WTT Washington Kastles

Venus and Serena Returning, Rodionova and Querrey Rolling

June 9, 2011 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


Less than one month remains until the historic home opener at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf.

The Washington Kastles will kick off the 2011 World TeamTennis season in style on Tuesday, July 5th against the defending champion Kansas City Explorers. The match will air live on the Tennis Channel and Comcast SportsNet, and all fans in attendance will receive a complimentary, commemorative t-shirt.

Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams will be in the lineup for the Kastles, while Ricardo Mello and world No. 6 doubles player Kveta Peschke return to the Explorers' championship roster.

When Washington and Kansas City met in DC last season, the Kastles' Leander Paes and Bobby Reynolds saved eight match points before the Explorers escaped with a 24-22 overtime victory. Four of the five sets between the Kastles and Explorers were decided in a tiebreaker, and this season's meeting promises to be another close encounter.

Tickets to the much-anticipated rematch are still available at Ticketmaster.com, but they're going fast. The Kastles season opener will be the talk of the town, so be a part of history by securing your seat today.

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Serena on Pace for 1st US Match in Two Years on July 7

The second match at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf promises to pick up right where the historic season opener leaves off. That's because Serena Williams is scheduled to compete for the Kastles in an Eastern Conference showdown against the Boston Lobsters on July 7th.

Serena hasn't played a match in the United States since winning the US Open women's doubles title with Venus on September 14, 2009.

Recovered from their injuries, Serena and Venus are making their return to professional tennis next week at the AEGON International in Eastbourne, England, with Wimbledon on the horizon.

"I am so excited to be healthy enough to compete again," Serena said in a statement released by her agent. "These past 12 months have been extremely tough and character building. I have so much to be grateful for. I'm thankful to my family, friends, and fans for all of their support. Serena's back!"

Serena's arrival in Washington will come at just the right time, and against just the right opponent.

The Kastles and Lobsters each finished 2010 with an 8-6 record. But Boston clinched the last WTT playoff spot by defeating Washington in the final match of the regular season, preventing the Kastles from defending their 2009 WTT title.

Good seats to watch Serena and the Kastles are on sale at Ticketmaster.com otr1gROSzLt8ZwFJ3KBtm3JTUpt80wGjnRtmWr4kqj-g9jS9G9-CrJrf4qq3j3YcG7], but just like the season opener, they are bound to go fast.

Opportunities to see Serena are few and far between, so don't miss out on this chance to enjoy one of the greatest tennis players of all time competing in an intimate setting.

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Rodionova and Querrey Post Great Grass Results

Kastles' rookie Arina Rodionova is enjoying a breakthrough week on the grass courts of the AEGON Classic in Birmingham.

The 21-year-old Russian clinched the biggest win of her young career by defeating current world No. 17 Kaia Kanepi 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday. Rodionova routed Kanepi, the tournament's No. 1 seed and a 2010 Wimbledon quarterfinalist, in 64 minutes.

One day earlier, Rodionova shocked former world No. 16 Virginie Razzano 6-4, 6-4 in the first round.

The newest Kastle earned her way into the Birmingham main draw by qualifying with a grueling 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(5) win over Gail Brodsky in two hours and 48 minutes on Sunday.

Rodionova is now one win from her first-ever quarterfinal on the WTA Tour. To get there, she must defeat No. 14 seed Magdalena Rybarikova on Thursday.

Over at the AEGON Championships in London, defending champion Sam Querrey is quickly proving that his Queen's Club title in 2010 was no fluke.

The 6-foot-6 American eliminated Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-4 in the first round and Rainer Schuettler 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-3 in the second round. Querrey faces British wild card James Ward on Thursday afternoon for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Bobby Reynolds, the 2010 WTT Rookie of the Year, qualified at the Queen's Club with three consecutive victories in straight sets. He fell to Schuettler in the opening round of the main draw on Monday.

Also this week, Leander Paes of the Kastles and Mahesh Bhupathi are playing their first grass-court tournament together in three years.

Following a first-round bye, the 1999 Wimbledon champions saved multiple match points to beat British wild cards Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins 6-4, 1-6, [15-13] at Queen's Club on Thursday. Paes and Bhupathi will meet Filip Polasek and Igor Zelenay of the Slovak Republic in Friday's quarterfinals.

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Park Your Boat at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf

Kastles Stadium at The Wharf will be the first tennis stadium in the country -- and first sports stadium in DC -- to feature boat parking when the Kastles open play on July 5th. The Kastles are offering complimentary boat parking at Gangplank Marina for season ticket holders. Fans can dock their boats steps away from the brand-new stadium on the Southwest Waterfront before each home match.

"The new Kastles Stadium at The Wharf will offer our fans a spectacular experience this summer, including one of the most innovative ways to get to a tennis match, by boat," said team owner Mark Ein. "While most fans will use one of the many other convenient ways to get to our matches, we are excited to offer complimentary boat parking for our season ticketholders who can take advantage of this unique way to spend a great summer evening in the heart of our Nation's Capital."

Season ticket holders can make their reservations with Gangplank Marina for the limited parking by visiting Gangplank.com. Reservations are first come, first serve. Boat parking during matches is free, but does not include electricity or overnight parking.

In addition, Kastles Stadium at The Wharf will be easily accessible by Metro via the Waterfront-SEU and L'Enfant Plaza stations, which are each only a few blocks away. Kastles fans can also drive to the stadium and park in the underground parking lot or other surface lots that will be available this summer.



World TeamTennis Stories from June 9, 2011


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