USTA Announces Teams for 2013 Seniors World Team Championships

Sophie Woorons-Johnston To Compete In Senior Tennis’ Premier International Team Competition

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., March 5, 2013 – The USTA today announced Sophie Woorons-Johnston will represent the United States at the 33rd ITF Seniors World Team Championships. The nation’s top women and men tennis players in five age groups from 35-55 will compete against teams from over 30 countries March 19-23 2013.. The event will be held in Antalya, Turkey. Over 1,000 athletes are expected to participate.

Joining Sophie Woorons-Johnston, representing the United States at the 2013 ITF Seniors World Team Championships in the Suzanne Lenglen Cup for women 35 and over: Patricia Zerdan, Captain, Farmers Branch, TX, Carolina Blouin, Augusta, GA and Mary Dailey, Delray Beach FL.

This will mark the first year Ms. Woorons-Johnston will represent the USA in International Competition. She is the #1 player on the Lenglen Cup. She was a member of the winning Naional Intersectional Team which competed in San Antonio TX in November 2012. She also claimed the National Hard Court 35 singles title in Salinas, CA in 2012.

Woorons-Johnston earned a Ph.D. in Sport Pedagogy from the University of Georgia in 2001.

She comes from a family involved in tennis. Her husband, Andy Johnston, was the women’s Tennis Coach at Clemson University, a division 1 university, her son, Noah, age 5, competes in Quick Start Tennis events and her parents, Lucien and Therese are accomplished players.

Woorons-Johnston was the Chair of player development for USTA SC and served on the Adult Competitive Committee and served on the Quick Start 10 and under Advoc Committee.

The United States medaled in 8 of the 10 Cups held last year in San Diego, CA

Following the ITF Seniors World Team Championships, the ITF Senior World Individual Championships will take place March 24-31 at some of the same site in Turkey.

The ITF Seniors/Super-Seniors World Team Championships is the most coveted team event on the ITF Seniors circuit. Since its inception, the number of competitors attracted to this event has increased year by year. In 1993, the ITF took the decision to divide the Seniors World Championships into two groups, Seniors for the younger veterans and Super-Seniors for the older players.

Woorons played at Clemson during the 1996 season and was the ACC Player of the Year, the ACC flight one singles champion, and an All-American in singles and doubles. The Tigers finished 19th in the country that season, led by Woorons’ 31-11 record.