By CAROLYN SZCZEPANSKI
In a town with consistently disappointing sports teams, the Kansas City Explorers are a bit of an anomaly. First, theyre part of World Team Tennis a professional league thats widely unknown to sports fans and sprints through its short season during the hottest month of the year. But more than that, the Explorers are actually, well, really good.
So far the six-member professional tennis squad has rolled to a 10-1 record and clinched a playoff berth with three matches to spare. But there are generally more empty seats than occupied ones at their home court M&I Bank Stadium Court in Barney Allis Plaza.
But not when the Bryan brothers are in town.
This weekend the racquet club set was out in force to see one of the top doubles teams in the world twins Bob and Mike Bryan. These guys have Grand Slam titles to their name and bring a power game that gives spectators whiplash watching their lightning serves. The top-ranked pair take their, by comparison, small-time Explorers gig seriously, but theyre also crowd-pleasers, who arent afraid of a little light showboating and a few signature chest bumps.
Against the Washington Kapitals on Saturday night, the Bryan brothers played their only match in front of a Kansas City crowd. The Explorers didnt much need their firepower, though, as they cruised through the D.C. expansion team 23-13.
Click the photo for a slideshow from the match, where fans twirl towels over their heads rather than wear paper bags over their faces.
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