WTT Washington Kastles

Serena vs. Vika at French Open; 5 Kastles Win in Doubles; Baseline Seats Selling Fast

May 28, 2015 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


Serena Sets Third-Round Showdown with Azarenka in Singles

Five Washington Kastles players entered the French Open doubles draws this week, and all five have advanced to the second round.

Playing on the same clay courts that their coach Murphy Jensen conquered 22 years ago, Leander Paes, Martina Hingis, Anastasia Rodionova, Sam Querrey and Madison Brengle earned first-round victories.

For Paes, it was the 700th win of his 25-year career on the ATP World Tour, which honored the Kastles captain with a feature article and tribute video. Next up for Paes and Daniel Nestor are Andre Begemann of the Springfield Lasers and Julian Knowle.

In mixed doubles, Paes and Hingis picked up where they left off at the Australian Open. The Kastles dream team defeated Juan Sebastian Cabal and Alla Kudryavtseva 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday to improve to 12-0 in Grand Slam sets.

The draw quickly grows tougher for Paes and Hingis, who face two-time French Open mixed doubles champion Katarina Srebotnik and 2012 Australian Open mixed doubles champion Horia Tecau in the second round.

Hingis is playing women's doubles in Paris for the first time since winning the 2000 championship alongside Mary Pierce.

Now teaming with World No. 1 Sania Mirza, the second-ranked Swiss began her unorthodox title defense with a 6-3, 6-0 rout of Julia Goerges and Barbora Krejcikova.

Ironically, Hingis and Mirza will meet French wild cards Stéphanie Foretz and Amandine Hesse in the second round. Fifteen years ago in the same round, Hingis and Pierce defeated Foretz and fellow Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano 6-4, 6-0.

Like her Kastles teammates Hingis and Paes, Rodionova picked up wins in a pair of doubles draws. She will play in the second round of women's doubles with her sister Arina Rodionova and mixed doubles with Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of the California Dream.

World No. 1 Serena Williams is the last remaining Kastle in contention for a singles title. Williams improved to 27-1 in 2015 with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Andrea Hlavackova and a 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 rally past Anna-Lena Friedsam.

The two-time French Open champion meets former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in a blockbuster third-round match on Saturday.

Earlier this month in Madrid, Williams and Azarenka also played a third-round match on red clay. Azarenka held three match points with a 6-5 third-set lead, but three consecutive double faults by the Belarusian allowed Williams to mount a comeback.

Williams is 15-3 overall against Azarenka, who played four matches for the Kastles during the 2010 WTT season.

For Kastles updates from the French Open -- featuring player schedules and links to live streaming, live scoring and TV listings -- be sure to visit the Kastle Tracker.

Baseline Experience and Club Offer Spectacular Views

Tickets Selling Fast in These Unique Sections at Kastles Stadium

D.C. tennis fans can get closer to the Kastles than ever before when the team returns to the Smith Center July 14-29.

Back for the second straight season are two extremely-limited sections located only feet from the court, creating an atmosphere unlike any other in professional tennis.

The Kastles Baseline Experience is an exclusive section of 48 seats that puts fans directly behind the court and on the same level as the playing surface. Imagine Sam Querrey's 140 mile-per-hour serve blazing past a Boston Lobster and directly towards you. If catching an ace is on your bucket list, then these are the seats for you.

The Kastles Baseline Club is located along the east and west ends of the court, overlooking all of the action from only 12 feet above the baseline. For tennis-savvy fans who love to watch how the pros hit their shots and move their feet, these tickets offer tremendous views. Only 54 Kastles Baseline Club seats exist, so act now!

Individual Match Baseline Ticket Prices

Date Opponent Main Attraction Experience Club

7/14 Austin Venus Williams $150 $120

7/16 San Diego Military Night $100 $75

7/18 Philadelphia USTA Family Day $100 $75

7/21 Boston Serena Williams $250 $175

7/26 Springfield Martina Hingis $100 $75

7/27 California Martina Hingis $100 $75

7/29 Boston Eugenie Bouchard $150 $120

Kastles Baseline Experience and Kastles Baseline Club tickets are available on a match-by-match or season-long basis. They include in-seat food and beverage service and access to the pre-match VIP hospitality area, with season ticket holders also receiving invitations to exclusive Kastles social events.

Season tickets to all seven Kastles home matches cost $800 for the Kastles Baseline Experience ($150 savings) and $650 for the Kastles Baseline Club ($65 savings).

For individual match tickets, please visit Ticketmaster.com. If you're interested in season tickets, please contact Kastles ticket manager Lauren Dugan at 202-654-7051 or via E-mail. Don't delay; seats are going fast in anticipation of the Kastles' championship defense.



World TeamTennis Stories from May 28, 2015


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