Sports stats



WTT New York Empire

Orange County Breaks the New York Empire, 22-16

July 29, 2018 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
New York Empire News Release


ORANGE COUNTY, CALIF. - The New York Empire visited Breakers Stadium at Palisades Tennis Club searching for the team's first win of the World TeamTennis presented by GEICO season, but came up short against the Orange County Breakers, 22-16.

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Tatjana Maria opened the match for the Empire against Orange County's Andreja Klepac and Yanina Wickmayer and immediately took the wind out of the Breakers' sails, winning the set, 5-3.

The tide turned, however, as Wickmayer and Maria stayed on the court for the women's singles and second set. The Breakers' Wickmayer pounced on Maria to jump out to a 4-0 lead before ultimately winning the set, 5-1, and giving Orange County an 8-6 lead heading into the mixed doubles and third set.

Fresh legs for the Empire hit the court as Martinez Sanchez and Neal Skupski faced the Breakers' Wickmayer, playing her third straight set, and Marcelo Demoliner. Facing break and set point, Orange County's return caught the Empire in a tough spot and forced a tiebreaker. Martinez Sanchez' finesse was just too much for the Breakers, serving for the set and pushing the Empire to a 5-4 set victory.

The Empire's Dennis Novikov joined Skupski as the duo lined up across the net from the Breakers' Demoliner and Darian King for the men's doubles set. The Breakers started the second half of the match with an exclamation point winning the set, 5-1, and putting Orange County ahead by five games heading into the final set of the evening, 17-12.

Needing to win the set to force extended play, the Empire's Mardy Fish pushed the Breakers' King to a fifth-set tiebreaker. Neither player budged as the nine-point tiebreaker reached a score of, 2-2, after four games but then King rattled off three straight points to win the tiebreaker. King took the set, 5-4, and ultimately the win for Orange County, 22-16, over the Empire.

• Discuss this story on the World TeamTennis message board...

World TeamTennis Stories from July 29, 2018


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central