Sacramento’s professional tennis team enjoys Dream season

Just a short, five-minute drive down Sunrise Avenue in Roseville and you’re on your way to Dreamland — the home of Sacramento’s California Dream professional tennis team.

World TeamTennis, which once had a home in Roseville, returned to the region when the Texas Wild changed ownership and moved to Sacramento to become the California Dream. The jump has spurred great success.

The team has marveled its storybook first season, registering an 8-5 record thus far and placing second in the Western Conference. With a win on Saturday, the Dream earned a berth to play in the Conference Championships, which will take place on Thursday in Austin, Texas. 

Saturday’s victory over the Philadelphia Freedoms was prompted by a singles victory from Tennys Sandgren, doubles wins from the men’s team (Bob Bryan\Mike Bryan) and the women’s team (Jarka Gajdosova\Anabel Medina Garrigues), as well as, a mixed doubles win (Anabel Medina Garrigues\Bob Bryan) to take down the Freedoms, 22-16. 

As part of Fan Appreciation Night, supporters are welcomed to the Dream’s final regular season home game on Wednesday night at the team’s 2,400-seat venue at the North end of Sunrise Mall in the Sunrise MarketPlace in Citrus Heights. Fans can expect many gifts and surprises throughout the night for their continued support in the Dream's opening season. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the match begins at 7:30 p.m.

In the team's final home match, California hosts San Diego just two nights after dropping a 19-17 match to the Washington Kastles — the first-place team in the Eastern Conference.

With California’s loss to Washington, the Austin Aces clinched the top seed in the Western Conference and will host the Mylan World TeamTennis (WTT) Western Conference Championship against the California Dream at 7:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, July 30.

As the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference, the Kastles will host the Mylan WTT Eastern Conference Championship on Thursday, July 30 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Their opponent has yet to be determined.

The winners of the Conference Championship matches advance to the Mylan WTT Finals on Sunday, Aug. 2.

The historic 40th season of Mylan World TeamTennis runs July 12-29 with the top two teams from the Western and Eastern Conferences advancing to the Mylan WTT Conference Championships on Thursday, July 30. The conference champions will battle for the King Trophy at the 2015 Mylan WTT Finals at 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, August 2. The Finals will be played on the home court of the Eastern Conference Champion and will air on ESPN3 and ESPN2 (beginning on ESPN2 at 1:00 p.m. ET).