WTT Washington Kastles

Bobby and Leander Compete in Year-End Championships

Published on November 22, 2011 under World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


It's only fitting that after leading the Washington Kastles to the first 16-0 finish in World TeamTennis history, Leander Paes and Bobby Reynolds are ending the 2011 season in style.

Paes and full-time partner Mahesh Bhupathi are in London this week for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals - the men's tour's season finale that features an exclusive field of the eight best singles players and doubles teams from 2011.

Paes has qualified for the year-end championships seven seasons in a row and 13 times overall. Paes and Bhupathi are eager for one more win at the O2 Arena this week.

"That's one that we really want in our showcase," Paes said in a video interview on ATP World Tour Uncovered. "As far as we look at it, that's the fifth Grand Slam of the year... It's going to be a fun event for us and we look forward to doing really well in London."

In 1999, the duo known as the Indian Express became the first men's doubles team in the Open Era to reach all four Grand Slam finals. They finished that historic season in the championship match of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

By 2002, however, Paes and Bhupathi had grown apart, ending their successful run in a seemingly permanent split.

But after representing India at the Davis Cup and Commonwealth Games in 2010, Paes and Bhupathi made a pact to play together in January at the Aircel Chennai Open and Australian Open.

What began as a two-tournament agreement has turned into the feel-good story of the season. Sixteen events later, Paes hasn't partnered with any other player on tour.

"The best thing for me about coming back in 2011 and playing with Mahesh is that we got our friendship back," said Paes. "We have always been very straight up with each other and now we've found a way to get the best out of each other on the court as well."

In their first full season together in a decade, Paes and Bhupathi won their 25th title as a team at the Masters 1000 event in Miami. Championships in Chennai and Cincinnati, as well as finals appearances at the Australian Open and Queen's Club highlighted their reunion tour.

"Tennis really comes second nature to us," said Paes. "We've been playing for so many years now that I can tell what Mahesh is going to do as he's making his move. And I'm sure he can tell what I'm going to do as I'm making my move. That's why we've become a tough team to beat."

Paes and Bhupathi are in great company at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, a round-robin tournament that separates the eight teams into groups of four. The top two teams from each group will advance to single-elimination semifinals, with the winners vying for the final title of 2011.

In Group A, the Indian Express dropped their first match on Monday against Wimbledon finalists Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau 7-6, 6-1. They will also meet US Open champions Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner and 11-time Grand Slam winners Bob and Mike Bryan later this week.

"There were three different teams that won the four different Grand Slams, so the competition in doubles is really good at the moment," said Paes. "Coming into London, I think any of these eight teams could win the world championships."

The only other player that Paes partnered with this season was during World TeamTennis with Reynolds, whose second WTT season with Paes produced the top-ranked men's doubles team in the league.

The two-time WTT MVP Paes and the 2010 WTT Rookie of the Year Reynolds won 12 of 16 sets together for the Kastles. Along the way, they saved a total of six match points against the New York Sportimes in two matches to preserve Washington's perfect season.

Like his Kastles' teammate, Reynolds earned a place in the ATP's postseason, wrapping up his year by competing in the first-ever ATP Challenger Tour Finals Nov. 16-20 in S=E3o Paulo that featured the top 8 players with the best results on the ATP Challenger Tour during 2011.

Though Reynolds was eliminated from the round-robin event after going 1-2 in group play, he enjoyed a stellar season on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2011.

Reynolds' berth in Brazil came about because the Kastles' closer won two singles and five doubles championships on the ATP Challenger Tour this season. He is now second-all time among men's players with 29 career titles on the USTA Pro Circuit, which runs all Challenger events held in the United States.

Four weeks after clinching the King Trophy for the Kastles, Reynolds returned to the Washington area and won the US Open Wild Card Playoffs in College Park, Md. He ended his sensational summer by sweeping the singles and doubles titles at a Challenger in Tulsa, Okla., where he won 16 of the 17 sets he played.

Washington Kastles Honored by USTA Mid-Atlantic as Section Organization of the Year

Kastles owner Mark Ein and team's senior staff honored by USTA Mid-Atlantic

Last weekend, the Kastles were honored by the United States Tennis Association Mid-Atlantic Section at their annual awards luncheon in Herndon, Virginia as the 2011 Section Organization of the Year.

The award is presented to a member organization for outstanding service to the local community, to USTA/MAS organization members, and to the game of tennis. The USTA/MAS and the Washington Kastles have formed a strong partnership since the team's founding in 2008.

The awards luncheon was attended by more than 250 of the area's most influential stakeholders including loyal tennis players and fans, the board members of the USTA/MAS and several past presidents of the association.

"We had many memorable moments at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf, including an undefeated season and winning our second WTT Championship in the last three years," said team owner Mark Ein, who accepted the award on Saturday alongside the franchise's senior staff. "But the most indelible memories of the 2011 season were looking into the stands and seeing capacity crowds having a great time cheering their hearts out for our players, our city and our team's success until the very last point. None of that could have been achieved without the strong support of the USTA Mid-Atlantic and everyone in the region's tennis community."

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