Serena, Hingis Play Dramatic Team Tennis Matches

April 24, 2015 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release

Bobby Reynolds
(Washington Kastles, Credit: Fred Mullane of Camerawork USA)

With four straight titles and a 34-match win streak, the Washington Kastles have proven that anything can happen in team tennis.

Kastles superstars Serena Williams and Martina Hingis experienced such unpredictability again April 18-19 while representing their respective Fed Cup teams.

Ninety-nine nations participate in Fed Cup, but only eight have a chance to win the title as part of the prestigious World Group. An invitation to the 2016 World Group was on the line last weekend for the Americans and Swiss.

As they do when they're wearing Kastles red and blue, Williams and Hingis gave everything they had for their countries.

Williams improved to 20-0 on the season by beating both Camila Giorgi and Sara Errani of Italy. Hingis, summoned into singles unexpectedly, went 0-2 against Poland.

But as is the case in Mylan World TeamTennis, you're only as successful in Fed Cup as your bench-mates.

Williams' wins were all for naught as the Americans fell 3-2 to Italy. Hingis' effort, on the other hand, was rewarded by her countrywoman Timea Bacsinszky, who won two singles matches and another in doubles to lead Switzerland past the Poles 3-2.

Hingis was playing Fed Cup for the first time since the 1998 Final, when she and the Swiss lost a heartbreaker at home to Spain.

Coming off doubles titles at Indian Wells, Miami and Charleston, Hingis was expected to partner Bacsinszky in the last match of the tie.

But Swiss captain Heinz Guenthardt did not have 34th-ranked singles player Belinda Bencic and No. 94 Stefanie Voegele in his lineup. And though 129th-ranked Romina Oprandi was on the roster, she's been sidelined with an injury since mid-February.

Such were the circumstances that led Hingis to play her first tour-level singles matches in more than seven years. Guenthardt later said that the Hall-of-Famer competed not for herself, but for her team.

Hingis, the World No. 4 in doubles, opened the tie with a 6-4, 6-0 loss against Agnieszka Radwanska, the World No. 9 in singles.

Bacsinszky responded with resounding singles wins over Urszula Radwanska on Saturday and her older sister on Sunday, dropping only five games in four sets.

When Hingis raced to a 6-4, 5-2 lead on Urszula Radwanska, Switzerland's spot in the World Group seemed secure. But Hingis was broken when she served for the match, which the 24-year-old Radwanska reversed with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory.

Guenthardt's strategy appeared to backfire when a cramping Hingis was unable to participate in the doubles match that began only 30 minutes after singles.

But with Hingis advising and supporting from the sideline, Bacsinszky and Viktorija Golubic clinched the tie with a 2-6, 6-4, 9-7 doubles win.

Meanwhile in Italy, two-time French Open champion Serena Williams grinded two matches out on red clay.

The World No. 1 defeated Giorgi 7-6(5), 6-2 on Saturday and rallied for a 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-3 win over Errani on Sunday. Errani was two points from the win at 6-4, 5-4 before Williams mounted one of her trademark comebacks.

However, Lauren Davis and Christina McHale combined for only five total games in the other two singles matches.

Doubles decided the tie, with Williams and first-time partner Alison Riske facing a pair of former doubles World No. 1s in Errani and Flavia Pennetta. Competing in her hometown of Brindisi, Pennetta inspired the Italians to a 6-0, 6-3 triumph.

The next time that Williams and Hingis play team tennis will be for the Kastles this summer. Williams leads Washington against the Boston Lobsters on July 21 and Hingis returns to D.C. July 26-27 for home matches against the Springfield Lasers and California Dream.

Single-match Kastles tickets go on sale later this spring. In the meantime, fans are encouraged to secure season tickets to see Williams, Hingis and the rest of the Kastles.

A limited number of four-seat VIP tables and boxes are available, as well as individual seats with spectacular views in the Kastles Baseline Experience and Kastles Baseline Club. Season tickets start at $150 and can be purchased by calling 202-4-TENNIS (483-6647).

Images from this story

Romina Oprandi, Viktorija Golubic, Martina Hingis and Timea Bacsinszky (Adam Nurkiewicz)	Martina Hingis and Agnieszka Radwanska (Adam Nurkiewicz)	Serena Williams (Adam Nurkiewicz)
Bobby Reynolds (Susan Mullane of Camerawork USA)	Bobby Reynolds (Rich Kessler)	Bobby Reynolds (Fred Mullane of Camerawork USA)

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Serena, Hingis Play Dramatic Team Tennis Matches

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