WTT Washington Kastles

Last Home Match Today at 5PM

Published on July 28, 2018 under World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


Robert Lindstedt of the Washington Kastles
Robert Lindstedt of the Washington Kastles
(Washington Kastles, Credit: Camerawork USA)

Tonight, the Washington Kastles face the 1st place Philadelphia Freedoms in their last home match of the 2018 World TeamTennis regular season. The Kastles fell to the Freedoms last night in Chicago 23-18, but still remain in 2nd place in the WTT standings. Washington will look to get even tonight, when world #17 Naomi Osaka makes her WTT debut at Kastles Stadium. Get your chance to meet the rising star when she hosts an open fan meet and greet before the match at 4:30 pm in the Kastles Store to the right of the Stadium entrance!

Osaka is one of the most promising young stars in women's tennis. Born in Osaka, Japan, the 20-year-old phenom made headway last summer at the US Open, where she scored her first legitimate win over a top-10 player. This year, she built on the experience, reaching the round of 16 at the Australian Open. But Osaka totally stunned the tennis world this March when she blew through an A-list of champions, including Maria Sharapova, Agnieszka Radwanska, Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep, and Daria Kasatkina, to win the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, and beat Serena Williams the next week at the Miami Open!

In her first match as a Kastle, Osaka will face the strongest competition in WTT. In singles, she'll go up against WTT veteran Taylor Townsend. Returning for her fifth season of WTT, and fourth with the Freedoms, Townsend is the top player in the league in both women's singles and doubles. In singles, she hasn't lost a match all season.

In women's doubles, Osaka will pair up with Wimbledon women's doubles finalist Nicole Melichar and face Townsend again, along with Raquel Atawo, who is also no stranger to WTT. Returning for her sixth season of competition, Atawo previously played for the Boston Lobsters, Springfield Lasers, and was part of the Kastles 2012 championship team.

On the men's side, Robert Lindstedt will be the Kastles' backbone in mixed doubles. The 2014 Australian Open champ is currently the league leader in this event. Lindstedt will pair up with Melichar, the reigning Wimbledon mixed doubles champ, to face Townsend and ATP doubles star Fabrice Martin. Townsend and Martin are one of the toughest mixed doubles teams in WTT. Last season, they finished top of the ladder. But Lindstedt and Melichar are currently riding a 4 game winning streak, after defeating Townsend and Martin last night in Chicago, 5-4.

In men's doubles, Lindstedt and Tennys Sandgren will get a rematch against Martin and Kevin King. The Freedoms defeated the Kastles in this set last night in a close tiebreaker decided by a single point. At 4-3, the Kastles had two set points on Lindstedt's serve, but clutch returning and volleying from Martin and King denied Washington the win.

Sandgren will also get a rematch against King in men's singles. The All-Americans went toe-to-toe in the fifth set last night with big serves and forehands to close out the evening, but in the end, it was King who closed out Sandgren, capturing the final set, 5-3. Tonight, Sandgren will look to maximize his home court advantage and notch his first singles win of the season.

You don't want to miss this match! Tickets are selling out!

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Images from this story

World #17 Naomi Osaka headlines for the Washington Kastles tonight in DC
World #17 Naomi Osaka headlines for the Washington Kastles tonight in DC
(Camerawork USA)		 Nicole Melichar prepares to return a shot for the Washington Kastles
Nicole Melichar prepares to return a shot for the Washington Kastles
(Camerawork USA)		 Robert Lindstedt of the Washington Kastles
Robert Lindstedt of the Washington Kastles
(Camerawork USA)



World TeamTennis Stories from July 28, 2018


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