WTT Washington Kastles

Bobby Beats Isner in Sydney; 2012 Australian Open Kastles' Preview

Published on January 11, 2012 under World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


Bobby Reynolds of the Kastles is making quite the splash in Sydney, where he's advanced to his first ATP World Tour quarterfinal since the summer of 2008.

Coming off a successful season on the USTA Pro Circuit, the Kastles' closer gained entry into the Sydney singles main draw by winning three matches in the qualifying event.

Reynolds hasn't stopped there, defeating world No. 61 Sergiy Stakhovsky 7-5, 6-3 in the first round and upsetting No. 2 seed John Isner of the Boston Lobsters 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals.

After splitting the first two sets with the 6-foot-9 Isner, Reynolds raised his game when it matted most. The Kastle made 81 percent of his first serves and won 69 percent of his second serve return points in the final set, taking it to the much taller Isner. With precise passing shots off both his forehand and backhand, Reynolds broke Isner twice in the third set before serving the match out at love.

In terms of rankings, Reynolds' win over the 17th-ranked Isner is the biggest victory of his career.

"I'm happy to get it done," Reynolds said during a video interview on ATPWorldTour.com (click on the thumbnail below to watch the interview). "It was a tough match for both of us today with the conditions being really windy. But I felt like I served well and I returned well when I needed to, and I took advantage of the break points that I got."

Bobby Reynolds' post-match interview after defeating World #17 John Isner

Reynolds, the Kastles star closer in 2011 and 2010 WTT Rookie of the Year, also revealed that he's been using someone else's racquet during his five-match Sydney winning streak. Unhappy with the racquets he traveled to Australia with, Reynolds borrowed one from fellow American Jesse Levine, and it's sparked him to the fourth ATP quarterfinal of his career.

Thanks partially to Levine, Reynolds has ensured himself at least 45 ranking points and $12,740 in prize money.

"He told me that I owe him 20 percent," Reynolds said of Levine. "But I told him that the more that the tournament goes on, the less are the chances that he gets his racquet back, or the 20 percent for that matter."

In Thursday's quarterfinals, Reynolds will meet another veteran who came out of the Sydney qualifying draw: former world No. 13 Jarkko Nieminen of Finland.

Reynolds was set to be one of the top seeds in the Australian Open men's qualifying draw, which began on Wednesday. But because of his run in Sydney, he was unable to make it to Melbourne in time to compete.

Australian Open Kastles' Preview

Serena Williams won the Australian Open title in 2009 and 2010 before missing the 2011 event due to a foot injury.

A new season on the ATP World Tour brings a new beginning for Washington Kastles superstar Leander Paes.

After a successful reunion with countryman Mahesh Bhupathi in 2011, the two-time WTT MVP Paes hopes that a fresh partnership with crafty veteran Radek Stepanek will spark him to the only Grand Slam men's doubles championship he's missing.

Paes is one of a handful of Kastles past and present set to compete at the 2012 Australian Open, which begins on Monday. The sure-handed Indian has had great results at the tournament since winning his first Melbourne match in 1994.

Paes has reached at least the quarterfinals of the Australian Open seven times, including runs to the final in 2011, 2006 and 1999. But he's still seeking his first Australian Open title to go with three French Open championships, two US Open titles and the 1999 Wimbledon crown.

In Stepanek, Paes has picked a partner that he has a short, yet successful, history with. The Indian and Czech have played two prior tournaments as a team, and enjoyed a dream debut in 2004 at the ATP event in Delray Beach, Fla. Paes and Stepanek swept all eight sets they played together to capture the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships title.

Paes is plenty familiar with players from the Czech Republic. He reached the 2009 Australian Open semifinals with Lukas Dlouhy (CZE) and the 2006 final with Martin Damm (CZE), falling both times to Bob and Mike Bryan of the Kansas City Explorers.

To begin 2012, Paes and Stepanek played at different events. Paes stayed close to home for the Aircel Chennai Open, while Stepanek's singles schedule sent him to Brisbane.

For Paes, preparation could not have been better for the season's first Grand Slam. He teamed with Janko Tipsarevic to win his sixth Chennai title and 48th overall, defeating 2008 Australian Open champions Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram 6-4, 6-4 in the final. Paes celebrated the championship victory by lifting Tipsarevic off the court and over his shoulders.

Leander lifts Janko Tipsarevic over his shoulders after winning the Chennai Open doubles title.

Following his victory in Chennai, Paes has joined forces with Stepanek at the Australian Open tune-up in Sydney this week, where they defeated Fabio Fognini and Dmitry Tursunov 7-6(3), 6-3 in the first round on Wednesday. A big challenge awaits the new pairing in Thursday's quarterfinals as Paes and Stepanek will meet the top-ranked Bryans, who have captured five of the last six Australian Open titles.

Fellow Kastle and 2011 WTT Rookie of the Year Arina Rodionova also participated in the Sydney event. She defeated Australian wild card Tammi Patterson 7-6(3), 6-3 in the first round of qualifying before falling to Chanelle Scheepers of the Boston Lobsters.

The Russian-born Rodionova, who is hoping to become an Australian citizen, has been awarded a wild card into the Australian Open women's qualifying draw. She will play her first round match against Victoria Larriere of France on Thursday, needing to win three matches to qualify for the main draw as she did at the 2011 Australian Open.

Kastles' cornerstone Serena Williams, one of the greatest players in the history of the Australian Open, appears likely to play in Melbourne after an injury scare last week.

Serena started the 2012 season with a pair of wins in Brisbane, defeating Scheepers 6-2, 6-3 and Bojana Jovanovski 6-2, 6-4. But she was forced to withdraw from the tournament with a left ankle sprain that she suffered in the latter stages of her match with Jovanovski.

Nevertheless, Serena made the trip to Melbourne, and a video posted on WTAtour.com showed her practicing on Hisense Arena on Jan. 9 (click on the thumbnail below to watch the video). With a 51-6 lifetime record at the Australian Open, Serena is on a 14-match tournament winning streak. She won the title in 2009 and 2010 before missing the 2011 event due to a foot injury.

Serena Williams practicing on Hisense Arena in Melbourne on Jan. 9.

While Serena readies herself for one of her favorite tournaments, Venus Williams continues to mount her own comeback against the immune system disease Sjogren's syndrome. Though she is unable to compete at the Australian Open, Venus posted a message on her official website that should make her fans in Washington - and around the world - very happy.

"After several months of training and treatment, I am making steady progress to top competitive form," Venus wrote. "My diet and fitness regimen have allowed me to make great strides in terms of my health and I am very close to being ready to return to WTA competition. I have every intention to return to the circuit in February."

Former Washington Kastles Nadia Petrova and Victoria Azarenka will also be vying for the Australian Open women's singles championship. Now ranked No. 3 in the world, Azarenka enjoyed several major breakthroughs last season. The Belarusian reached her first Grand Slam singles semifinal at Wimbledon and her third Grand Slam women's doubles final at the Australian Open.

Australia's own Rennae Stubbs is expected to serve as a commentator, and not a player, at this year's tournament. Stubbs was honored inside Rod Laver Arena at the 2011 Australian Open during a presentation that featured surprise appearances from many of her peers, including her eventual Kastles' teammate Rodionova.

Bobby Reynolds of the Kastles, who originally planned to play qualifying in Melbourne, will miss the 2012 Australian Open because of his successful run to the quarterfinals in Sydney kept him from making the trip to Melbourne in time for the first round of qualifying on Wednesday.

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World TeamTennis Stories from January 11, 2012


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