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WTT Washington Kastles

Kastles Face Freedoms Tonight After Crushing Roddick's Aces 25-10

July 13, 2014 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


After losing to the Kastles by 15 games on Thursday night, the Philadelphia Freedoms better have short-term memories.

The same two teams meet in the same Smith Center at 7 pm on USTA Family Night, when fun activities for kids are followed by an Eastern Conference grudge match.

In their first of four meetings this season, Washington swept all five sets from Philadelphia in surprising fashion, dominating a world-class roster that includes seventh-ranked men's doubles player Marcelo Melo, seven-time Grand Slam champion Liezel Huber and Top 100 singles player Frank Dancevic.

The most eye-opening result came in women's singles, with Hall-of-Famer Martina Hingis trouncing Taylor Townsend 5-0. Earlier this spring, the 18-year-old Townsend won back-to-back USTA Pro Circuit titles to earn a wild card at the French Open, where she reached the third round by beating No. 20 seed Alize Cornet.

Philadelphia got off the mat on Saturday night with a convincing 25-11 road rout of the Austin Aces, so the Freedoms' confidence when they arrive in D.C. today will be higher than when they left.

One slight wrinkle tonight will be the absence of Kevin Anderson, who defeated Dancevic 5-2 in men's singles on Thursday. Kastles closer Bobby Reynolds is serving as Washington's singles player for the remainder of the season.

Premium seats are nearly sold out, so act now on tables, boxes and the best baseline views in tennis by calling 202-4-TENNIS (483-6647). Great tickets are also available on Ticketmaster.com starting at only $8.

Please visit WashingtonKastles.com for driving and Metro directions to the Smith Center (600 22nd Street NW), including a full list of available parking garages. If you can't be in attendance tonight, the Kastles website will feature live scoring beginning at 7 pm .

SPECIAL NOTE FROM THE KASTLES

As part of USTA Family Night, the Kastles will host an outdoor fan fest beginning at 5 pm featuring face painters, glitter tattoo artists, QuickStart kids tennis courts, fastest-serve contest s and music/giveaways from 94.7 Fresh FM.

Stay tuned to the Kastles' Facebook and Twitter pages for more fan fest updates regarding future matches.

SET-BY-SET PROJECTIONS

MS - B. Reynolds (WAS) vs. F. Dancevic (PHL)

Reynolds steps into singles tonight against a man he knows very well. From Challengers to Grand Slams, the Kastles closer and Dancevic have met 13 times as pros. Reynolds leads his head-to-head with the Canadian 7-6, but he lost their most recent meeting in qualifying at the 2014 Australian Open. With Dancevic in his rookie WTT season, however, Reynolds will boast a clear edge in experience tonight.

WS - M. Hingis (WAS) vs. T. Townsend (PHL)

It's easy to forget that Townsend is still 18 years old, and her two wins at the French Open were just the third and fourth WTA victories of her short career. That's 544 wins shy of Hingis, who was the World No. 1 in singles as a 16-year-old and doubles as a 17-year-old. Townsend will be a great player; there is no doubt. But tonight, she will need to be greater than great to erase the bitter taste from Thursday's shutout.

MD - L. Paes/B. Reynolds (WAS) vs. F. Dancevic/M. Melo (PHL)

Leander Paes and Bobby Reynolds defeated Dancevic and Melo 5-3 on Thursday in a hotly-contested men's doubles set. After seven straight holds, the Kastles broke the Brazilian Melo to clinch the win. Paes and Reynolds are off to their best start in five WTT seasons as doubles partners. The Kastles duo is 5-0 in 2014 and 43-15 overall. In their first season together, Dancevic and Melo are 2-3.

WD - M. Hingis/A. Rodionova (WAS) vs. L. Huber/T. Townsend (PHL)

If Townsend is a player on the rise, Huber is a falling star. The 2011 WTT Female MVP was the No. 1 women's doubles player in the world as recently as September 2012. But she hasn't won a WTA doubles title in nearly two years and is down to No. 28 in this week's rankings. Huber and Townsend have yet to mesh this season (1-4), while Hingis and Rodionova have won 10 of their last 11 WTT sets overall.

MXD - L. Paes/M. Hingis (WAS) vs. M. Melo/L. Huber (PHL)

When Hingis, Paes, Huber and Melo met on Thursday, the Freedoms' mixed doubles team actually won more points than the Kastles' (23 to 22). So how did Paes and Hingis win 5-3? By sweeping all three of the 3-all deciding points. Twice during the set, Hingis won game points by passing the World No. 7 Melo. Expect Melo to bring the heat right back at Hingis, who has proven up to any challenge this season.

