2013/06/20

Tennis Hall Of Famers John McEnroe, Jim Courier To Compete In Mylan WTT Matchup July 22 To Benefit Johnny Mac Tennis Project

John McEnroe

John McEnroe

NEW YORK, May 16, 2013 – Former World No. 1 players, Davis Cup standouts and International Tennis Hall of Famers John McEnroe and Jim Courier will battle it out on the Sportime Stadium hard court on Monday, July 22nd, as the NY Sportimes take on the Texas Wild in a Mylan World TeamTennis matchup. The annual night benefiting the Johnny Mac Tennis Project (JMTP) will also feature fellow Hall of Famer and Mylan WTT Co-Founder Billie Jean King in celebration of the 40th anniversary year of her historic matchup with Bobby Riggs in the famed “Battle of the Sexes.” The match begins at 7:30 p.m. on Randall’s Island.

JMTP provides scholarships, coaching, transportation and other financial assistance to qualified young tennis players in the greater New York area. JMTP benefit nights in previous years have featured the likes of Bjorn Borg (2011) and Andre Agassi (2012). JMTP and SPORTIME Clubs, home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, have already provided over $1M in scholarships and no cost programming to young players in NYC and its communities.

JMTP scholarship recipients attend the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, which is completing its third year at Sportime Randall’s Island. Ticket prices for the July 22nd match will be $75, $150 and $300, with additional special VIP packages also available; please consult your tax advisor concerning the tax deductibility of ticket and package purchases. Tickets for the JMTP benefit night on July 22nd and for the NY Sportimes home match vs. the Washington Kastles at Randall’s Island on July 23rd can be purchased by calling 1-888-WTT-NYC1 or by visiting www.nysportimes.com. The July 23rd match is also benefiting JMTP and features former Sportime, and soon-to-be enshrined International Hall of Fame inductee, Martina Hingis, playing for Washington. Purchasers of tickets to the July 22nd match may elect to receive a ticket to the following night’s match for $1.00.

“Jim Courier has meant so much to American tennis, and we couldn’t be more pleased that he and the Texas Wild will be the opponent for this special night,” said Sportime Clubs and NY Sportimes CEO Claude Okin. “To have two of our country’s all-time premier players and tennis ambassadors in Jim and in our own Captain and leader, John McEnroe, will make for a very competitive and entertaining evening, but most importantly will ultimately help so many children in New York.”

“The JMTP Benefit night is a highlight of the year for me and for the Johnny Mac Tennis Project,” said McEnroe. “My commitment is stronger than ever to the youth of New York, and just as Bjorn and Andre helped make the evening special in years past, getting to compete against Jim again will, I hope, pump people up about American tennis – past and future.”

“I am honored and excited to be participating in this benefit, and to help John do what he is doing in his home town of New York City,” said Courier. “I live in NYC and I practice at SPORTIME so I see what John and his Academy are accomplishing there. I wanted to do my part to support John’s efforts in furthering the development of American tennis and young players in NYC.”

The night will also be part of a year-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of the “Battle of the Sexes” match between King and Riggs, which took place in Houston on Sept. 20, 1973. The spectacle, won by King in straight sets, is often cited as a turning point towards females earning equality in many aspects of American life.

The Sportimes open their Mylan World TeamTennis home schedule on July 9 vs. Springfield (featuring Andy Roddick for Springfield) at SEFCU Arena in Albany, N.Y. New York will play four other matches in Albany, on July 12, 15 (featuring Sloane Stephens for Philadelphia), 16 and 18 (featuring McEnroe vs. Orange County) and the aforementioned two at Sportime Stadium (July 22nd vs. Texas, July 23rd vs. Washington, featuring former Sportimes star Martina Hingis).

Conference championships are scheduled for Thursday, July 25th, at the higher of the top two seeds in each conference, and the season concludes with the Mylan WTT Finals presented by GEICO, on Sunday, July 28th, at the site of the Eastern Conference champion.

Share
Filed Under: Events, Front Page News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Claude Okin Named Coach of NY Sportimes

 

okin
NEW YORK, May 7, 2013 – Claude Okin, founder and CEO of SPORTIME, will serve as the coach of the NY Sportimes for the 2013 season, it was announced today. Okin, who has been an active force in the Sportimes’ success as the owner of the Mylan World TeamTennis squad since the 2003 WTT season, will take on the coaching duties for the first time. The Sportimes play their home matches at SEFCU Arena in Albany and at Sportime Stadium on Randall’s Island in Manhattan.

