Sports stats



WTT New York Empire

Orlando Storm Clinch Playoff Berth with Thrilling Win over New York Empire

July 28, 2020 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
New York Empire News Release


WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.V. - As expected, a match with serious playoff implications played out like a heavyweight fight with the Orlando Storm and New York Empire exchanging haymakers throughout. The two teams entered seeded third (Orlando) and fourth (New York), respectfully, with the WTT regular season concluding on Thursday.

The match was intense and close throughout, featuring four tiebreaker sets, with Orlando eventually prevailing 23-21 in extended play. The win locks a playoff spot for the Orlando Storm, who have won six in a row, and stand at 9-4. The loss drops the Empire to 6-6, tied with the Washington Kastles for the final remaining playoff spot.

The first set, Mixed Doubles, set the tone as the two teams exchanged breaks before the Empire's Jack Sock and Coco Vandeweghe were able to dominate the tiebreaker with the Storm's Ken Skupski and Jessica Pegula, 5-0, to take a one game lead.

Pegula would exact some revenge on the Empire in the next set, scoring a 5-2 win for the Storm in Women's Singles thanks to a break on a double fault by Vandeweghe on deciding point.

Sock would punch back in Men's Singles, coming off the deck a break down to beat the Storm's Tennys Sandgren in a tiebreaker to pull the Empire within a game, 13-12.

The fourth set, Women's Doubles, featured New York's newly acquired tandem of Vandeweghe and Melichar against the Storm's duo of Pegula and Darija Jurak. Pegula and Darija would win the seesaw battle in a tiebreaker, 5-4, giving the Storm an 18-16 lead heading into the final set; Men's Doubles.

The Empire's Sock and Neal Skupski would battle tooth and nail with Sandgren and Neal's older brother, Ken Skupski, with New York winning a critical tiebreaker to force extended play. With Orlando ahead, 22-21, Sandgren would hold serve in extended play, dashing New York's comeback hopes.

TENNYS SANDGREN ON ORLANDO CLINCHING A PLAYOFF BERTH: "The team was awesome tonight. The girls played fantastic. Everyone wanted to do their best tonight and try and get that playoff spot. People showed up and played well."

KEN SKUPSKI ON THE COMPETITIVE NATURE OF THE MATCH: "Today was probably the best match I've seen (this season) over the course of an entire match. Everybody brought a level today, which was really high. It was a really exciting match but also really great to play in as well. I think you obviously see other players playing well and you want to bring your level. To finish them off at the end was obviously key. I know my brother (Neal Skupski) really well. I know what he's capable of and he obviously took us to town the time we played here last time."

KEN SKUPSKI ON HOW THE HIGH-LEVEL OF TENNIS IN WTT GIVES THE PLAYERS AN ADVANTAGE HEADING INTO TOUR PLAY: "Its huge, it's huge. Especially with the fact that there are a lot of people who aren't getting this opportunity. We are at advantage and we are hopefully going into the next tournament, wherever that may be, with confidence...The fact that it could be the (US) Open with an opportunity to play on a big stage with a lot of confidence, will take a huge advantage."

Orlando Storm defeat NEW YORK EMPIRE, 23-21

Mixed Doubles: Jack Sock/Coco Vandeweghe (Empire) def. Ken Skupski/Jessica Pegula (Storm), 5-4

Women's Singles: Pegula (Storm) def. Vandeweghe (Empire), 5-2

Men's Singles: Sock (Empire) def. Tennys Sandgren (Storm), 5-4

Women's Doubles: Pegula/Darija Jurak (Storm) def. Vandeweghe/Nicole Melichar (Empire), 5-4

Men's Doubles: Sock/N. Skupski (Empire) def. K. Skupski/Sandgren (Storm), 5-4

Extended Play: K. Skupski/Sandgren (Storm) def. Sock/N. Skupski, 1-0

NOTEBOOK:

This was the first match for the New York Empire for Coco Vandeweghe and Nicole Melichar. Vandeweghe and Melichar were traded from the San Diego Aviators in exchange for Kveta Peschke and Sabine Lisicki ahead of Sunday's WTT trade deadline.

NEXT SCHEDULED MATCH: The New York Empire return on Wednesday to take on the Orange County Breakers at 3 PM ET/Noon PT. The Orlando Storm host the Washington Kastles at 4 PM ET/1 PM PT on Thursday, the final day of WTT's regular season. Both matches will be televised by Tennis Channel.

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

World TeamTennis Stories from July 28, 2020


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