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Philadelphia Freedoms

Philadelphia Freedoms Fall to Springfield Lasers in Home Opener

July 10, 2013 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Philadelphia Freedoms News Release


(VILLANOVA, Pa.) - The Philadelphia Freedoms hosted their home opener Wednesday evening against the Springfield Lasers and Andy Roddick. The Freedoms lost to the Lasers in overtime with a final score of 23-20.

The evening's first match put the Freedoms' Samuel Groth against former world No. 1 and 2003 US Open Champion Andy Roddick playing for the Lasers in men's singles. Roddick took the first set with a final score of 5-3. In women's doubles, Liezel Huber and Alison Riske for the Freedoms took on Vania King and Alisa Kleybanova for the Lasers. Huber and Riske fell to King and Kleybanova 5-3. In the third set of mixed doubles, Sam Groth and Liezel Huber for the Freedoms came from behind pushing the set into a tiebreaker against the Lasers' Jean-Julien Rojer and Alisa Kleybanova. After an exciting and hard-fought match, the Freedoms lost the set 5-4.

The second half of the evening kicked off with women's singles. Alison Riske, the Freedoms' wildcard player for the evening, took on the Lasers' Vania King to clinch the Freedoms' only winning set with a score of 5-3. Men's doubles in the fifth and final set of the night saw the Freedoms' Jordan Kerr and Sam Groth take on the Lasers' Andy Roddick and Jean-Julien Rojer. The set went into a tiebreaker with the Freedoms losing 5-4. The final score of the evening was Freedoms 20 and the Lasers 23.

The evening's program started with an on-court unveiling of the Freedoms' new mascot Nettie to the Philadelphia fans in attendance. Nettie was joined by tennis icon and Freedoms owner Billie Jean King. The first 200 ticketholders received CTCA seat cushions and all kids 12 and under received free junior tennis racquets compliments of the Beneficial Foundation.

The Freedoms next match is Friday, July 12 at the New York Sportimes. The next home match is Tuesday, July 16 against the Washington Kastles and Martina Hingis at the Pavilion at Villanova University.

The 2013 Philadelphia Freedoms are presented by Beneficial Bank and hosted by Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

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