They are the outdoor types

In their first year, 2005, the Boston Lobsters played in Harvard University's Bright Arena, and that was too hot. The arena was air-conditioned for the second season, but the space still felt too confining for tennis in July. Team owner Bahar Uttam hopes the Lobsters have got it just right this summer.

The Boston entry in World TeamTennis opens its three-week run today at Harvard's outdoor venue, the Beren Tennis Center, against the St. Louis Aces. The Lobsters host the reigning Eastern Conference regular-season champions, the New York Sportimes, Sunday.

"When we started three years ago, we were in Bright Arena, which had not been used in the summer," said Uttam, who revived the Lobsters for Boston's first professional tennis since 1999. "No one knew how hot it would get. Last year we solved that problem, but when we did fan surveys, they all said, 'Hey, this is New England, let's play outdoors.' Every other team in the league plays outdoors."

If it rains, fans can take refuge in Bright Arena for a passing shower. If it's constant rain, the competition will move inside the Murr Center, where team sponsors and season ticket-holders will be accommodated. Others will get a rain check.

"The whole idea is tennis in New England should be outdoors," Uttam said. "If you watch the US Open and Wimbledon, they deal with it."

The Lobsters lost two top players from last season, including the legendary Martina Navratilova, who retired, again. Tom Blake, a Lobster stalwart, has stopped playing. But he'll be back at Harvard July 15, coaching the Houston team.

Leading the Lobsters' international lineup are the top two players from last season; Israeli doubles specialist Amir Hadad and Australian Nicole Pratt, who has won nine WTA Tour titles, two this year (Pattaya City, Thailand, and Memphis). The newcomers are Americans: Julie Ditty, a seven-time ITF champion and an All-American at Vanderbilt University, and 20-year-old Nikita Kryvonos, a native of Ukraine who became a citizen last year. Kryvonos was chosen as a Davis Cup practice player by captain Patrick McEnroe.

"He's a young, up-and-coming American," Uttam said. "I'd like to give him the opportunity to shine. I have a soft spot for building up young, raw talent."

And then there is Anne Smith, the coach with the PhD, who returns for her third season.

World TeamTennis features one-set matches in singles and doubles, including mixed doubles. Uttam pointed out it is the only sport in which men and women regularly compete against each other, and where fans are encouraged to cheer loudly. The emphasis is on making the evening fun and family-friendly.

Former world No. 1 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario highlights the home schedule. She will take the court with the Lobsters July 12 against the Sportimes as she makes a stop on her way to Newport for her induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame July 14.

Venus Williams will be at Harvard July 18, playing with the defending champion Philadelphia Freedoms.

"We are definitely staging an event to be at," Uttam said. "That's why prices are so low. We are trying to make it not an issue for a family."

It was family that first introduced Uttam to tennis. A native of the United Kingdom, he came to the United States 32 years ago and built a successful systems engineering and information technology firm, which he sold in 2002.

"I became a tennis fan late in life," he said. "My son took up tennis at Governor Dummer Academy and he asked, 'Would you play with me?' He went on to play in college and it became a disease with me.

"I was unemployed five years ago, and I didn't want to start another company, so I thought, why not get involved with my passion, tennis. Of course now, during the [WTT] season, my tennis playing days have declined."

The Lobsters first played in the WTT from 1974-78, but disappeared until Uttam revived the team.

"My interest with the Lobster franchise is in two things," he said. "One was to bring professional tennis back to Boston, which had not been here since 1999. I take some pride that subsequent to that, Jim Courier brought the Champions Cup and there is another Challenger tournament as well.

"Two, I also wanted to do something for the community. I didn't want to bring a WTA or ATP tournament -- there's no belonging with them. I've been here 32 years in Boston, which I love and I wanted to do something for the tennis community."

CN8 will broadcast Lobster matches, giving New Englanders another chance to get acquainted with the team.

"In our first year, when people heard Lobsters, they looked at me and said, 'Why are you competing with Legal Sea Foods?' " said Uttam. "It took two years for the mind-set of [Bostonians] to change."

Barbara Matson can be reached at matson@globe.com.