Freedoms took the mixed doubles set, 5–2, to extend their lead to 19–12 heading to the final set. Bogomolov and David Martin topped Crabb and Daniel Nestor in men's doubles, 5–3, to send the match to overtime with the Freedoms leading, 22–17. Crabb and Nestor took the first game of overtime to win the match for the Freedoms and bring the Sportimes' season to an end.
A losing season but another Rookie of the Year John McEnroe and Ashley Harkleroad (now divorced from Alex Bogomolov Jr.) returned to the Sportimes for the 2007 season. They added Jesse Witten, Hana Šromová and Mirko Pehar in the roster draft. Chuck Adams returned to coach the team. Sometime after the season, Harkleroad and Adams were married. Their first child, a son named Charlie, was born in March 2009. In a highly competitive Eastern Conference, the Sportimes finished with 6 wins and 8 losses, only 2 matches behind the first-place New York Buzz, but out of playoff contention. The Sportimes finished in fourth place barely avoiding the basement by winning a standings tiebreaker over the Boston Lobsters. On the bright side, Witten was named WTT Male Rookie of the Year, the second consecutive season a Sportimes player had won the award.
Return to the playoffs
John McEnroe, Jesse Witten and Hana Šromová all returned for the 2008 season. The Sportimes added Bethanie Mattek with the fourth overall pick in the roster draft and Brian Wilson with their final selection. Dustin Taylor replaced Chuck Adams as the head coach. Despite being left unprotected by the Sportimes, Ashley Harkleroad returned to the team later after signing as a free agent. The Sportimes improved to 10 wins and 4 losses, finishing second in the Eastern Conference behind the New York Buzz who had the same record but won a standings tiebreaker over the Sportimes.
Under the 2008 playoff format, the Sportimes were the number 3 seed and matched against the number 2 seed and Eastern Conference Champion New York Buzz in the WTT Semifinals. In the first ever postseasons matchup between the two New York clubs, the Buzz dominated the match winning the first four sets. Nathan Healey and Yaroslava Shvedova opened the match with a 5–3 set win against John McEnroe and Hana Šromová in mixed doubles. Shvedova followed with a 5–2 women's singles win over Ashley Harkleroad. Healy took care of Jesse Witten, 5–2, in men's singles. Gabriela Navrátilová and Shvedova needed a tiebreaker to beat Harkleroad and Šromová, 5–4, and give the Buzz a 20–11 lead heading to the final set. McEnroe and Witten won a tiebreaker over Patrick Briaud and Healy in the men's doubles to force overtime with the Buzz leading 24–16. Briaud and Healy won the second game of overtime to give the Buzz a 25–17 victory and end the Sportimes' season.
Move to New York City