KEY FOR THE KASTLES - FORGET ABOUT THURSDAY TOO

Sports are peculiar. You can beat the daylights out of somebody one day, enter the rematch with limitless momentum and get the wind knocked out of you in a flash.

It happened to the 2010 New England Patriots, who blasted the New York Jets 45-3 on Monday Night Football, then suffered a stunning home loss to their AFC East rivals one month later in the NFL Playoffs.

It happened to the 2013-14 Brooklyn Nets, who went 4-0 against the Miami Heat during the NBA regular season, but 1-4 when it mattered during the postseason.

It can happen to the 2014 Washington Kastles too, with the Freedoms getting three more cracks at knocking off the Kastles.

Tonight, Philadelphia returns to the Smith Center with a better feel for the court below them and the opponents against them. Beaten by 15, the weight of expectation will be lifted off the Freedoms' shoulders tonight.

If forgetting Thursday's match is important for Philadelphia, it may be just as important for Washington. The Kastles will need to match the Freedoms' intensity and adjust on the fly if Philadelphia throws different doubles formations and singles tactics at them.

Expect the unexpected and get your tickets now for as little as $8 on Ticketmaster.com.

Can Kastles Be Stopped? Champs Win Again 25-10

Washington Routs Roddick, Zvonareva and Aces for 17th Straight Win

One year to the day since suffering their last loss, the Washington Kastles inched halfway to history again, beating the talented and motivated Austin Aces 25-10 for their 17th consecutive victory.

After setting a major U.S. pro sports record with 34 straight wins, Washington was defeated by the Texas Wild on July 10, 2013, and Springfield Lasers on July 11, 2013.

It's been smooth sailing ever since for the Kastles, including a convincing win Friday against former World No. 1 Andy Roddick, former World No. 2 Vera Zvonareva and the first-year Aces. Washington went 8 for 9 on 3-all deciding points during the match.

Representing his hometown team, Roddick played the first two sets in an effort to build an early lead and get the Austin fans excited.

But after losing to Bobby Reynolds 5-3, Roddick teamed with Treat Huey and fell to Reynolds and Leander Paes 5-4, taking the Aces' crowd and roster out of the match entirely.

Washington went on to win each of the final three sets 5-1, capped by a comprehensive singles victory by Martina Hingis over Zvonareva that left everyone in attendance in awe. Hingis has now won her three singles sets this season 5-0, 5-0 and 5-1, and the Swiss has a combined 9-0 record in singles, doubles and mixed.

Impressive numbers abound when it comes to the Kastles, who have won 18 straight sets and 23 of 25 in 2014. Hingis and Paes have a two-year record of 11-0 in mixed doubles, while Paes and Reynolds are a perfect 5-0 in men's doubles this season.

Reynolds is undefeated in singles too, with a 3-0 mark after beating his fellow American Roddick. The countrymen and good friends had never played as professionals until Friday.

After holding easily and changing sides at 2-2, Roddick and Reynolds picked up their intensity. The Kastles closer reached 3-all on Roddick's serve but missed a lob long -- the only deciding point that Washington would lose all night.

Reynolds shook that off, held for 3-3, and earned another break point in Roddick's next service game. As he was prone to do for over a decade on the ATP World Tour, Roddick unloaded on a flat first serve down the tee. But Reynolds was ready, returned his forehand near the baseline, engaged in a rally, and drew a backhand error from Roddick.

Visibly frustrated in front of friends and fellow Austin natives, Roddick smacked his racquet on the very court that he helped build. Reynolds, meanwhile, served out the set with ease, giving Washington the early 5-3 advantage.

A shot-maker's dream followed in men's doubles as Reynolds and Paes squared off with Roddick and 2012 Kastles substitute Treat Huey.

Paes made a between-the-legs tweener, Huey hit an ace off the net cord and Roddick dove head-first for a forehand.

Both teams laid it all on the line, but when the points mattered most, it was the Kastles who rose to the occasion.

Reynolds won a 3-all deciding point to start the set with a hold, then Paes saved two break points of his own two games later.

The most important point of all came at 4-4 in the set and 4-4 in a tiebreaker -- a winner-take-all moment in which either the Kastles would take a 10-7 lead or the Aces would cut their deficit to 9-8.

As they were throughout the night, the Kastles were impervious to pressure. Paes aggressively returned Huey's serve, rushed the net and took a huge swing at a backhand volley, which Huey was powerless to get back.

That single point swung momentum completely in the Kastles' favor as Roddick's crowd, teammates, and even Roddick, himself, lost the will to support their squad the way they did during the first two sets.

It showed on the court too, beginning with the mixed doubles set that Paes and Hingis have owned in their two seasons as partners.