Claude purchased his first tennis club in 1981 at the age of 19, and founded SPORTIME in 1994. Okin played collegiately at Vassar College and at New York University and has coached hundreds of players at all levels of the game. In his role as CEO, he provides vision and leadership for all SPORTIME corporate directives, supervising SPORTIME’s Executive Management Team and managing relationships with SPORTIME’s Partners and funding sources.

During his run as the owner of the Sportimes the team has claimed one Mylan WTT Championship (2005) and one other Eastern Conference Championship (2010). The Sportimes advanced to the Mylan WTT playoffs last year with a second-place finish in the Eastern Conference.

“I am excited about the team we have put together for this year. I am looking forward to leading the Sportimes back to the playoffs and to a shot at the Championship,” said Okin, a familiar sight on the Sportimes bench each season. “With our captain Johnny Mac inspiring us, I think our 2013 team should be a great team to watch and to coach. This is a veteran team including long time Sportime players Robert Kendrick and Jesse Witten on the men’s side and current top-10 doubles team Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Kveta Peschke for our women. All of these folks know how to play and win in the TeamTennis format and I am looking forward to supporting them in my first season as coach.”

The Sportimes open the home schedule on July 9 vs. Springfield (featuring Andy Roddick) at SEFCU Arena in Albany, N.Y. New York will play four other matches in Albany, on July 12, 15 (featuring Sloane Stephens for Philadelphia), 16 and 18 (featuring McEnroe vs. Orange County) and two at Sportime Stadium on Randall’s Island in New York City (July 22 vs. Texas, 23 vs. Washington). McEnroe will be playing at Randall’s Island on July 22, and both matches at Randall’s Island will raise funds for the Johnny Mac Tennis Project, a charitable foundation established by McEnroe and Sportime to raise money to advance youth tennis in the NY Metropolitan area. Jim Courier will compete for the Texas Wild in a singles matchup against McEnroe on July 22. Billie Jean King will also be on site to support the charity and as part of a year-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of the “Battle of the Sexes” match between King and Riggs, which took place on September 20, 1973, in Houston.

Conference championships are scheduled for Thursday, July 25, at the home court of the higher of the top two seeds in each conference, and the season concludes with the Mylan WTT Finals presented by GEICO, on Sunday, July 28, at the site of the Eastern Conference champions.

Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news Tagged With: , , , , ,

Hingis and Reynolds Take World TeamTennis MVP Honors

NEW YORK, N.Y. (July 31, 2012) – Former world No. 1 Martina Hingis of the New York Sportimes and the Washington Kastles’ Bobby Reynolds were named as WTT MVPs today for the World TeamTennis Pro League.

John-Patrick Smith of the Orange County Breakers and Kristyna Pliskova of the Philadelphia Freedoms were named as WTT Rookies of the Year, while Murphy Jensen of the Washington Kastles was named WTT Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Hingis finished first in women’s singles this season with a .593 winning percentage.  Hingis teamed with Ashley Harkleroad to finish as the top-ranked team in women’s doubles at .571%.  This is the 5th season for Hingis, who led the Sportimes to the 2005 WTT title.  Hingis and her Sportimes teammates have advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship against the Washington Kastles on Saturday, Sept. 15, in Charleston, S.C. “I’m proud to win the WTT MVP award,” said Hingis.  “The 2012 season was both challenging and rewarding. I was part of a great team and much of my success was thanks to my teammates, coach, team owner and great New York Sportimes fans.”

Reynolds followed up his 2010 Rookie of the Year award with an even better campaign in 2012 to earn the WTT Male MVP honors.  Reynolds finished as the top ranked player in men’s singles, with a 64-41 record for a .610 winning percentage.  Reynolds teamed with the 2011 Male MVP Leander Paes to finish as the League’s top-ranked doubles team with a .620 winning percentage. After Paes left to participate in the Olympic Games, Reynolds kept the Kastles on track to post their second consecutive undefeated regular season. “It’s an honor to be named MVP,” said Bobby Reynolds.  “There have been so many great players who have been MVP over the years of World TeamTennis. The team has been behind me the whole year.  I just hope we keep the streak alive.”

