Kastles Use Super Tiebreaker to Beat Empire
Empire Fall to 0-2 in World TeamTennis presented by GEICO
For the second consecutive night the New York Empire presented by Citi took an early lead, only to see the Washington Kastles come back and rally for the victory, 21-20.
The Empire fall to 0-2 on the young World TeamTennis presented by GEICO season while the Kastles improve to 2-0.
The Empire won two of the three doubles sets to take a 14-11 lead heading into singles play and were paced by the play of former UCLA star Dennis Novikov, who was making his Empire debut. Novikov teamed with Neal Skupski to down the tough team of Frances Tiafoe and Robert Lindstedt, 5-3, to conclude doubles play.
The Kastles took a 16-14 lead after four sets following Madison Brengle’s 5-1 win over the Empire’s Tatjana Maria, 5-1, in women’s singles.
Down 2-4 in the final men’s singles set, Novikov used his big serve and a timely break of Tiafoe’s serve to beat the young 20-year-old Tiafoe, 5-4, and knot the match at 20-all forcing a super tiebreaker to decide the match.
Tiafoe, who grew up in nearby College Park, Md., and is currently ranked a career-high No. 45 in the ATP World Tour singles rankings, proved too tough in the first to seven-point super tiebreaker pulling out a 7-4 win to clinch the match that ended when Novikov hit a baseline backhand into the net.
The match opened with mixed doubles play as the team of Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Neal Skupski beat Christina McHale and Lindstedt for the early 5-3 lead. In women’s doubles, the team of Brengle and McHale got past Maria and Martinez Sanchez, 5-4.
â–ºMixed Doubles: Martinez Sanchez/Skupski (NYE) def. McHale/Lindstedt (WAS), 5-3
►Women’s Doubles: Brengle/McHale (WAS) def. Maria/Martinez Sanchez (NYE), 5-4
►Men’s Doubles: Novikov/Skupski (NYE) def. Tiafoe/Lindstedt (WAS), 5-3
►Women’s Singles: Brengle (WAS) def. Maria (NYE), 5-1
►Men’s Singles: Novikov (NYE) def. Tiafoe (WAS), 5-4
â–ºSuper tiebreaker: Tiafoe (WAS) def. Novikov (NYE) 1-0 (7-4)
The New York Empire return home to Court 17 at the Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center on Wednesday, July 18 at 7:00 p.m. as they host the Philadelphia Freedoms.
