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WTT Washington Kastles

Serena and Venus Confirmed for 2012 Kastles' Season

February 14, 2012 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


Venus and Serena Williams are returning for the fifth season of Washington Kastles tennis July 9-28.

The greatest sister act in sports will be returning to the Southwest Waterfront this summer as Serena and Venus Williams lead the 2012 Washington Kastles in their quest for a third World TeamTennis (WTT) title in the last four years.

Serena joins the Kastles for a fifth straight season after being selected by Washington in the first round of the WTT Marquee Player Draft, held on Tuesday at the league's headquarters in New York City. The Kastles' second-round pick Venus will be back with Washington for a third season.

Coming off a historic 16-0 season, Washington re-signed both Serena and Venus during the draft, in which teams had the option to protect returning players from 2011.

The remaining members of the 2012 Washington Kastles will be determined March 13 during the WTT Roster Player Draft. While the WTT regular season is set for July 9-28, specific dates and times for all Kastles matches will be published by the league within the next month.

Both Serena and Venus are expected to represent the Kastles during the second half of the WTT season, right before they compete at the Olympic Games in London beginning July 28.

Though individual tickets will not go on sale until the spring, season tickets and boxes to see the Kastles this summer are now available by visiting WashingtonKastles.com iBqScxGYbKMmqxOanMpa2iE5wPg==] or calling 202-4-TENNIS (202-483-6647). All matches featuring Serena or Venus have sold out in past seasons, so don't wait secure your seat to see them.

When a Williams sister is in their lineup, the Kastles have emerged as an unbeatable team in past years. Washington has won nine consecutive matches with Serena on its active roster, dating back to the team's inaugural 2008 season. The Kastles are also 5-0 all-time when Venus dons the red-and-blue.

Serena and Venus have been just as dominant off of the multi-colored WTT court, combining to win 48 Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Since a 17-year-old Venus made a run to the 1997 US Open singles final, a Williams sister has played in a Grand Slam championship match in each of the last 15 years.

From the 2002 French Open through the 2003 Australian Open, Serena won all four Grand Slam singles championships consecutively, becoming just the fifth woman in tennis history to hold all four major titles at one time.

Venus stands alone as the only female tennis player to have ever won three Olympic gold medals. She swept singles and doubles 12 years ago in Sydney before she and Serena returned to the top of the podium in doubles four years ago in Beijing.

Had it not been for her sister, Venus would have more than seven Grand Slam singles titles to her name. She's also a seven-time runner-up, losing to her little sister in six of those finals.

But there are benefits to having a sibling such as Serena. The Williams sisters have won all 12 Grand Slam doubles finals that they've reached -- including four straight from Wimbledon in 2009 through the 2010 French Open.

In other draft news, the Eastern Conference rival New York Sportimes re-signed John McEnroe and Martina Hingis. When the WTT schedule is released within the next month, Washington tennis fans can expect to see one, or both, of the tennis legends listed to play in Washington.

A winner of 17 Grand Slam titles, McEnroe has been known to bring a touch of magic with him to the national's capital. In four prior meetings between the Kastles and the McEnroe-led Sportimes, the match has been decided in a winner-take-all Supertiebreaker three times.

Last July, Leander Paes and Bobby Reynolds of the Kastles saved five match points against McEnroe and Travis Parrott before winning the sudden-death 6-6 point of a Supertiebreaker, giving Washington a 20-19 victory that sent fans into a frenzy at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf.

Drama between the two teams was also at a high level when the Sportimes visited the old Kastles Stadium in 2009. In another men's doubles set pitting McEnroe against Paes, the Sportimes' Hall-of-Famer exchanged heated words with the Kastles' co-captain before New York emerged with a 20-19 win.

During Washington's inaugural 2008 season, the Kastles rallied from 10-2 down after two sets to stun McEnroe and the Sportimes 18-17. Will lightning between Washington and New York strike yet again this summer?

If so, Hingis could be back on the Sportimes side as well. She provided New York with wins in women's singles and doubles at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf last July 12.

Of the 24 players who competed in women's singles during the 2011 WTT season, Hingis posted the league's highest winning percentage. The Swiss' performances across the country last summer were reminiscent of the way she dominated women's tennis as a 16-year-old in 1997.

That season, Hingis captured 20 titles (12 singles, 8 doubles) -- including three of the four Grand Slams in singles -- and became the youngest woman in history to reach No. 1 in the world.

Still only 31 years old, Hingis used an impeccable all-court game to capture 15 Grand Slam championships during her career on tour.

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