John-Patrick Smith led the Breakers to their first playoff appearance since 2009 where they will be the top seed in the Western Conference Championship match in Charleston.  Smith won 63 of 111 singles games to finish third in the League with a .568 winning percentage.  Smith and his partner Travis Parrott are the third-ranked doubles team, with a .537 winning percentage. “It’s a great honor,” said Smith.  “I played well this season and had a great time with my teammates, I really enjoyed it.  I am very thankful for the opportunity to play here and the competition was great.

The Philadelphia Freedoms fell short of the playoffs but Kristyna Pliskova’s season was memorable.  Kristyna and her identical twin sister Karolina finished as the third-ranked team in women’s doubles and Kristyna was fourth in mixed doubles, partnering with Jordan Kerr.  “It was a great season and I enjoyed playing with this team,” said Pliskova.  “Great matches and a great experience so I am very happy to get rookie of the year.”

For the second year in a row, Murphy Jensen was named WTT Coach of the Year. He led the Kastles to their second consecutive undefeated regular season. The Kastles have won 30 matches in a row, the second longest win streak in pro team sports history.  This is Jensen’s fourth season coaching the Kastles.  He led the franchise to the WTT title in 2009 and 2011, and the Kastles are the top seed in the 2012 Eastern Conference finals.

“It feels unreal to be named Coach of the Year for two years in a row,” said Jensen.  “It means the world to me because I got an opportunity this month to serve some extraordinary athletes.  I’m a cheap imitation of all the people who have mentored me along the way, starting with my mom and dad.”

The Kastles and the Breakers are both the top seeds in their respective conferences at the WTT Finals Weekend, Sept. 14-16.  The Breakers will face the Sacramento Capitals on Friday, Sept. 14, at 6:30 p.m. EDT.  The Kastles and Sportimes will renew their rivalry on Sept. 16 for the Eastern Conference title.  The Conference Champions face off for the King Trophy on Sunday, Sept. 16 at 3:30 p.m. EDT.

Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news Tagged With: , , , ,

Washington Kastles Continue Quest for Perfection; Extend Streak to 28

NEW YORK, NY – Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” In World TeamTennis the Washington Kastles lead by coach Murphy Jensen have both attained perfection and caught excellence since late July of 2010. The 12-0 Kastles, 2011 World TeamTennis champions, who have already clinched a playoff spot, and have extended their winning streak to 28 victories in a row since July 22, 2010, with a 21-16 victory over the New York Sportimes (7-5) at Randall’s Island on Wednesday night.
The streak is now the second longest in team sports, behind the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 33 in a row during the 1971-72 NBA season.
Coach Jensen doesn’t seem to be consumed with the quest for another perfect season.
“Every day is another opportunity to make a masterpiece,” said Jensen. “We really live shot to shot, moment to moment, heartbeat to heartbeat. And we really don’t get too caught up in it actually.
“It’s really funny because I don’t think there is time in World TeamTennis because we are traveling so much. Just lugging bags around and getting to the next spot.”
Newcomers to the Kastles – Treat  Huey and Raquel Kops-Jones proved to be the most valuable players for the Kastles against the Sportimes with both winning their doubles sets, particularly closing out the match with a mixed doubles victory over  Hall of Famer John McEnroe and future Hall of Famer Martina Hingis 5-3.
Murphy pointed out the keys to success against for his mixed doubles team versus the veterans were Huey’s serves and Kops-Jones’s returns.
“It was fun,” Huey said, definitely, I grew up watching them play a ton. They’re really cool people. Some of the greatest players of all time. I’m thankful to have opportunity to play against them.”
“I played Hingis for maybe one game in World TeamTennis about three years ago,” Kops-Jones explained. ” Never played against McEnroe so that was something. You can see why sometimes there the legends that they are from the shots that they can make. Their hands are still pretty good…it never really leaves them.  It was fun.”
Both Huey and Kops-Jones are recent sunstitutes to the team due to some regular players competing in the Olympic Games in London.
“I’ve only been on the team since Sunday,” noted Huey.  But everyone on the team is so close that I’ve such a good time. They’ve welcomed me and everybody is so nice to me, we’re a real team. The atmosphere is unbelievable. I can’t think of a team that’s closer than this team, that’s why I think we’re doing real well.
“Everybody is accountable for each other and we come out and have some fun. Obviously we play a game and we play some tennis to entertain the fans. So it’s always good to get out here and have a little fun and obviously winning makes it a lot more fun and that’s always good.”
“There’s a bit of pressure since I just came in yesterday as a substitute,”  said Kops-Jones. “So we want to keep that streak going for the regular team. It’s a bit of pressure but the more we keep getting the “w’s” the better we feel.
“I tell the guys,” explained Murphy, “I really don’t care about the scoreboard. You do what you do as good as you can do it, as hard as you can do it – that’s success. And if you do that and the scoreboard isn’t in our favor, we are still successful.” Murphy may not be from the Lombardi mold as a coach, but for 28 straight matches, he’s pushed all the right buttons for the Kastles to achieve excellence.
The Kastles will try to extend their streak to 29-0 when they visit the Kansas City Explorers on Friday.
Karen Pestaina for Tennis Panorama
Share
Filed Under: Features, Front Page News, interviews, tennis news Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Washington Kastles Extend Record Win Streak To 28 With 21-16 World TeamTennis Win Over NY Sportimes

