WTT New York Empire

New York Empire Wins Second Straight, Improves to 3-3

Published on July 20, 2019 under World TeamTennis (WTT)
New York Empire News Release


NEW YORK - The New York Empire presented by Citi visited the Washington Kastles tonight and won its second straight match beating Washington, 22-16, at Kastles Stadium at Union Market in Washington, D.C. The Empire improves to 3-3 while the Kastles fall to 0-5.

The Empire's Ulises Blanch faced the Kastles' Yoshihito Nishioka for the second consecutive night, but Nishioka turned the tables and tamed Blanch's fierce serves, controlling the set and winning, 5-2.

The Kastles' Marta Kostyuk took the 5-2 lead into the second set against the Empire's Kirsten Flipkens and while up, 4-3, serving for set point, could not close it out as Flipkens crawled back to force a nine-point tiebreaker. Flipkens' momentum proved too much as she took the tiebreaker to win the set, 5-4, closing the gap by two as the Empire trailed the Kastles, 9-7, entering the mixed doubles set.

The Empire's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Neal Skupski took over right where Flipkens left off and didn't look back as the duo rolled through the mixed doubles set yet again, this time winning, 5-1, and giving the Empire its first lead of the night, 12-10.

Flipkens and Martinez Sanchez jumped out to a 2-0 lead in women's doubles action and it appeared the Empire would run away with the fourth set, however, the Kastles' Christian and Kostyuk pumped the breaks sneaking up on the Empire, 3-2. The Empire then took control of the next two games winning the set, 5-2, giving themselves a five-point cushion heading into the final set.

After a nearly 45-minute rain delay interrupted play in the final set, the two teams returned to the court and the Kastles were not about to let the Empire steal the match. The Kastles duo of Monroe and Bruno Soares forced the second tiebreaker of the evening, knotting the set at 4-4. The tiebreaker went to 1-1, before the Empire's Blanch and Skupski rattled off five straight points to win the nine-point tiebreaker and set, 5-4, claiming New York's third win of the season, 22-16.

New York Empire at Washington Kastles - Box Score

MS WS MXD WD MD Total

New York Empire 2 5 5 5 5 22

Washington Kastles 5 4 1 2 4 16

Men's Singles: Nishioka (WAS) def. Blanch (NYE), 5-2

Women's Singles: Flipkens (NYE) def. Kostyuk (WAS), 5-4

Mixed Doubles: Skupski/Martinez Sanchez (NYE) def. Nick Monroe/Kaitlyn Christian (WAS), 5-1

Women's Doubles: Flipkens/Martinez Sanchez (NYE) def. Christian/Kostyuk (WAS), 5-2

Men's Doubles: Blanch/Skupski (NYE) def. Monroe/Bruno Soares (WAS), 5-4

The Empire hosts the Orlando Storm at Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in The Bronx on Sunday at 7 p.m. before beginning its west swing to face the Vegas Rollers on Tuesday, Orange County (Calif.) Breakers on Wednesday and San Diego Aviators on Thursday, July 23, 24 and 25, respectively.

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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