The Kastles played their part, saving two break points in Hingis' only service game when Paes hit a volley winner and the Swiss star hit an ace.

But Huey had a hand in the outcome too, landing only 33% of his first serves. Huey was broken in both of his service games as the Kastles cruised to a 5-1 win and turned a close match into another beat-down.

Now leading 15-8 overall, the Kastles sent out Hingis and Anastasia Rodionova for a set that Washington hasn't lost all season: women's doubles.

With 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli sidelined due to an illness, Austin inserted 6-foot-3 Eva Hrdinova to play alongside Zvonareva. Size aside, Hrdinova was unable to impose her game on the experienced pair of Hingis and Rodionova, who played aggressively and ran away with their sixth set in a row.

Even with a lopsided overall match score, there was a lot of anticipation for the last set of the night pitting the former World No. 1 Hingis against the former World No. 2 Zvonareva, who is hot on her comeback trail from a shoulder injury. Hingis and Zvonareva played doubles together at Wimbledon, where the Russian advanced to the third round of singles before losing a tough three-setter.

Coming into their singles set on Friday, Hingis and Zvonareva were the No. 1 and No. 2 women's singles players in the league respectively. Among Zvonareva's three wins were a pair of victories over World No. 34 Daniela Hantuchova.

From the outset, there was a lot of intensity and nerves from both players. Hingis broke Zvonareva in the first game, moving her opponent all over the court and capitalizing on two double faults.

But Zvonareva broke back and went up 2-0 in the third game by increasing the pace and consistency of her shots. As Kastles fans have now seen her do so many times, Hingis answered her opponent and raised her own game, hitting deeper and more powerful shots to reach another pivotal point at 3-all in the third game.

Hingis took control of this critical rally from the start. She hit a down-the-line forehand to move Zvonareva wide to her backhand, a down-the-line backhand to reel her back like a yo-yo, then a crosscourt backhand that the Russian was helpless to retrieve.

After Hingis held at love to take a 3-1 lead, Zvonareva led 3-0 in her next service game. But every point counts in Mylan World TeamTennis, so Hingis battled her way back, winning four straight points and breaking Zvonareva with a sensational drop shot winner.

Now ahead 4-1, Hingis served out the set and the match, but not before hitting a sensational down-the-line backhand winner on the run that impressed the Aces bench and drew roars from what once was a partisan Aces audience. With the way Hingis and the Kastles are playing, Washington's support is growing stronger with each passing win.

The Kastles return to the Smith Center tonight for a rematch with the Philadelphia Freedoms, whom they routed 25-10 on Thursday night. Great seats are still available starting at $8 on Ticketmaster.com.

Washington Kastles 25, Austin Aces 10

Men's Singles: Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Andy Roddick (Aces) 5-3

Men's Doubles: Leander Paes/Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Treat Huey/Andy Roddick (Aces) 5-4

Mixed Doubles: Leander Paes/Martina Hingis (Kastles) def. Treat Huey/Vera Zvonareva (Aces) 5-1

Women's Doubles: Martina Hingis/Anastasia Rodionova (Kastles) def. Eva Hrdinova/Vera Zvonareva (Aces) 5-1

Women's Singles: Martina Hingis (Kastles) def. Vera Zvonareva (Aces) 5-1

3 Exciting Home Matches Coming Up This Week

Venus (7/16), Hantuchova (7/14), Hingis (7/13-7/22) to Play in D.C.

Kastles Stadium at the Smith Center was rocking July 9-10, and the excitement is only building this week as the Kastles continue their quest for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Tonight, 18-year-old Taylor Townsend and the Philadelphia Freedoms return to Washington after being dismantled 25-10 on Thursday. Will the Freedoms crack the Kastles' code or will Washington keep extend its 17-match and 18-set win streaks?

On Monday, World No. 34 Daniela Hantuchova and University of Virginia legend Somdev Devvarman lead the San Diego Aviators into D.C. Former doubles partners Hantuchova and Martina Hingis go head to head; you won't want to miss it!

On Wednesday, Venus Williams returns for her first Kastles match since 2012. Very few tickets remain to see Venus team with Hingis for the first time ever as Washington goes head-to-head with the Western Conference-leading Texas Wild (4-2).

It's still early, but the 2014 Kastles could be the most dominant team in franchise history -- including the 2011 and 2012 squads that went undefeated.

Don't miss your chance to see history in the making this week at the Smith Center! Great seats start at $8 on Ticketmaster.com. Premium seats are nearly sold out, so act now on tables, boxes and the best baseline views in tennis by calling 202-4-TENNIS (483-6647).



World TeamTennis Stories from July 13, 2014


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