NEW YORK, July 25, 2012 – The defending champion Washington Kastles won their World TeamTennis record 28th straight match, downing the host New York Sportimes, 21-16, at Sportime Randall’s Island Wednesday night.  The Kastles, who won the 2011 World TeamTennis title with a 16-0 record, have not lost a WTT match since July 22, 2010.

Washington (12-0) won the first three events, with Reynolds beating Jesse Witten, 5-3, in singles, the team of Edina Gallovits-Hall and Raquel Kops-Jones toppling Martina Hingis and Ashley Harkleroad in doubles, 5-2, and the men’s doubles tandem of Bobby Reynolds and Treat Huey upending Sportimes captain John McEnroe and Robert Kendrick, 5-3, for a 15-8 Washington lead.

Hingis earned a win over Gallovits-Hall, 5-1, to narrow the hosts’ deficit to 16-13.

But Washington closed out the win with a mixed doubles victory, the duo of Huey and Kops-Jones besting legends McEnroe and Hingis, 5-3.

In addition, at halftime, winners were announced from tryouts held on Saturday for boys and girls ages 8-14 at Sportime Randall’s Island for spots at the John McEnrore Tennis Academy.  Winners included Cameron Daniels, Oakland Gardens, N.Y.; Diane McCready, Brooklyn; Leonte Wilder, Plainfield, N.J.; Sean Wei, Yorktown Heights, N.Y.; Natalie Eordekian, Woodside, N.Y.; Palmer Clare, North Bellmore, N.Y.; Tomas Kopczynski, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.; Amber O’Dell, Chesterfield, Mich.

The Sportimes (7-5) close out the regular season with road matches at Springfield (Mo.) on Friday and Kansas City on Saturday, needing one win or a loss by Boston and Philadelphia in either of those teams’ respective matches to clinch the second Eastern Conference playoff spot.  Washington will make the same trip, visiting Kansas City on Friday and Springfield Saturday.

By Jerry Milani

World TeamTennis
Washington Kastles 21, NY Sportimes 16
Men’s Singles – Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Jesse Witten, 5-3
Women’s Doubles – Edina Gallovits-Hall/Raquel Kops-Jones (Kastles) def. Ashley Harkleroad/Martina Hingis, 5-2
Men’s Doubles – Treat Huey/Reynolds (Kastles) def. John McEnroe/Robert Kendrick , 5-3
Women’s Singles – Hingis (Sportimes) def. Gallovits-Hall, 5-1
Mixed Doubles – Huey/Kops-Jones (Kastles) def. McEnroe/Hingis, 5-3

Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Venus Williams Rallies to keep Kastles win streak alive in World TeamTennis

Venus Williams rallied the Washington Kastles from six games down heading into the final set to give the Kastles a 21-20 Supertiebreaker win over the New York Sportimes at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y., on Saturday night.  With the victory, Washington upped their win streak to 25 consecutive matches.  The Kastles, who won the 2011 WTT title with a 16-0 record, have not lost a WTT match since July 22, 2010.

