WTT Washington Kastles

Kastles Players Off to a Great Start at Wimbledon

Published on June 22, 2010 under World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


It's so far, so good for members of the Washington Kastles playing at Wimbledon.

With Queen Elizabeth II in attendance, top-seeded Serena Williams used her powerful serve to cruise Tuesday to a 6-0, 6-4 win over 17-year-old Michelle Larcher De Brito (POR). The defending champion pounded 47 winners to just 15 unforced errors, and did not drop a single point on her first serve. She recorded 15 aces, including one on match point.

Serena is now 43-0 in opening matches at Grand Slams.

In her second round match, Serena will play Anna Chakvetadze (RUS), who was once ranked as high as fifth in the world. Serena will appear with the Kastles in Washington on July 14.

Serena's sister, Venus, also had an easy time in her opening round match at Wimbledon, beating Rossana De Los Rios (PAR), 6-3, 6-2 on Monday. The second seed served aggressively, recording 6 aces, with her first serve topping out at 123 miles per hour. Venus Williams is seeking her sixth Wimbledon title. She'll face Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) in the second round.

Venus will make her debut as a member of the Kastles against the New York Buzz on July 7.

Serena and Venus together Tuesday won their opening round match in doubles, recording a smooth 6-4, 6-2 victory over Julie Ditty (USA) and Renata Voracova (CZE). The Williams sisters are the top-seeded doubles team and are seeking their third straight Wimbledon title and fifth Grand Slam win in a row.

Kastles' doubles specialist Rennae Stubbs is also clear through to the second round in London. The popular Aussie partnered with Lisa Raymond (USA) as the seventh-seeded team to secure a tough first-round win, topping Polona Hercog (SLO) and Petra Martic (CRO) 7-6, 4-6, 6-4.

Reigning WTT Men's MVP Leander Paes will be in action later this week. He and partner Lukas Dlouhy enter as the third-seeded men's doubles team, and open with a match against Mischa Zverev (GER) and Rik De Voest (RSA), a member of the WTT's Springfield Lasers.

New Washington Kastles member Bobby Reynolds is also competing in doubles this week. He and partner Marco Chiudenelli (SUI) open with a tough match against Bob and Mike Bryan, the 2006 Wimbledon men's doubles champs and members of the WTT's Kansas City Explorers. The Bryan brothers are the second seeded team at Wimbledon and are seeking their ninth Grand Slam men's doubles title.

Murphy Touts Kastles Championship as Leading D.C. Sports Resurgence

Kastles won last season and turned things around," Jensen told the popular D.C. Sports Bog. "The other stuff, it's great. I think it's wonderful that the other teams are trying to get an organization that runs at the height and the talent pool of the Kastles."

Since the Kastles championship run, other teams in Washington have generated new excitement. The Capitals ran to the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards are in line to draft top NBA prospect John Wall. The Nationals have seen the sparkling debut of pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg, and the Redskins brought in new coach Mike Shanahan and quarterback Donovan McNabb.

"We've set the standard for the other sports teams in D.C.," Jensen said. "We're not getting lost in the shuffle, because we have the opportunity to carry our cup around. They have to talk about rebuilding and the future, but it's all about the present with the Washington Kastles."

Jensen went on to tout the success of Serena and Venus Williams, who will both be members of the Kastles this season. He put them on par with Capitals' star Alex Ovechkin and said they "surpass McNabb."

"They're ridiculous," he said. "Because it doesn't get the acclaim of football or basketball in America, that doesn't mean we don't have some of the biggest stars in the world playing, and playing in D.C."

For the full account of Jensen's interview with the Post, go to:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2010/06/the_kastles_and_dcs_sporting_r.html#more

Stubbs, Paes Enter Wimbledon Looking Strong

Washington Kastles fans already know that Rennae Stubbs is tough as nails. But she surprised even herself over the weekend by pairing with Lisa Raymond (USA) to win the Aegon International doubles title in Eastbourne, England, less than a month after breaking her finger at the French Open.

Stubbs and Raymond outlasted Kveta Peschke (CZE) and Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) by winning a third set match tiebreak 13-11 after splitting the first two sets, 6-2, 2-6.

Stubbs had not won a tournament since 2008, but she and Raymond now enter Wimbledon as the seventh seed in the women's doubles bracket.

"I'm just stoked," Stubbs told the WTA Tour Web site. "It's been a while since I last won a title and there were moments today when I was a little nervous but Lisa kept me in it. Bottom line, it's just nice to feel that feeling again and to do it for my best friend."

