WTT Washington Kastles

Kastles at Lobsters Preview

Published on July 15, 2013 under World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


Washington Kastles (3-2) at Boston Lobsters (3-4) Monday, July 15 at 7:00 pm

All-Time: Kastles lead Lobsters 7-4

Last Meeting: Kastles def. Lobsters 25-12 on July 9, 2013 (Washington, DC)

Live Streaming: WashingtonKastles.com

Live Scoring: WashingtonKastles.com

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

In the first of two all-important Eastern Conference road matches, the Kastles are in Boston tonight for a rematch with the Lobsters.

Last Tuesday, Washington swept Boston 25-12 rout to extend the Kastles' overall winning streak to a major U.S. pro sports record 34 matches. It was the latest in a long line of lopsided matches between the two teams.

The Kastles have defeated the Lobsters six straight times by an average margin of 9.5 games, dating back to a 25-10 drubbing on July 7, 2011 in front of First Lady Michelle Obama. Washington has lost just three of 30 sets against Boston since 2010.

But Coach Murphy Jensen will have his team ready for a battle. He has not forgotten about the final match of the 2010 season, when a Kastles team that included current World No. 3 Victoria Azarenka was knocked out of playoff contention 24-15 in Boston.

The Lobsters reload tonight with two-time Grand Slam singles finalist Mark Philippoussis, but the Kastles counter with the return of Martina Hingis. The Swiss missed Washington's last three matches while preparing for her induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Washington went 1-2 without her.

You don't have to fly to Boston to enjoy tonight's match! Live video streaming will be available beginning at 7 pm on WashingtonKastles.com. Tune in and join the conversation throughout the match on Facebook and Twitter.

SET-BY-SET PROJECTIONS

MS - B. Reynolds (WAS) vs. M. Philippoussis (BOS) When the Kastles and Lobsters last met six days ago, men's singles pitted Kevin Anderson against Amir Weintraub. Each team will send a different player into action tonight, with Philippoussis and Kastles closer Bobby Reynolds set to meet for the very first time. It will be a stark contrast in styles: Philippoussis will be eager to get on the offensive and Reynolds is usually at his best when he's counter-punching.

WS - M. Hingis (WAS) vs. J. Craybas (BOS) Playing team tennis for the first time since 2001, Jill Craybas is 2-5 in singles so far this season, including a 5-2 loss to Hingis on July 9. Hingis is simply better than Craybas at everything that the American veteran does well, with more power, variety and speed. Expect Boston coach Bud Schultz to schedule the women's singles set early and give his team a chance to recover if Hingis runs away with another win.

MD - L. Paes/B. Reynolds (WAS) vs. E. Butorac/M. Philippoussis (BOS) Eric Butorac's struggles against Reynolds and Leander Paes continued last week in DC, where the left-handed Lobster lost his sixth straight men's doubles set to the Kastles. This time around, he'll have Philippoussis' powerful serve to back him up. Paes and Reynolds have outscored Butorac-led men's doubles teams 30-11 since the end of the 2010 season, but tonight's set should be a much closer affair.

WD - M. Hingis/A. Rodionova (WAS) vs. J. Craybas/K. Marosi (BOS) After losing their first six sets of the season, Craybas and Katalin Marosi of the Lobsters pulled out a 5-3 win Sunday night against the Philadelphia Freedoms. That may give them a jolt of confidence going into their rematch with Hingis and Anastasia Rodionova. The Kastles' duo won 5-3 on July 9, but Rodionova may need time to regain chemistry with Hingis after playing her last three sets with substitutes.

MXD - L. Paes/M. Hingis (WAS) vs. E. Butorac/K. Marosi (BOS) Paes and Hingis went 2-0 in mixed doubles before the Swiss' short break, including a 5-3 victory over Butorac and Marosi. In an entertaining set of shot-making, the Lobsters came within one point of forcing a tiebreaker. Butorac must be itching for an upset in either mixed or men's doubles tonight. The American has faced Paes seven times in a WTT mixed doubles set without a single victory to show for his efforts.

KEY FOR THE KASTLES - HOW WILL HINGIS FARE?

On Saturday, the 32-year-old Hingis became the fourth-youngest player ever to be enshrined at the Hall of Fame. That's quite an honor considering that more than 200 tennis legends have been inducted since 1955.

Understandably, it was an emotional weekend for Hingis. At Saturday's ceremony, the Slovakian-born, Swiss-bred Hingis spoke of how tennis helped her break through the Iron Curtain of the former Czechoslovakia.

Now immortalized in tennis history, Hingis returns to the court just over 48 hours later for three sets with the Kastles tonight.

Twice last week, DC fans witnessed the shots and spins that made Hingis a Hall-of-Famer. If she can come up with more of the same magic, it's hard to see how the Lobsters can claw out of their drought against the Kastles.

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