 

Trailing 19-13 going into the final set, Venus Williams won the women’s singles set 5-1 over the Sportimes’ Martina Hingis, then took the next two games in Overtime to send the match into a Supertiebreaker.  Williams closed out the improbable comeback by a 7-0 margin in the Supertiebreaker.

 

The Kastles remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with a three-match lead over the Sportimes.  With a win at home on Sunday, the Kastles will clinch a playoff spot.  The 2012 regular season ends July 28 with the top two teams from each conference advancing to the WTT Finals Weekend presented by GEICO, Sept. 14-16, in Charleston, S.C.

World TeamTennis Pro League presented by GEICO – Results for Saturday, 7/21

(Home teams in capital letters)

FINAL RESULTS – All matches complete:

KANSAS CITY EXPLORERS def. Orange County Breakers 22-15

Men’s Singles – John-Patrick Smith (Breakers) def. Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (Explorers) 5-3

Women’s Doubles – Tetiana Luzhanska\Chanel Simmonds (Explorers) def. Anna-Lena Groenefeld\Jana Juricova (Breakers) 5-0

Mixed Doubles – Anna-Lena Groenefeld\Travis Parrott (Breakers) def. Tetiana Luzhanska\Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (Explorers) 5-4

Women’s Singles – Chanel Simmonds (Explorers) def. Jana Juricova (Breakers) 5-1

Men’s Doubles – Nick Monroe\Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (Explorers) def. Travis Parrott\John-Patrick Smith (Breakers) 5-4

 

Washington Kastles def. NEW YORK SPORTIMES 21-20 (7-0 STB)

Men’s Doubles – Leander Paes\Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Robert Kendrick\Jesse Witten (Sportimes) 5-4

Mixed Doubles – Martina Hingis\Robert Kendrick (Sportimes) def. Venus Williams\Leander Paes (Kastles) 5-3

Men’s Singles – Jesse Witten (Sportimes) def. Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) 5-2

Women’s Doubles – Martina Hingis\Ashley Harkleroad (Sportimes) def. Venus Williams\Anastasia Rodionova (Kastles) 5-3

Women’s Singles – Venus Williams (Kastles) def. Martina Hingis (Sportimes) 5-1

Overtime – Women’s Singles – Venus Williams (Kastles) def. Martina Hingis (Sportimes) 2-0

Supertiebreaker – Women’s Singles – Venus Williams (Kastles) def. Martina Hingis (Sportimes) 1-0 (7-0)


Standings

Eastern Conference              MP W L PCT MB

Washington Kastles                9  9  0 1.000  –

New York Sportimes              9  6  3 0.667  3

Philadelphia Freedoms            9  4  5 0.444  5

Boston Lobsters                      8  3  5 0.375  5.5

Western Conference             MP W L PCT MB

Sacramento Capitals               9  5  4  0.556  –

Kansas City Explorers            9  3  6  0.333  2

Orange County Breakers        9  3  6  0.333  2

Springfield Lasers                   8  2  6  0.250  2.5

 

Next Matches: 7/22/2012

New York Sportimes @ BOSTON LOBSTERS, 7:00 PM (EDT)

Kansas City Explorers @ WASHINGTON KASTLES, 7:10 PM (EDT)

Springfield Lasers @ SACRAMENTO CAPITALS, 7:35 PM (PDT)

 

For live scoring and complete player / match statistics, please visit www.WTT.com

Share
Filed Under: Events, Front Page News, tennis news Tagged With: , , , , ,

NY Sportimes Bounce Boston Lobsters, 22-18, In World TeamTennis

Martina Hingis photo by Fred Mullane

NEW YORK – On a night full of Marquee players, Martina Hingis stood tallest, winning her singles, doubles and mixed doubles matches to lead the NY Sportimes to a 22-18 World TeamTennis victory over the Boston Lobsters Thursday at Sportime Randall’s Island.

Boston’s doubles team of Jan-Michael Gambill and Eric Butorac topped Robert Kendrick and Jesse Witten, 5-3, to give the Lobsters the early lead. Hingis and Ashley Harkleroad moved the Sportimes ahead with a 5-1 victory over Irina Falconi and Carly Gullickson-Eagle for an 8-6 N.Y. edge.

