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WTT Washington Kastles

Kastles Defeat Empire, 21-20, in Thrilling Season Opener

July 15, 2020 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


Washington Kastles in action
Washington Kastles in action
(Washington Kastles, Credit: World TeamTennis)

The Washington Kastles are off to a promising start in 2020! The six-time WTT champions defeated the 2019 finalist New York Empire, 21-20, in a thrilling season opener at The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia on Monday.

New Kastle Marcelo Arevalo made his World TeamTennis debut an evening to remember.

The 2020 Australian Open doubles quarterfinalist from El Salvador opened and closed the win for Washington, defeating former singles world #8 and three-time Grand Slam doubles champ Jack Sock, 5-3, in men's singles, before teaming up with WTT veteran and former All-American at Chapel Hill Nick Monroe to beat Sock and 2019 WTT MVP Neal Skupski, 5-4(3), in men's doubles, and clinch the Kastles' first victory of the season.

"I played in college and I've played Davis Cup for El Salvador as well, so I'm used to playing team competition," said Arevalo after the win. "This is what I really love. This is really big for me. I've been preparing for this for two or three months. I'm happy to be here and hopefully we can have a great season."

The Salvadorian outplayed Sock, from start to finish, winning both deciding points in the first set, which was men's singles. Arevalo kept the ball in play, putting pressure on Sock, who played it too close to the lines and made some costly unforced errors. He scored the critical service break he needed, at 2-2, and never let up, closing it at 5-3.

Men's doubles in the last set was even more thrilling. The teams traded holds to set up the decisive tiebreaker, but not without some drama. Monroe stepped up to serve with the Kastles down, 3-4. He fell behind 15-40, but fought off three match points to force the tiebreaker. Monroe then served last in the breaker, winning two points to seal the win.

"I felt really, really comfortable playing here," said Arevalo, who arrived in West Virginia six days before the match. "I got to practice a lot before our first match. The singles match, against Jack, was tough and I don't know how I was able to get the win. Then the whole team did its job and we got the W."

The match also featured the return of beloved Kastles Hall of Famer and two-time Kastles champion MVP Arina "Hot Rod" Rodionova, who paired up with new Kastle and Croatian world #60 Bernarda Pera for a critical win over former singles world #1 and six-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters and WTT veteran and former world doubles #1 Kveta Peschke.

While Pera fell to Clijsters in singles, 5-2, in the second set, and Rodionova, partnering with Arevalo, surrendered the third in a tiebreak at the hands of Skupski and Peschke, 5-4(2), the pair were clutch in women's doubles.

Rodionova and Pera had little margin for error when they took the court for the first time together after half-time. Washington trailed, 11-13. But the pair rose to the occasion. After two missed opportunities to break the Empire and tie the match in the fourth game, they reeled off successive holds and closed out the set on Peschke's serve, 5-3, to hand Arevalo and Monroe a level, 16-16, match heading into the final set of the night.

"It's tough to describe the emotions right now. I think the team is pretty excited," said Arevalo. "It's my first time playing in World TeamTennis and what a way to open the season for me and for the Kastles."




Images from this story

Washington Kastles Marcelo Arevalo and Nick Monroe battle the New York Empire
Washington Kastles Marcelo Arevalo and Nick Monroe battle the New York Empire
(World TeamTennis)		 Marcelo Arevalo of the Washington Kastles
Marcelo Arevalo of the Washington Kastles
(World TeamTennis)		 Washington Kastles in action
Washington Kastles in action
(World TeamTennis)

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