WTT Washington Kastles

Kastles Defeat Buzz 21-20 in Thriller

Published on July 13, 2010 under World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


With a break of tennis great Martina Hingis' serve in the last game of the match, the Washington Kastles capped off a thrilling, come-from-behind 21-20 victory over the New York Buzz on Monday night. The team's sixth straight victory gives the Kastles a 6-1 record, the best in the league, and sole possession of the Eastern Conference lead.

Kastles catalyst Bobby Reynolds, who came into the match undefeated in singles play, dropped his first set of the season to Alex Domijan 5-3. After winning the first game in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, Reynolds faced a 6-foot-7 Domijan who was determined to lift his game and get revenge for two earlier defeats. Domijan's uncharacteristic steady play carried him to a 4-2 lead after winning two decisive 3-all points. Down 3-1 in the seventh game of the set on his serve, Reynolds was able to pull out an additional game which proved crucial later in the overall team match.

In women's singles, Angie Haynes rebounded from a tough 5-0 loss to 14-time Grand Slam winner Martina Hingis last Friday and kept the Kastles close with a very tight 5-4 defeat. In her rematch with Hingis, Haynes stayed even throughout the set and fought back from a 4-3 deficit to force a tiebreak with a perfectly-placed shot just inside the lines. Haynes started the tiebreak strong, taking a 3-1 lead, until Hingis showed her renowned shot making and court sense to come back and take a 5-4 set victory and give her team a 10-7 lead in the match.

In the set before halftime, Leander Paes once again showed his magical net play as he and partner Bobby Reynolds took a decisive 5-2 men's doubles victory and evened the match at 12-all. The Kastles team dominated throughout winning twice as many points in the set (22-11) and giving the Buzz no break point opportunities.

The Kastles' women's doubles duo of Haynes and Rennae Stubbs tried to continue that momentum after the halftime break against Hingis and Sarah Borwell. A strong start got the Kastles to a 4-2 lead with Hingis serving at 2-3 giving them two opportunities to enter the last set up by a large comfortable 3 game margin. On the first point, Haynes netted a volley after a long well played point before Hingis, who also reached #1 in the world in doubles, closed out the game with an ace. The momentum swung at that point which the Buzz carried to a 5-4 set victory and a one game lead at 17-16 going into the last set - once again showing the importance of every single point in the World TeamTennis format.

The final deciding set of mixed doubles matched the Kastles' Paes and Stubbs against the Buzz's Hingis and Jenkins with 27 Grand Slam Doubles championships represented on the court. The teams split the first two games of the deciding set and, with Stubbs serving at 3-1 and 17-18 in the overall match, the rain started coming down and the court and stadium were cleared. After trying to wait out the rain, the teams decided to finish out the match at the Kastles indoor facility at Haines Point in East Potomac Park. The Kastles fans that attended the end of the match indoors were rewarded with a treat in the final set getting to watch some of the best doubles players ever battle it out while sitting or standing right on the side of the court.

Once indoors, Stubbs closed out her serve to go up 2-1 and tie the match at 18. In the next game on Hingis' serve, Stubbs and Paes raced to two break points which the Buzz were able to save and go up 19-18. The next three games followed form as each player held serve to give the Kastles a 4-3 set lead with a 20-20 tie in the overall match.

In the final game, Hingis, who has won 9 Grand Slam Doubles titles, easily won the first two points on her serve as the Kastles missed their returns. At this point, Paes and Stubbs conferred and changed their strategy to chip and charge the net on the fast indoor service to put even greater pressure on Jenkins and Hingis. The shift paid off as the Kastles won 3 straight points to reach match point. As the loud cheering of the Kastles faithful reverberated throughout the indoor court, Stubbs closed out the match with an excellent return and sharp volley that Hingis couldn't return. The Kastles bench and the crowd all swarmed the court to celebrate the 5-3 set and 21-20 match victory with the elated Stubbs and Paes.

"That's part of being a professional athlete is that you always try to find a way to win," Paes said.

Coach Murphy Jensen added, "We got to share the Kastles spirit in another part of town. To win in here is incredible; to win anywhere is incredible. That's what makes World TeamTennis great, is you have to fight till the very last point."

Washington returns to the court Tuesday at Philadelphia and comes home to face the Kansas City Explorers Wednesday in a match that is sold out. Tickets remain for Sunday's Family Night match against the Boston Lobsters. To purchase, call Ticketmaster today at 202-397-7328 or visit them on the web at ticketmaster.com.

Serena Williams Sidelined for WTT Matches

As the team announced yesterday, Serena Williams will not be able to join the Washington Kastles this season due to a foot injury. Serena is disappointed that she won't be able to be with the team, and obviously we are disappointed as well. However, the Kastles are loaded with talent, as demonstrated by a 6-1 record, and sit alone atop the Eastern Conference with the best record in the WTT! We expect a huge crowd for our sold out match tomorrow night against the first place Kansas City Explorers from the Western Conference. In addition, as a show of appreciation to our fans, everyone who comes to the match tomorrow evening will receive a voucher which offers a choice of three great options: A free dinner (hot dog or chicken tenders) and beverage (soft drink, water, or beer), OR a 50% discount on purchases up to $100 in our merchandise tent, OR a $20 discount off a ticket for a future Kastles match this season OR a free seat for our contest against the Boston Lobsters on Sunday, July 18th at 7pm.

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World TeamTennis Stories from July 13, 2010


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