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New York Empire

Springfield Lasers Sneak Past the New York Empire in a Supertiebreaker to Win, 21-20

July 28, 2018 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
New York Empire News Release


SPRINGFIELD, MO. - The New York Empire visited Mediacom Stadium at Cooper Tennis Complex looking for its first win of the season against the Springfield (Mo.) Lasers and battled through extended play and a supertiebreaker before ultimately falling, 21-20. The Empire remain winless while the Lasers improve to 5-5 on the season.

Eighteen-year-old Miomir Kecmanovic played like a seasoned veteran taking the Lasers to a quick 5-2 lead winning the first set in only 10 minutes over the Empire's Dennis Novikov.

The match moved to mixed doubles for the second set and both teams came out firing. The Empire duo of Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Neal Skupski seemingly had an answer for every shot the Lasers' Abigail Spears and Daniel Nestor hit. Neither team was able to break serve forcing the set into the nine-point tiebreaker, won decisively by the Empire, 5-1, earning the 5-4 set win.

Novikov returned to the court to join Skupski to face Springfield's Kecmanovic and Nestor in the third set and kept the momentum moving in the Empire's direction, delivering a 5-2 win in men's doubles.

Momentum, something that hasn't been that nice to the Empire this season, stayed on their side as Martinez Sanchez and Tatjana Maria took the women's doubles set, 5-3, over Springfield's Vania King and Spears.

Owning a 17-14 lead heading into the match's final set featuring women's singles, the Empire's Maria faced Springfield's hot-handed King. King, with the set tied at 3-3, faced the daunting task of needing to win two straight games to force extended play, then win another game to force a supertiebreaker. And she did.

Maria won the coin toss to have the first serve in the 13-point supertiebreaker and neither player budged as the score reached 4-4. King, however, broke Maria's serve and jumped to a 6-4 lead before finishing the match winning the supertiebreaker, 7-4, giving the Lasers a 21-20 win over the Empire.

New York Empire at Springfield Lasers Box Score

MS MXD MD WD WS EP STB Total

New York Empire 2 5 5 5 3 0 0 (4) 20

Springfield Lasers 5 4 2 3 5 1 1 (7) 21

Men's Singles: Kecmanovic (SPR) def. Novikov (NYE), 5-2

Mixed Doubles: Martinez Sanchez/Skupski (NYE) def. Nestor/Spears (SPR), 5-4

Men's Doubles: Novikov/Skupski (NYE) def. Nestor/Kecmanovic (SPR), 5-2

Women's Doubles: Maria/Martinez Sanchez (NYE) def. King/Spears (SPR), 5-3

Women's Singles: King (SPR) def. Maria (NYE), 5-3

*Match tied after five sets and extended play, 20-20; King def. Maria in a supertiebreaker, 7-4

The New York Empire continues its road trip visiting the Orange County (Calif.) Breakers on Sunday, July 29, the San Diego Aviators on Monday, July 30 and the first-place Philadelphia Freedoms on Wednesday, Aug. 1. The Empire host the Freedoms on Thursday, Aug. 2 at 7 p.m. for the final match of the regular season on Court 17 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Group tickets and various hospitality packages are available by calling the New York Empire office at 844-5-EMPIRE (844-536-7473) or by visiting www.nyempiretennis.com.

New York Empire tickets can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster or by calling the New York Empire office at 844-5-EMPIRE (844-536-7473). The 2018 WTT regular season will take place from July 15 - August 2 with the No. 1-seeded team hosting the championship match for the King Trophy on August 5.

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