Stubbs will join the Kastles this July for the second consecutive year. A long-time WTT player and a four-time member of a Championship squad, she won the league's women's MVP award in 2008.

Fellow Kastles player and doubles specialist Leander Paes is also entering Wimbledon on a strong note. The reigning 2009 WTT Men's MVP partnered with Lukas Dlouhy (CZE) to reach the finals of the UNICEF Open in the Netherlands. The pair, who enter Wimbledon as the third-seeded men's doubles team, lost a tough 6-1, 5-7 (7-10) match to Robert Lindsedt (SWE) and Horia Tecau (ROM) in the finals.

Paes is going after his second Wimbledon men's doubles title and first since 1999. Paes and Dlouhy were the runners-up at the French Open last month.

Williams Sisters Going For History

With all of the individual titles that Washington Kastles' stars Serena and Venus Williams have earned, it's easy to forget about their dominance as a doubles tandem. But the sisters enter Wimbledon on a historic roll, and by year's end could easily go down as one of the elite doubles teams in history.

After winning the French Open last month, the Williams sisters moved to fourth all-time in Grand Slam women's doubles titles, with 12. The sisters currently hold all four majors simultaneously--something done just twice before--and have a chance to become just the second women's doubles team to win a calendar Grand Slam.

Only the team of Martina Navratilova (USA) and Pam Shriver (USA), who won eight straight major titles between 1983 Wimbledon and the 1985 French Open, can boast of winning all four majors in the same year. (Other individual players have won four doubles majors in the same year, but used different partners.)

Natasha Zvereva (BLR) and Gigi Fernandez (USA) won six straight major titles between 1992 and 1993, but never won four in the same year. The Williams sisters trail only Zvereva and Fernandez and Navratilova and Shriver for most consecutive Grand Slam wins.

Perhaps most remarkably, the Williams sisters have never lost in a Grand Slam doubles final, holding a 12-0 record in major championship matches. They have won each of their last six Grand Slam titles in straight sets.

Buy Tickets Now For Kastles Opening Week Celebration

The Washington Kastles will open their season and celebrate their 2009 World TeamTennis Championship with back-to-back matches on July 6 and 7. The exciting two days of tennis action will include special ceremonies and appearances by two of the most decorated players of all time, Venus Williams and Martina Hingis.

The Kastles will host the Philadelphia Freedoms on July 6 for the first match at Kastles Stadium since the dramatic championship win last summer. Fans will see the return of 2009 WTT Men's MVP Leander Paes and fellow doubles dynamo Rennae Stubbs, who will both be fresh off their experiences at Wimbledon. The always enthusiastic Murphy Jensen will be back to coach.

Buy your tickets now and plan to come early for a special ceremony to honor the Kastles' WTT title!

To help celebrate the 2009 WTT win, the Kastles are inviting champions from all local tennis leagues and tournaments. If you were a tennis league or tournament champion in the last year, call the Kastles at 202-4-TENNIS to find out how you can be involved in this special evening. League winners will have their name announced on the public address system at Kastles Stadium and all winning captains will be honored on court before the match.

On July 7, the Kastles will present championship rings to Jensen, Paes and Stubbs before their match against the New York Buzz. It promises to be an exciting night, with world number two Venus Williams in her first appearance as a new member of the Kastles. Williams is expected to face off against Martina Hingis, a 14-time Grand Slam champion and member of the visiting Buzz.

As an added bonus for fans on July 7, everyone in attendance will receive a free 2009 WTT Championship t-shirt, presented by GEICO.

Hingis and Venus Williams have played 21 times in their careers, with Hingis holding a 11-10 edge. They last played in 2006 at the semifinals in Rome, with Hingis edging Williams in three sets.

Venus Williams is well on her way to a Hall of Fame career, with a total of 21 Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. She and her sister and Kastles teammate, Serena, are the top-ranked doubles team in the world, and Venus herself is currently pursuing her sixth Wimbledon singles title.

Hingis, meanwhile, is attempting a second comeback to professional tennis after spending the last two years in retirement. The 29-year-old was one of the best players on the WTA Tour in the late 1990s, winning three of four majors in 1997 and securing nine Grand Slam doubles titles between 1997 and 2002. Known for her creative all-court game, Hingis previously played World TeamTennis in 2005 after a previous two-year hiatus from the sport.

Reserve your seats at Kastles Stadium now for these two great nights of tennis and celebration! For tickets, call 202-4-TENNIS (202-483-6647).

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