WTT Washington Kastles

Kastles vs. Lobsters Preview: Battle for 1st Place in East; Freedoms Edge Kastles 18-16 in Philly

July 21, 2015 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


The Eastern Conference lead is on the line at Kastles Stadium tonight as the four-time reigning Mylan WTT Champion Kastles host the surprising Boston Lobsters.

Tickets are sold out, but don't miss a moment of the action live on Tennis Channel and ESPN3.com.

After going 1-13 in 2014, the 4-3 Lobsters have a winning record halfway through 2015. They are battling the 4-3 Kastles for potential home court advantage in the Eastern Conference Championship match.

As a reminder, Serena Williams is injured and unable to play tonight's match. She is being replaced in the Kastles' lineup by World No. 39 Madison Brengle.

Also representing the Kastles are 16-time Grand Slam doubles champion Leander Paes, 34th-ranked Sam Querrey and Top 25 doubles player Anastasia Rodionova.

Fans attending tonight's Kastles match can choose from one of the following special offers:

* $10 credit at food concessions

* 50% off Kastles gear up to a $50 purchase

* Free Grandstand ticket to a Kastles match on July 26, 27 or 29

Fans will receive a voucher upon entry to Kastles Stadium that they will then be asked to turn in when redeeming one of the special offers.

The $10 credit at food concessions is good towards anything on the menu. There will be three combos specially priced for the evening at $10 that include a soda, bottled water or sports drink:

* Beef & Bleu Cheese Wrap and Drink Choice

* Kastle Dog, Waffle Fries and Drink Choice

* Roasted Pepper Hummus & Spicy Feta Dip Platter and Drink Choice

SET-BY-SET PROJECTIONS

MS - S. Querrey (WAS) vs. T. Smyczek (BOS)

Querrey and Tim Smyczek, who were born less than three months apart, have met four times on tour. The new Kastle holds the head-to-head advantage 3-1. But Mylan WTT has a way of making statistics meaningless. The 75th-ranked Smyczek has only played one team tennis match before, and ironically it was against the Kastles. Representing the Texas Wild, Smyczek lost singles 5-4 and doubles 5-2 on July 16, 2014.

WS - M. Brengle (WAS) vs. I. Falconi (BOS)

Coming into the 2015 tennis season, Brengle and Irina Falconi were even at two wins each in their rivalry. Brengle must be doing something right this year because she beat Falconi 6-2, 6-0 at Brisbane, 6-1, 6-3 at the Australian Open, and 5-3 in the Kastles' season opener on July 12. The 5-foot-4 Brengle and 5-foot-4 Falconi have to play tennis the hard way, so expect extended rallies when they meet again tonight.

MD - L. Paes/S. Querrey (WAS) vs. S. Lipsky/T. Smyczek (BOS)

Smyczek was unfamiliar with his 2014 partner Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and the same holds true this season. Substituting for the injured Chase Buchanan, Smyczek will pair for the first time with Scott Lipsky tonight. Paes and Querrey were in the same boat on Monday in Philadelphia, where they extended World No. 3 doubles player Marcelo Melo and Robby Ginepri to a tiebreaker, which they ultimately lost.

WD - M. Brengle/A. Rodionova (WAS) vs. I. Falconi/M. Sanchez (BOS)

While Lipsky and Smyczek have no prior experience as partners, Falconi and substitute Maria Sanchez sure do. The Americans have played 18 tournaments as a doubles team dating back to 2010, including Wimbledon and the US Open. They are five-time finalists on the ITF Women's Circuit. Brengle and Rodionova may not have the same tour-level experience, but they have won their last two Mylan WTT sets together 5-1.

MXD - L. Paes/A. Rodionova (WAS) vs. S. Lipsky/I. Falconi (BOS)

Lipsky and Arantxa Parra Santonja were playing well earlier this season, but the Spaniard is injured and unable to go this evening. That gives Lobsters coach Jan-Michael Gambill an option of playing Falconi or Sanchez in mixed doubles. It also gives Paes and Rodionova a great opportunity to end their four-set losing streak before Martina Hingis joins the Kastles Thursday for a rematch with Boston on the road.

Freedoms Prevent Sweep by Beating Kastles 18-16

Querrey Makes Winning Debut Before Freedoms Rally in Final Set

After defeating the Philadelphia Freedoms 21-20 on Friday and 23-6 on Saturday, the Kastles came close to sweeping their rivals in the Eastern Conference.

But the Freedoms staged a fifth-set rally Monday to knock Washington off 18-16 and create a first-place tie in the Eastern Conference standings. Both the Kastles and the Boston Lobsters are 4-3, while the Freedoms are 2-6.

World No. 34 Sam Querrey made a successful Kastles debut in the opening set, breaking Robby Ginepri twice en route to a 5-2 win in men's singles. But as would prove true the entire night, the Kastles could not maintain any momentum.

After routing Taylor Townsend 5-0 on Saturday, Madison Brengle lost to the 19-year-old 5-1 in the second set on Monday. Townsend changed her strategy and significantly raised her level to post her best singles result of the season.

That gave the Freedoms a 7-6 lead, which they extended to 12-10 when Ginepri and French Open doubles champion Marcelo Melo edged Querrey and Leander Paes 5-4.

A spectacular performance by Anastasia Rodionova allowed Washington to regain the advantage 15-13. Rodionova and Brengle overpowered Townsend and World No. 10 doubles player Abigail Spears 5-1.

However, the struggles of Rodionova and Paes in mixed doubles continued when the Kastles could least afford it.

With Rodionova serving at 1-2 in the set and 2-2 in the game, Paes poached for a down-the-line shot, but Townsend instead hit cross court for a winner into a wide-open area.

That gave the Freedoms a break point, which they converted when Melo blocked back an overhead by Rodionova to force the Aussie into an error.

The Kastles countered with two break points in the following game -- both of which they lost when Paes missed forehands long.

The Freedoms led 17-16 in the match and 4-1 in the set when Paes served to keep the Kastles' hopes alive. On a 3-all deciding point, Melo cranked a second-serve return down-the-line and off of Rodionova's outstretched racquet, drawing the decisive error.

Philadelphia Freedoms def. Washington Kastles 18-16

Men's Singles - Sam Querrey (Kastles) def. Robby Ginepri (Freedoms) 5-2

Women's Singles - Taylor Townsend (Freedoms) def. Madison Brengle (Kastles) 5-1

Men's Doubles - Robby GinepriMarcelo Melo (Freedoms) def. Sam QuerreyLeander Paes (Kastles) 5-4

Women's Doubles - Madison BrengleAnastasia Rodionova (Kastles) def. Abigail SpearsTaylor Townsend (Freedoms) 5-1

Mixed Doubles - Marcelo MeloTaylor Townsend (Freedoms) def. Anastasia RodionovaLeander Paes (Kastles) 5-1



World TeamTennis Stories from July 21, 2015


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