WTT Washington Kastles

Hingis Wins 3rd Straight Title, Helps Partner Become No. 1

April 16, 2015 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


World No. 4 Martina Hingis and new No. 1 Sania Mirza improved to 14-0 and captured their third consecutive WTA doubles title on Sunday with a 6-0, 6-4 win in the Family Circle Cup final.

Meanwhile in Houston, new Kastle Sam Querrey defeated defending champion Fernando Verdasco and top seed Feliciano Lopez en route to a runner-up finish at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship.

All was not lost when Jack Sock edged Querrey 7-6(9), 7-6(2). Querrey's run to the Houston championship match gave Kastles players 14 finals in the first 14 weeks of the 2015 tennis season.

No Kastle has been hotter than Hingis.

Prior to partnering Mirza in March, Hingis had already won the Brisbane title with Sabine Lisicki and the Australian Open mixed doubles championship with her Kastles teammate Leander Paes . The Swiss star followed by sweeping 20 straight sets in Indian Wells and Miami with Paes' countrywoman Mirza.

Hingis has become an honorary Indian after competing in India's Champions Tennis League Nov. 17-24 and taking a press tour of New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru Mar. 3-5. She is committed to women's doubles with Mirza and mixed doubles with Paes for the remainder of 2015.

Former World No. 1s Hingis and Paes each took to Twitter on Sunday to congratulate Mirza on becoming the first Indian woman to top the rankings.

Fourth-year Kastle Anastasia Rodionova and former Kastle Arina Rodionova ended the 20-set streak of Hingis and Mirza in the Charleston first round. Faced with adversity for the first time as a team, Hingis and Mirza responded with a 6-7(7), 6-3, [10-5] over the Rodionovas.

They passed another test in the quarterfinals, saving a match point to defeat defending champions Anabel Medina Garrigues and Yaroslava Shvedova 7-5, 4-6, [13-11]. Hingis and Mirza won a third match tiebreaker in the semifinals, eliminating 2013 Kastles substitute Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 1-6, [10-7].

With a win in the final, Mirza was assured to rise from No. 3 to No. 1 in the world doubles rankings. Ironically, Hingis' first tournament as the World No. 1 singles player was the 1997 Family Circle Cup.

Just as she did 18 years ago, Hingis left South Carolina victoriously, teaming with Mirza to defeat Casey Dellacqua and Darija Jurak in only 58 minutes.

"It's an amazing feeling -- doing the hat trick after winning back-to-back Indian Wells and Miami," said Hingis. "We made the decision late to come here and it definitely paid off. Helping Sania become No. 1, I feel so proud. Playing together these five weeks, I feel like we really deserve it. Lifting up the cup here in Charleston, where I became No. 1 and now her, it's a special treat."

14 FINALS in 14 WEEKS for WASHINGTON KASTLES

WEEK KASTLE TOURNAMENT EVENT RESULT

1 V. Williams Auckland Singles Champion

1 M. Hingis Brisbane Doubles Champion

1 L. Paes Chennai Doubles Runner-Up

2 L. Paes Auckland Doubles Champion

4 S. Williams Australian Open Singles Champion

4 M. Hingis Australian Open Mixed Champion

4 L. Paes Australian Open Mixed Champion

7 L. Paes Delray Beach Doubles Runner-Up

9 A. Rodionova Monterrey Doubles Runner-Up

11 M. Hingis Indian Wells Doubles Champion

13 S. Williams Miami Singles Champion

13 M. Hingis Miami Doubles Champion

14 M. Hingis Charleston Doubles Champion

14 S. Querrey Houston Singles Runner-Up

Venus Williams Profiled in Mylan WTT Feature Story

Venus on Serena's Return, Teaming with Hingis, Wardrobe Malfunction

"You never know who's going to come out of World TeamTennis and become a professional player, and a champion. Look at the case of Serena and I."

Venus Williams is living proof that Mylan World TeamTennis and its efforts to grow the game can make a lasting impact. Along with her sister Serena, the two were first introduced to Mylan WTT in the late 1980s at a clinic hosted by league co-founder Billie Jean King. It was an opportunity that still resonates with Venus today.

"It was so exciting for us. My first World TeamTennis match was in sometime around 1990 when I was 10 years old," Williams tells WTT.com. "My first experience was even in the 80s, so I feel like I've done a good 25 years with World TeamTennis. I'm looking forward to going for that 50th anniversary as well."

Now, roughly 25 years later, Venus is still involved with the ground-breaking organization. A game-changer herself, Williams is part of the WTT ownership group and is set to return for her 11th season. Serena is also back for the first time since 2011 and both sisters will once again suit up for the four-time defending champion Washington Kastles.

"Serena hasn't had the opportunity to play, so it's going to be great to have her back," says Williams. "I think once a Kastle, always a Kastle. I'm not sure we'll ever play for another team. It's been a wonderful run with the Kastles, with so many championships at the franchise. We're proud."

Last year, at a home match in Washington, Williams made headlines by teaming up with longtime rival Martina Hingis . The pair of former world No. 1s went on to win their set 5-2 against the Texas Wild. As Williams describes, sharing the court with Hingis was long overdue.

"I think it was about time! We spent so many times playing against each other in epic matches, even in World TeamTennis," declares Williams. "Who knows if I hadn't had a sister, perhaps we would have played doubles as well on the women's tour. It really was a wonderful moment."

Williams has certainly had her fair share of memorable moments in Mylan WTT, having clinched the 2012 championship for the Kastles before being hoisted by her teammates. There have been fun incidents behind the scenes, too, that can only occur in a team environment like Mylan WTT.

"When you play on a team, you have to wear the team colors. There was a match when my skirt went missing," Williams reflects. "I put it on the table and I couldn't find it. So the match is about to start and I'm like: 'It's fine. I'll put on some undershorts. I don't care.' It turns out the coach's fiancée picked up the skirt. She just kept picking up after Murphy because she says he loses everything. We were in a major panic with what I was going to wear!"

Story by Matt Fitzgerald



World TeamTennis Stories from April 16, 2015


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