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Drine · Jul 6th, 2010, 10:53 AM

Here's a little recap of the tie between the Kastles and the Sportimes

NEW YORK – It was a gut-wrenching start to the 2010 season for the Washington Kastles, who lost 21-20 in a supertiebreaker to the New York Sportimes Monday night after mounting a remarkable comeback to tie the match.

The Kastles very nearly snatched victory from defeat thanks to the heroics of the #1 draft pick in the WTT draft Bobby Reynolds, but ultimately fell just short as the Sportimes took the season opener at Sportime Stadium at Randalls Island. While the match was a disappointment, the team demonstrated the talent and determination that could lead it to a second straight league crown.

Reynolds, appearing in his World TeamTennis debut, entered the last set with his team down 16-13 needing two breaks of serve in the last set and overtime against hard hitting Jesse Witten to force a tie and a Supertiebreaker. Reynonds got the first break at 3-3 but then was broken right break to force a tiebreaker which he won 5-2 to bring the match to 20-18. At this point, Reynolds needed to hold serve and then break Witten to win overtime 2-0 and force the Supertiebreaker which he did in nail-biting fashion saving two match points along the way. But the magic ran out, as Witten took an early lead in the supertiebreaker which he maintained to win 7-3.

If there is any consolation, the 2009 version of the Kastles began the season in precisely the same fashion with a 21-20 loss to the Newport Beach Breakers, but rebounded to earn a playoff berth and win the World TeamTennis Championship.

The Kastles found themselves behind early Monday night, after the Sportimes’ Robert Kendrick and Abigail Spears won the first set 5-2 over Leander Paes and Rennae Stubbs in mixed doubles. It was an uncharacteristic loss for Paes and Stubbs, but understandable given that Paes had flown back from London on Monday after winning the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon on Sunday.

Stubbs and the young Angela Haynes showed great tenacity in tying the match back up with a 5-2 win over Spears and Ashley Harkleroad in women’s doubles. The pair won 22 of 34 points in the set, and never faced a break point.

Reynolds then joined with Paes to give the Kastles a 12-11 lead after three sets with a clutch 5-4 win over Kendrick and Witten in men’s doubles.

It was a tough singles debut for Haynes, who fell 5-1 to Spears after winning the first game, giving the Sportimes a 16-13 lead heading into the final set.

But Reynolds knew that under WTT rules, the match was not over as long as he could win the final set. He did, fending off several match points and forcing overtime as both men let loose with big serves and thundering groundstrokes. In the end, the comeback was stopped but Reynolds showed that he is sure to be a Kastles fan favorite this season.

The Kastles hope to rebound quickly in their home opener Tuesday night, as they host the Philadelphia Freedoms at 7 p.m. at Kastles Stadium.

http://www.washingtonkastles.com/tea...rticle_id=2095

Drine · Jul 7th, 2010, 09:54 AM

The Washington Kastles won yesterday against the Philadelphia Freedoms 21-15

Stubbsy lost her ladies doubles match with Angela Haynes but won in mixed doubles with Leander Paes

Next match tonight at home again against the New York Buzz. GO KASTLES

Drine · Jul 7th, 2010, 12:54 PM

Recap of Kastles/Freedoms

The Washington Kastles clearly showed Tuesday night that they are back to defend their World TeamTennis Championship, fending off scorching temperatures and a ferocious rally to beat the Philadelphia Freedoms 21-15 before more than 2,000 spirited fans at Kastles Stadium.

After a tough supertiebreaker road loss to the New York Sportimes Monday night, the Kastles rebounded in their home opener, winning three of five sets and holding on to win after taking a commanding early lead.

Bobby Reynolds again showed why the Kastles selected him with the first overall pick in the WTT draft, as he opened the match with a 5-1 singles win over Ramon Delgado. Reynolds kept Delgado on his heels by never requiring a second serve, converting 12 of 15 first serve points and firing two aces. Reynolds also won both of the crucial 3-all points in the set.

It was great redemption for Reynolds, who nearly vaulted the Kastles to a comeback overtime win in the final set Monday.

"I felt like I let the team down [Monday] night," he said. "It was great to go out there first and get the team ahead."

Angie Haynes expanded the Kastles' lead with a great home debut, beating 18-year-old Noppawan Lertcheewakarn 5-2 in women's singles. The win gave the Kastles a 10-3 overall lead in the match, and for Haynes, it was a great rebound victory after a singles loss Monday night against the Sportimes. The win was particularly remarkable in that it came against Lertcheewakarn, the 2009 Wimbledon junior champion who is seen as one of the rising stars in tennis and who had clinched the Freedoms season opener the night before in a Supertiebreaker against Martina Hingis.

Reynolds and Leander Paes looked to extend the Kastles lead in doubles against Delgado and Prakash Amritraj, but lost a tight set, 5-4 in a tiebreak. But the set was not without other great moments for the Kastles.

During one scintillating point at 2-all, Reynolds lofted a desperation lob and appeared on the ropes, but he and Paes each made remarkable stabs at overhead smashes to continue the rally, and eventually induced Delgado to hit the ball into the net. The point helped give Kastles a 3-2 lead in games. But the Freedoms tied the set at 4-4 to set up five-point tiebreak, which they won to cut the Kastles overall match lead to 14-8.

Haynes and Rennae Stubbs took over for the Kastles in the fourth set, facing Lertcheewakarn and Courtney Nagle. The Freedoms pair proved to be a fierce foe, taking a 4-1 lead in the set. But Stubbs and Haynes, knowing that every game counts in World TeamTennis, fought to get one game back before falling 5-2 to leave the Kastles with a 16-13 lead heading into the final set.

It was then up to Paes and Stubbs to show why they have 18 Grand Slam titles between them. Needing to win the final set in mixed doubles or win in Overtime to secure the match victory, they did not disappoint, beating Nagle and Amritraj 5-2 in a nailbiting set that was much closer than the score indicates.

At one crucial point in the set, Paes and Stubbs may have played one the best and certainly most memorable points in Kastles history. Up 3-2, the Kastles found themselves two games from the winning the match but locked in a fierce battle. At 3-all in that game, Amritraj pushed Paes literally to the back corner of the stadium court with an overhead smash, but Paes responded with a high and deep defensive overhead to set up a furious rally, which Paes ended with an volley winner. The Kastles then won the next game behind Stubbs' serve to clinch the match and even the team's season record at 1-1.

"What we saw here was some of the best doubles that's ever been played," an exhilarated Kastles head coach Murphy Jensen said after the match.

It was truly an electric atmosphere at Kastles Stadium, as enthusiastic Kastles fans returned to the site of the team's dramatic win in the 2009 WTT Championship match. The team invited more than a dozen captains of local championship teams on court during halftime to help celebrate, while a long line of young fans got autographs from players after the match.

The Kastles will be back at Kastles Stadium tonight as seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams makes her Kastles debut against the New York Buzz and former world number one Martina Hingis.

http://www.washingtonkastles.com/tea...rticle_id=2103