Sunday, July 14, 2013

Minus Hingis, Washington routs Capitals

   Martina Hingis of the Washington Kastles missed Saturday night's match against the host Sacramento Capitals.
   But Hingis, last year's World TeamTennis Female MVP for the New York Sportimes, had a good excuse. The 32-year-old Swiss was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., on Saturday.
   Even without Hingis, Washington routed the Capitals 23-14 in the Sacramento suburb of Citrus Heights n a rematch of last year's WTT Finals.
   Washington (3-2) had lost two straight matches after winning 34 in a row dating to 2010. The Los Angeles Lakers hold the record for major U.S. pro teams with 33 straight victories in 1971-72.
   The Kastles edged the Capitals 20-19 last year in Charleston, S.C., for their second consecutive World TeamTennis title.
   Even Washington's substitutes are top-notch. Raquel Kops-Jones, a former NCAA doubles champion from Cal now ranked No. 17 in the world in women's doubles, split her two sets (women's doubles and mixed doubles). 
   The Kastles received strong contributions from Bobby Reynolds, the 2012 WTT Male MVP; 40-year-old Leander Paes, who has won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles (seven men's and six mixed); and Anastasia Rodionova, a former Capital.
   Sacramento (3-2) wasn't at full strength, either. Mardy Fish, a former top-10 player who returned Sunday from his latest battle with an irregular heartbeat, sat out after suffering a groin injury in Friday night's loss to Boston. Taylor Townsend, 17, played with a strained abdominal muscle.
   The Capitals won only in women's doubles behind Megan Moulton-Levy and Townsend. Sacramento has lost two straight matches after winning its first three. All five contests were at home.
   The Capitals will play at Texas (3-2) tonight and at Orange County (3-3) on Monday night before returning home to face Texas, featuring Bob and Mike Bryan this time, on Wednesday night.
  The Bryans, the 35-year-old identical twin sons of Sacramento coach Wayne Bryan, recently became the first doubles team to hold all four Grand Slam titles and the Olympic gold medal.
WASHINGTON 23, CAPITALS 14
In Citrus Heights, Calif.
   Men's singles -- Bobby Reynolds (Washington) def. Ryan Sweeting, 5-4.
   Women's singles -- Anastasia Rodionova (Washington) def. Taylor Townsend, 5-2.
   Men's doubles -- Reynolds and Leander Paes (Washington) def. Mark Knowles and Sweeting, 5-1.
   Women's doubles -- Megan Moulton-Levy  and Townsend (Capitals) def. Raquel Kops-Jones and Rodionova 5-3.
   Mixed doubles -- Paes and Kops-Jones (Washington) def. Knowles and Moulton-Levy, 5-2.

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