WTT Washington Kastles

Kastles Shock Freedoms 19-18, Welcome Serena Tonight

July 7, 2011 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


With the Washington Kastles trailing the host Philadelphia Freedoms 15-9 at halftime on Wednesday, Venus Williams raised her level and rallied her team to an improbable 19-18 comeback win in a nationally-televised match.

In the fourth set, Venus defeated Beatrice Capra 5-2 in women's singles to cut the Freedoms' lead to three. Then, Venus and Leander Paes punished winners past Lisa Raymond and Nathan Healey in the mixed doubles finale. One sensational shot followed another as the Kastles broke Raymond, and then Healey, to win the set and the match outright.

"She was down six games, came in and pulled our team together," Paes said of Venus. "She's such a great champion. No matter what the situation, she's looking to have fun on the court and she's awesome to play with."

The night began ominously for the Kastles when Philadelphia's Brendan Evans stunned 2010 Rookie of the Year Bobby Reynolds 5-2. In their four prior meetings on the ATP Challenger Tour, Evans had never won a set against his countryman.

Women's doubles followed, pitting longtime partners and three-time Grand Slam champions Rennae Stubbs and Lisa Raymond against one another. Raymond got the better of her old friend, teaming with Capra to defeat Stubbs and Venus 5-3, increasing the Freedoms' lead overall to 10-5.

In men's doubles, neither Reynolds and Paes, nor Evans and Healey, earned a break point until the eighth game. Serving on a deciding point, Paes blasted a service winner to force a tiebreak. But the Kastles were also unable to break serve in the tiebreaker, dropping the set 5-4(2) when Paes missed a backhand volley long.

Now down 15-9, the Kastles hopes of starting the season with two straight wins seemed slim. But Venus opened up a 3-0 lead in women's singles with a service winner out wide. Though Capra held in her next two service games, Venus cut the Kastles deficit in half by beating the 19-year-old American 5-2.

Though the Freedoms won the first game of mixed doubles, Venus and Paes quickly served notice that the match was anything but over. After Paes held for 1-1, the Kastles broke Raymond's serve and the Freedoms' spirit with a series of scintillating strokes.

First, Paes crushed a clean backhand return winner down the line. Then, Venus belted a forehand return right at Raymond's body to draw a volley error. On the third point of the game, Venus' swinging volley winner nearly nailed both Raymond and Healey. Washington secured a 2-1 advantage when Venus dipped a backhand return at Raymond's feet to force her volley into the net.

Venus held for 3-1 with help from her partner at the net -- Paes putting two overheads away before poaching for a backhand volley winner. One game later, the Kastles tied the match score at 18 when they broke Healey.

Washington hadn't led in the overall match score the entire night until Paes clinched the comeback win in style. The Indian hit overhead, service and volley winners before Venus put the finishing touches on the match with a smash past Healey.

"It felt good to be out there," said Venus. "In the first game, Leander just kind of blew it up. He hit some great shots, and I followed his lead. I don't know if we've lost yet together, actually, so this is a good idea maybe for the majors."

For highlights from Wednesday's remarkable Kastles' victory, visit CSNWashington.com .

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TONIGHT: Boston Lobsters @ KASTLES Preview

Boston Lobsters (1-1) at Washington Kastles (2-0)

Kastles Stadium at The Wharf

Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 7:00 pm

Tickets: SOLD OUT!

TV: Comcast SportsNet

Live Scoring: WashingtonKastles.com

Real-Time Analysis: Facebook, Twitter

Playing her first match in the United States since the 2009 US Open, Serena Williams will lead the Washington Kastles as they seek revenge against the Boston Lobsters tonight at 7 pm.

Washington lost both of its meetings with Boston in 2010, including a 24-15 defeat in the final match of the season that kept the Kastles out of the playoffs. With Serena on their side this season, the Kastles will hope to cement the early lead in the Eastern Conference standings by winning tonight's match.

Be sure to arrive early as Serena will receive her 2009 WTT Championship ring in an on-court ceremony before the match.

Comcast SportsNet will broadcast tonight's match at 7 pm, live scoring will be offered on WashingtonKastles.com , and real-time analysis from courtside is available on Facebook and Twitter . Thus far this season, the Kastles have come out on top in a pair of close contests, edging Kansas City 21-18 and Philadelphia 19-18. Boston defeated the New York Sportimes 25-16 at home, but fell to New York on the road 21-16.

PROJECTED MATCHUPS Women's Singles: Serena Williams (WAS) vs. CoCo Vandeweghe (BOS) Men's Singles: Bobby Reynolds (WAS) vs. Jan-Michael Gambill (BOS) Women's Doubles: S. Williams/Rennae Stubbs (WAS) vs. Vandeweghe/Mashona Washington (BOS) Men's Doubles: Reynolds/Leander Paes (WAS) vs. Gambill/Eric Butorac (BOS) Mixed Doubles: S. Williams/Paes (WAS) vs. Vandeweghe/Butorac (BOS) SET BY SET

Serena Williams will meet countrywoman CoCo Vandeweghe in her first singles match in America since her memorable 2009 US Open semifinal against Kim Clijsters. Now in her fourth season with Washington, Serena has a lot of ties to DC, including her partnership with the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center. Expect Serena to bring her best against Vandeweghe, a big-serving 19-year-old who is coming off a 5-2 loss to Martina Hingis of the New York Sportimes.

In men's singles, Bobby Reynolds of the Kastles will be tested by former world No. 14 Jan-Michael Gambill, who is playing his sixth straight season of World TeamTennis. Both times the Kastles and Lobsters met last season, Reynolds defeated Gambill in a tiebreaker. Reynolds hasn't had much rest lately, having played four WTT sets following nine matches last week at a Challenger in Winnetka, Illinois. But the 2010 WTT Rookie of the Year loves playing in front of big crowds like the one expected tonight.

Women's doubles has been a difficult set for the Kastles to conquer thus far this season. The team of Venus Williams and Rennae Stubbs won only four total games in back-to-back nights against Kansas City and Philadelphia. Stubbs will hope for better luck with Venus' sister Serena tonight. Boston will counter with Vandeweghe and Mashona Washington, who played for the Kastles in the team's inaugural season three years ago.

In men's doubles, Reynolds and Leander Paes hope to erase bitter memories of last season's finale in Boston, when they lost 5-0 to Gambill and Eric Butorac of the Lobsters. Since then, Butorac has blossomed into the No. 19 doubles player in the world, while Reynolds is also rising in the doubles rankings, having won four ATP Challenger titles this season.

Paes and Serena have won eight combined mixed doubles major titles, which should give the Kastles an advantage over Boston's duo of Butorac and Vandeweghe. But as the first two nights of the season have shown, sets aren't won on paper. They're won on court.

KEY FOR THE KASTLES - IT'S ALL ABOUT TONIGHT

The Kastles return home feeling great about the way they defied the odds to defeat the Philadelphia Freedoms on Wednesday night. But there's not much time to celebrate, with the Lobsters hoping to beat Washington and lock themselves in a tie with the Kastles atop the Eastern Conference.

It will be integral for Kastles' Coach Murphy Jensen to help his players forget about the Freedoms and look ahead to the Lobsters. At the same time, the Kastles will need to make adjustments from their last match against Boston in 2010, with Reynolds and Paes being counted on to right the wrongs in men's doubles.

Coach Jensen could also face a difficult decision if Washington falls behind in women's doubles for the third straight night. Kastles' rookie Arina Rodionova may be able to provide a boost off the bench.



World TeamTennis Stories from July 7, 2011


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