Brengle Leads Kastles Past Empire in WTT Action

The New York Empire presented by Citi lost tonight’s World TeamTennis presented by GEICO match, 24-14, to the Washington Kastles at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Washington improves to 5-2 on the season while the Empire remains winless.

Mardy Fish made his season debut for the Empire with a statement win in the first set, rallying from a 4-2 deficit to win, 5-4, over the Kastles’ Tennys Sandgren.

The Empire’s first-set momentum, however, was short lived as Madison Brengle gave Washington a 9-5 lead heading into the third set. Brengle never took her foot off the gas taking the set, 5-0, from New York’s Tatjana Maria.

Fish returned to the court teamed with Neal Skupski to face the Kastles’ Robert Lindstedt and Sandgren in the men’s doubles and third set. After the Empire forced a tiebreaker, the Kastles proved to be too much taking the tiebreaker, 5-3, and ultimately the set, 5-4.

Another tiebreaker with the same outcome came in the fourth set. The Kastles’ women’s doubles team of Brengle and Nicole Melichar were pushed to the limit by New York’s Maria and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez before taking the set, 5-4, giving Washington a 19-13 lead heading into the final act.

Washington’s Lindstedt and Melichar pounced on the Empire’s Skupski and Martinez Sanchez early and cruised to win the set, 5-1, bringing the final score to, 24-14, in favor of the Kastles.

►Men’s Singles:                 Fish (NYE) def. Sandgren (WAS), 5-4
►Women’s Singles:           Brengle (WAS) def. Maria (NYE), 5-0
►Men’s Doubles:               Lindstedt/Sandgren (WAS) def. Fish/Skupski (NYE), 5-4
►Women’s Doubles:         Brengle/Melichar (WAS) def. Maria/Martinez Sanchez (NYE), 5-4
►Mixed Doubles:               Melichar/Lindstedt (WAS) def. Martinez Sanchez/Skupski (NYE), 5-1

The Empire host the Springfield (Mo.) Lasers and Orange County (Calif.) Breakers on Wednesday, July 25 and Thursday, July 26, respectively. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m. 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 2with the No. 1-seeded team hosting the championship match for the King Trophy on August 5.

For more information on World TeamTennis, visit www.WTT.com. 

Follow the New York Empire on Instagram and Twitter, and like us on Facebook.