WTT Washington Kastles

Aviators End Kastles' Streak in Smith Center Thriller

Published on July 15, 2014 under World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


What does it take to defeat the Washington Kastles? By the looks of Monday's match at the Smith Center, the answer is everything.

World No. 34 Daniela Hantuchova flattened forehands, University of Virginia legend Somdev Devvarman served sensationally, and doubles specialists Kveta Peschke and Raven Klaasen put away volleys to lead the San Diego Aviators to a 22-18 victory over the three-time defending champions.

Before falling to the Aviators, the Kastles had won 18 consecutive matches dating back to July 13, 2013, and 52 of 54 matches dating back to July 22, 2010.

The Kastles started the 2014 season by losing only three sets en route to a 6-0 start (27-3 in sets). But Washington dropped four of five sets to San Diego alone.

The Aviators never allowed the Kastles to feel completely comfortably in front of a raucous crowd at the Smith Center. Devvarman opened the match by defeating Bobby Reynolds 5-4 -- the first men's singles loss of the season for the 2013 WTT Finals MVP.

Martina Hingis and Anastasia Rodionova were also 4-0 in women's doubles before running into Hantuchova and Peschke, who extended San Diego's lead to 10-7 with a 5-3 win.

In need of a spark, the Kastles turned to their captain Leander Paes, who hit winners from all parts of the court en route to a 5-2 mixed doubles win for Washington.

With the score tied at 12, good friends and former partners Hingis and Hantuchova went head to head. Hingis had won 20 of 22 singles games this season, but Hantuchova's heavy shots forced the Swiss into making an unusual number of errors. The Slovakian's 5-2 win gave San Diego a 17-14 lead going into the final set of men's doubles.

Again, Paes took to the court to rally his team from a 3-game deficit. But this time Klaasen and Devvarman answered the play of Paes and Reynolds with clutch shot-making of their own. Down 4-2 in a tiebreaker, Devvarman hit three straight unreturnable serves to cement San Diego's upset.

Rhythm was hard to come by in the opening set as Reynolds and Devvarman mixed patches of brilliant play with rashes of unforced errors.

After four straight holds to start the set, there were four consecutive breaks. Devvarman struggled to create depth with his backhand, while Reynolds uncharacteristically double-faulted five times.

Playing for a strong contingent of his own fans, the former Cavalier served for the set at 4-3, but an aggressive move to the net by Reynolds allowed him to force a tiebreaker.

Kastles fans cheered as Reynolds appeared poised to make a run. Instead, Devvarman swept all five points of the tiebreaker to end a nervous opening set from both players.

In women's doubles, Hingis and Rodionova broke Peschke for 2-1 but were unable to consolidate, conceding Hingis' serve when Rodionova stretched for a volley and the ball nipped off her frame.

Following holds by Hantuchova, Rodionova and Peschke, the Kastles' Hingis served to stay in the set and preserve her perfect 12-0 set record in 2014.

However, the former World No. 1 doubles player Peschke rose to the occasion with three winners in the game, including a stretch forehand volley that secured the set 5-3 and gave San Diego a 10-7 lead.

With the Kastles in need of a spark, Paes came off the bench and blasted winners as if there were an "S" on the front of his red shirt and not a Nike swoosh.

Paes held at love to begin the third set of mixed doubles, earned a break point with a massive forehand return winner, then gave Washington a 2-0 lead with a lunging volley past Klaasen.

Roaring with excitement, Paes sent the Smith Center crowd into a frenzy. When he started the third game with a pair of rapid winners, Aviators coach David Macpherson called a timeout to try to cool the Kastles captain down.

Eventually, Paes came back down to Earth and surrendered his serve in the fifth game. But with the Kastles leading 3-2, Paes broke Klaasen again with a dipping return that allowed Hingis to knife a backhand volley behind the South African.

Hingis went on to serve the set out 5-2, making the match score 12-12 at halftime. With their latest win, Hingis and Paes improved to 13-0 as a mixed doubles team since joining forces in 2013.

Following the half, Hingis faced her toughest challenge all season in Hantuchova. The good friends played five doubles tournaments together following the 2013 WTT season.

But there are no friends on opposite ends of a WTT court, and the former World No. 5 Hantuchova certainly played with an edge.

Flattening her forehands to take time away from Hingis, she held serve to open the set, then broke on a 3-all point with a clean return winner.

Hingis, however, held for 1-2, then wrestled the break back to tie the set at 2-2. She reached a 3-all deciding point on Hantuchova's serve in the next game that ultimately would swing the set towards either the Kastles or Aviators.

The point, game and eventually set all went to San Diego after Hantuchova withstood an early return from Hingis and hit a precise backhand winner that inched over the net and inside the sideline by the narrowest of margins.

