Jan. 13, 2004

WACO, Texas - Baylor men's and women's tennis teams will play exhibition matches on Sat., Jan. 17 at 1 p.m. at the Baylor Tennis Center. The exhibition will be played using the world team tennis format which includes combining Baylor's men's and women's players on the same team. This exciting and unique format, originated by tennis legend Billie Jean King, has been played since the early '70s.

There will be four teams and each team consists of a coach and two male and two female players. The matches will consist of five events. The sets are men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles. The event is expected to last approximately three hours.

Fans will get a chance to see several nationally ranked players on the court including No. 3 Benedikt Dorsch. The Baylor men's team received their highest-ever national ranking at No. 2 while the women's team in No. 32.

"This format will be a fun one for our fans to watch and for our players to compete in. World Team Tennis has been around for a long time and has continued to gain popularity each year. It's fun to bring that format to the Baylor Tennis Center and showcase our players," said Matt Knoll, director of Baylor Tennis Operations.

Baylor's men's tennis team will play their home opener on Sat., Jan. 24 when they take on Mississippi State at 2 pm. The women's team will see their first action at the Baylor Tennis Center on Sat., Feb. 14 at noon when they host Mississippi.

The event is free and open to the public.