Serving Up Something Different

Who: The Washington Kastles, one of 11 teams.

When: 14 matches (seven at home, including last night's) through July 23.

What: Five sets (men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles). Each set is first to five.

Scoring: Teams win matches by accumulating more total points. If a player/doubles team wins a set 5-3, the winning player's team earns five points and the losing team earns three.

World TeamTennis has been in existence in various forms since 1974. It now is an 11-team league -- with representatives from Sacramento to Philadelphia and a few places in between -- that competes during the month of July.

Each team plays 14 matches, which are scored differently from traditional tennis. Matches pit two teams against each other in sets of men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles. The object is to win the match as a team.

Teams win matches by accumulating more total points from each set. So if a player wins a set 5-3, the winning player's team will be awarded five points and the losing team will be awarded three points. After all five sets have been completed -- both singles, both doubles and the mixed doubles -- the team that accumulates the most points is declared the winner.

There are some quirks. For example, coaches can substitute one player, per event, per gender at the conclusion of any point. Substituted players cannot return during that set.

Teams are split into Eastern and Western conferences, and five teams make the playoffs. The top two teams from each conference automatically qualify, along with one wild-card team from either conference.

-- Mark Viera