More aggressive returning allowed Hantuchova to break for a 4-2 lead, but Hingis had four break chances in the following game to get back on serve. From 0-3 down in the game, Hantuchova showed great resolve to come all the way back and serve the set out, putting the Aviators ahead 17-14 with only men's doubles remaining.

Serving first in the final set, Paes and Reynolds knew that if they held serve throughout the set and managed a break in one of San Diego's first three service games, Washington would win the set 5-2. That, in turn, would tie the match at 19-19 and force the first Supertiebreaker at Kastles Stadium since 2011.

It nearly happened.

With Washington leading 3-2, Paes hit a forehand lob winner that landed on the baseline to give his team the two break points it desperately needed. Chants of "Leander, Leander, Leander" filled the Smith Center as fans sensed that most important moment of the match had arrived.

An incredible point ensued on Washington's first break chance. Reynolds stretched to reach a ball that kept the rally alive, Klaasen crushed an overhead that Paes somehow got back, and Devvarman finished the fast exchange with a tricky backhand volley that required his best reflexes.

On the 3-all deciding point that followed, Klaasen found Paes' backhand with his serve, drawing a slice that allowed Devvarman to hit an aggressive volley and force an error from Reynolds.

The Kastles still had hopes for winning the match, but it would take winning the set, overtime and a Supertiebreaker.

Paes was broken at 3-3 to bring San Diego within a game of victory, but the Kastles refused to lose without a fight and won all four points on Devvarman's serve to force a tiebreaker.

Washington jumped ahead 4-2, leaving Devvarman to serve the final three points of the set after he had just lost all four points when he served for the match.

If Washington won one of the three, the match would have gone to overtime. But Devvarman dug deep and struck all three of his first serves in the corner of the service tee.

One was an ace; the other two were service winners, and just like that, the second-longest winning streak in Kastles franchise history had come to a close.

San Diego Aviators 22, Washington Kastles 18

Men's Singles: Somdev Devvarman (Aviators) def. Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) 5-4

Women's Doubles: Daniela Hantuchova/Kveta Peschke (Aviators) def. Martina Hingis/Anastasia Rodionova (Kastles) 5-3

Mixed Doubles: Leander Paes/Martina Hingis (Kastles) def. Raven Klaasen/Kveta Peschke (Aviators) 5-2

Women's Singles: Daniela Hantuchova (Aviators) def. Martina Hingis (Kastles) 5-2

Men's Doubles: Somdev Devvarman/Raven Klaasen (Aviators) def. Leander Paes/Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) 5-4

Washington Kastles Charity Classic Preview

All Tickets Just $10 with 100 % of Proceeds Going to Charity

Washington Kastles Charity Classic

Tuesday, July 15 at 7 pm

Tickets: Ticketmaster.com, Box Office

Smith Center: Directions, History

All-Time: Stars and Stripes tied 1-1

Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (#RefuseToLose)

A memorable night awaits Kastles fans as the team hosts its third-annual Charity Classic beginning at 7 pm.

All tickets are only $10 to enjoy this one-of-a-kind team tennis match, and can be purchased with cash or credit card at the gate or via Ticketmaster.com.

This event will bring together some of DC's elite -- Democrats and Republicans, Members of Congress and the Administration, media personalities and local sports celebrities -- as they prove that we can all work together for a good cause!

A series of doubles tiebreakers up to 7 points will be played between Team Stars and Team Stripes, culminating in a match tiebreaker up to 10 in which both teams can make unlimited substitutions.

All points throughout the evening count towards the overall score, so just like at a Kastles match, every forehand and backhand is important.

All of tonight's ticket proceeds will benefit four great organizations:

- Best Buddies

- Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)

- DC Public Education Fund

- Food & Friends

This year's unbelievable lineup includes:

- Washington Redskins Hall-of-Famer Darrell Green

- Former Washington Redskins Pro Bowler Brian Mitchell

- Legendary NBC4 Anchorman Jim Vance (Chair Umpire)

- Former Director of the National Economic Council Gene Sperling

- Fox News hosts Bret Baier and Ed Henry

- Maryland Congressman John Delaney

- Virginia Congressmen Bob Goodlatte and Bobby Scott

- Many More Prominent Players (Click here for the full list)

Also competing in the quest for the Kastles Cup will be your favorite Kastles: Coach Murphy Jensen, Martina Hingis, Leander Paes, Bobby Reynolds and Anastasia Rodionova .

After the match, join Charity Classic players for food and drink specials at Circa Foggy Bottom (2221 I Street NW ), which is hosting an after party just two blocks from Kastles Stadium at the Smith Center.

For more information on the event and to see a full list of players, please visit the Charity Classic website. See what our players and supporters are saying by following us on Twitter or Facebook.

We hope you will join us for this very special evening and show your support for four great charities!

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World TeamTennis Stories from July 15, 2014


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