In the singles matchup of Marquee Players, Andre Agassi of the Lobsters (3-5) edged John McEnroe in a 5-4 tiebreak. Then in mixed doubles, McEnroe and Hingis teamed to upend Agassi and Gullickson-Eagle, 5-3, for a 17-14 New York advantage.

The match came down to the women’s singles event, and Hingis was again up to the task, defeating Falconi, 5-4, for the final margin.

Proceeds from tonight’s match benefit the Johnny Mac Tennis Project, McEnroe’s not-for-profit foundation to provide scholarships, coaching, transportation and other financial assistance to qualified young tennis players in the greater New York area.

The Sportimes (5-2) next visit the Philadelphia Freedoms on Friday. Boston is off until Sunday, when they host the Sportimes at Ferncroft Country Club.

World TeamTennis
NY Sportimes 22, Boston Lobsters 18
Men’s Doubles – Jan-Michael Gambill/Eric Butorac (Lobsters) def. Robert Kendrick/Jesse Witten, 5-3
Women’s Doubles – Ashley Harkleroad/Martina Hingis (Sportimes) def. Irina Falconi/Carly Gullickson-Eagle, 5-1
Men’s Singles – Andre Agassi (Lobsters) def. John McEnroe, 5-4
Mixed Doubles – Hingis/McEnroe (Sportimes) def. Agassi/Gullickson-Eagle, 5-3
Women’s Singles – Hingis (Sportimes) def. Falconi, 5-4

Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Sportimes defeat Freedoms in World TeamTennis 23-16

NEW YORK – Ashley Harkleroad won two doubles events and Martina Hingis won singles and doubles, leading the host New York Sportimes to a 23-16 World TeamTennis victory over the Philadelphia Freedoms Wednesday at Sportime Randall’s Island.

The Freedoms’ men’s doubles tandem of Luka Gregorc and Jordan Kerr powered past Robert Kendrick and Jesse Witten, 5-3, before the Sportimes’ women’s doubles team of Hingis and Harkleroad edged twin sisters Kristyna and Karolina Pliskova, 5-4, for a 9-8 Philadelphia lead after two events.

The Sportimes took the lead for the first time during the mixed doubles, with Kendrick and Harkleroad finishing off Kerr and Karolina Pliskova, 5-2, for a 13-11 New York advantage.

Hingis lifted the Sportimes’ advantage to 18-12 with a 5-1 singles win over Karolina Pliskova, before Witten provided the final margin with a 5-4 triumph over Gregorc.

It was the second straight home match victory for the Sportimes over Philadelphia, as they recorded a 22-16 win over the same Freedoms team on Friday. The victory moved the Sportimes 1 1/2 games ahead of the Freedoms for second place in the WTT Eastern Conference standings.

New York (4-2) is back in action at Sportime Stadium on Thursday when John McEnroe leads the team vs. Andre Agassi and the Boston Lobsters.  Proceeds from the matchup benefit the Johnny Mac Tennis Project, McEnroe’s not-for-profit foundation.

The Freedoms (3-4) host the Orange County Breakers at The Pavilion at Villanova University on Thursday.

NY Sportimes 23, Philadelphia Freedoms 16
Men’s Doubles – Luka Gregorc/Jordan Kerr (Freedoms) def. Robert Kendrick/Jesse Witten, 5-3
Women’s Doubles – Ashley Harkleroad/Martina Hingis (Sportimes) def. Kristyna Pliskova/Karolina Pliskova, 5-4
Mixed Doubles – Harkleroad/Kendrick (Sportimes) def. Kerr/Karolina Pliskova, 5-2
Women’s Singles – Hingis (Sportimes) def. Kristyna Pliskova, 5-1
Men’s Singles – Witten (Sportimes) def. Gregorc, 5-4

Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news Tagged With: , , , ,

Venus Williams to Play for Washington Kastles against NY Sportimes on July 21

Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams will make a special appearance Saturday, July 21 in Troy, NY when her Washington Kastles visit the NY Sportimes in World TeamTennis action at Hudson Valley Community College’s McDonough Sports Complex.
The 32-year-old Williams is one of the game’s all-time great players with seven Grand Slam singles titles, 13 in doubles including her fifth Wimbledon title with sister Serena earlier this month, and two mixed crowns.
Overall, since bursting onto the tennis scene in 1997, Venus has collected 43 WTA singles titles, 19 in doubles and she’s spent 11 weeks as the No. 1 ranked player in the world.
Next week Venus will travel to London as part of the U.S. Olympic women’s tennis team. Venus is the most decorated Olympic player in tennis with three gold medals winning two at 2000 Sydney in singles and doubles and another doubles at 2008 Beijing.
“We are extremely excited and honored to welcome Venus Williams to the Hudson Valley Community College in Troy,” said event promoter Nitty Singh. “I’m sure the Capital Region fans will want to wish Venus the best in her upcoming participation at the London Olympics and we are glad to see that she is in good health.”
Venus missed six months of the tour calendar after revealing she was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome last September.
“I’ve been through a lot for years without knowing what I was going through.
It’s all a culmination at the end of the day. I just try to stay positive and focused on the tennis, not let anything get to me,” Venus said during Wimbledon. “But I’m tough, let me tell you, tough as nails.”
On the court Saturday night in her final match before London, Venus is scheduled to battle fellow former No. 1 and Sportimes anchor Martina Hingis. During her distinguished career, Hingis won five Grand Slam singles titles and nine in doubles. She finished as the No. 1 ranked woman three times on the WTA Tour.
The WTT action in Troy continues into next week. On Tuesday evening, July 24 Hall of Famer John McEnroe visits HVCC to play alongside Hingis when the Sportimes host the Boston Lobsters.
Match tickets for Venus/Hingis on Saturday night and McEnroe/Hingis next Tuesday are available by calling 518-393-0440 or for purchase at the box office. Doors open at 6pm both nights.
The 2012 season is the 18th year of World TeamTennis in the Capital Region.
Troy, NY WTT Schedule:
Saturday, July 21 – NY Sportimes v. Washington Kastles, 7:30 p.m., at Hudson Valley Community College/Troy, N.Y. (Sportimes – Hingis; Washington – Venus Williams)
Tuesday, July 24 – NY Sportimes v. Boston Lobsters, 7:30 p.m., at Hudson Valley Community College/Troy, N.Y. (Sportimes – Hingis, McEnroe)
Share
Filed Under: Events, Front Page News Tagged With: , , , ,

Witten, Hingis Lead Sportimes Past Freedoms

NEW YORK – Jesse Witten and Martina Hingis each won a singles and doubles match as the NY Sportimes defeated the Philadelphia Freedoms, 22-16, in World TeamTennis action at Sportime Stadium on Randall’s Island Friday night.

The doubles team of Robert Kendrick and Witten ralled for at 5-3 win in the opening set, winning five of the last six games to top Luka Gregorc and Jordan Kerr.  Hingis then won a singles match over Kristyna Pliskova and mixed doubles with Kendrick, both by 5-3 counts, to lift the Sportimes’ advantage to 15-9.

But Philadelphia battled back behind twins Kristyna and Karolina Pliskova, who beat Hingis and Ashley Harkleroad, 5-2, to trim the Freedoms’ deficit to 17-14.

Witten completed the scoring with a 5-2 singles win over Gregorc for the final margin.

The Sportimes (2-1) visit the Kansas City Explorers on Sunday and Sacramento Capitals on Monday before returning to Randalls Island on Wednesday for a rematch vs. Philadelphia.  The Freedoms (1-2) host Springfield Saturday at Villanova.

By Jerry Milani

World TeamTennis
NY Sportimes 22, Philadelphia Freedoms 16
Men’s Doubles – Robert Kendrick / Jesse Witten (Sportimes) def. Luka Gregorc/Jordan Kerr, 5-3
Women’s Singles – Martina Hingis (Sportimes) def. Kristyna Pliskova, 5-3
Mixed Doubles – Hingis/Kendrick def. Kerr/Karolina Pliskova
Women’s Doubles – Pliskova/Pliskova def. Ashley Harkleroad/Hingis, 5-2
Men’s Singles – Witten def. Gregorc, 5-2

Share
Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news Tagged With: , ,
«Older Posts