WTT New York Empire

New York Empire Thunders Past Orlando Storm, 22-18, and Strengthens Position for a World TeamTennis Playoff Berth

July 27, 2019 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
New York Empire News Release


LAKE NONA, Fla. - The New York Empire presented by Citi received vital singles contributions from second-year WTT player Kirsten Flipkens and WTT rookie Ulises Blanch in downing Alison Riske and the host Orlando Storm, 22-18, on Saturday at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Campus.

The Empire remains tied for third place in World TeamTennis with San Diego with a record of 6-5. Saturday's triumph gave the Empire a two-game cushion over expansion Orlando (4-7) as it distanced itself further from another potential playoff pursuer. The WTT Playoffs are contested among WTT's top four teams from the regular season Aug. 2-3 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

With Orange County (Calif.) immediately behind the Empire and San Diego in fifth place, and holding the tiebreaker edge over the Empire should both teams finish the regular season with identical records, the Empire's playoff run has kicked into full throttle as it is set to navigate the toughest final-week stretch run of any team in WTT.

The Empire's final three matches of the regular season begin Monday with a home match against reigning WTT champion and second-place Springfield (Mo.), followed by a home-and-home series against league-leading Philadelphia on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The match opened with men's doubles and the resumption of the sibling rivalry of England's Skupski brothers. The Empire's Neal Skupski and Blanch beat Orlando's Ken Skupski and Evan King, 5-4, when the teams met six days ago, but the hosts rebounded to win 5-3 on Saturday. The set remained on serve into the eighth game when Neal, the younger Skupski, double-faulted, rolled a forehand into the net and double-faulted again on deuce (no-ad scoring) to gift Orlando the set on its only break point opportunity. The Empire, 0-for-5 on break point chances in the set, squandered a 40-0 lead on Ken Skupski's service game as Orlando stormed back with four consecutive points to lead 3-2.

Blanch bounced back in the second set with his first men's singles victory in his last six matches for the Empire, defeating King 5-2. Blanch found his groove on the forehand side, overpowering King with countless winners to the ad court, won the first three games and polished off the set with an ace while holding his serve at love.

The Empire took to the court after two sets with its best asset, and WTT's best mixed doubles team, in 2019 Australian Open mixed doubles semifinalists Neal Skupski and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. However, the Storm raised its level and Ken Skupski one-upped his brother again by teaming with Darija Jurak to hand Neal Skupski-Martinez Sanchez just their third set loss in nine matches this season, 5-4 (5-2 in the nine-point tiebreaker). Neal Skupski-Martinez Sanchez saved five break points over their first two service games and the set remained on serve into the tiebreaker. The Storm duo won the last three points of the tiebreak as Ken Skupski's volley down the middle clinched the set and leveled the match, 12-12.

The fourth set - women's doubles - served as the 2019 WTT introduction for Orlando's Franchise player, Riske (No. 37 WTA Rankings). The American reached her first Grand Slam singles quarterfinal at Wimbledon earlier in July before losing in three sets to Serena Williams, and then got married last weekend. However, the night felt far from a honeymoon for Riske as the Empire's Martinez Sanchez and Flipkens broke both of Riske's service games and won both tiebreaker points on Riske's serve towards a 5-4 win. Flipkens was the steadiest performer in the set and saw out the set on her serve as the Empire won the final four points in a 5-1 tiebreaker.

In the concluding women's singles set, Flipkens sustained the pressure on Riske with consistent groundstrokes, keeping the ball in play and letting Riske make unforced errors. The Belgian broke Riske at deuce (no-ad scoring) out of the gate and served two consecutive aces to help her hold her ensuing service game on the way to a 5-2 trouncing. Flipkens is 6-4 in singles sets for the Empire this season, with two of those defeats coming to Venus Williams and Amanda Anisimova.

New York Empire at Orlando Storm - Box Score

MD MS MXD WD WS Total

New York Empire 3 5 4 5 5 22

Orlando Storm 5 2 5 4 2 18

Men's Doubles: King/K. Skupski (ORL) def. Blanch/N. Skupski (NYE), 5-3

Men's Singles: Blanch (NYE) def. King (ORL), 5-2

Mixed Doubles: Jurak/K. Skupski (ORL) def. Martinez Sanchez/N. Skupski (NYE), 5-4

Women's Doubles: Flipkens/Martinez Sanchez (NYE) def. Riske/Jurak (ORL), 5-4

Women's Singles: Flipkens (NYE) def. Riske (ORL), 5-2

The Empire return to the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in The Bronx for its final two home matches of the 2019 WTT season - Monday, July 29 at 7 p.m. ET against the Springfield (Mo.) Lasers, and Tuesday, July 30 at 6:30 p.m. ET against the Philadelphia Freedoms. Nine-year WTT veteran and United States Davis Cup captain Mardy Fish will bolster the Empire lineup as its Franchise player for both home matches.

For more information on the New York Empire, visit www.NYEmpireTennis.com or call the team office at (844) 5-EMPIRE (844-536-7473). For more information on World TeamTennis, visit www.WTT.com.



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