Po Will Play for Strings in TeamTennis

Kimberly Po of Rolling Hills, a former Miraleste High and UCLA standout, will play for the Forum-based Strings of World TeamTennis, it was announced Thursday.

Po is 63rd in singles and 66th in doubles on the current Virginia Slims rankings.

The Strings, who missed the playoffs in 1992 after reaching the 1991 championship match and winning the 1990 title, will field an entirely new team this summer. Robin White, a String in 1990 and 1991, will rejoin the team. White is ranked 25th in doubles and 86th in singles.

Larry Stefanki will replace John Lloyd as player-coach. Lloyd is now the non-playing coach of the Phoenix Smash, where he will guide three members of last year’s Strings--Jimmy Connors, Carrie Cunningham and Mary Lou Daniels.

The fourth member of the Strings is by far the most prominent--Bjorn Borg, a five-time Wimbledon men’s singles champion.

Three other players with South Bay ties will participate in the league--Tracy Austin (Raleigh Edge); Lindsay Davenport (Sacramento Capitals) and Cammy MacGregor (Kansas City).

The 12-team league, whose season begins in July, will feature five players who have won Grand Slam singles titles. Mats Wilander (New Jersey Stars), Austin and Borg are new to the league, and Connors and Martina Navratilova (Atlanta Thunder) return for a third consecutive season.