Washington wins 27th straight match
Tuesday night before the Washington Kastles tried to extend their World TeamTennis record winning streak, introductions were necessary.
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With the Olympic Games eliminating Venus Williams, Leander Paes and Anastasia Rodionova, and a wrist injury sidelining Arina Rodionova, the Kastles put three new faces on the court for their match with the Philadelphia Freedoms.
The new Washington Kastles replacement players: Treat Huey, Raquel Kops-Jones and Edina Gallovits-Hall. The names were unfamiliar, but the result was somehow the same as Washington won its 27th straight match and the last one this year at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf, 21-16.
In their respective debuts with the Kastles, Huey and Kops-Jones were an instant success in mixed doubles, defeating Jordan Kerr and Kristyna Pliskova 5-3. Huey, 26, is a former University of Virginia All-American who grew up in Alexandria and attended St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes.
“We were nervous our first few points. Other than that she and I played real well,” Huey said. “All this fan support — I love this atmosphere. It was a college atmosphere.”
After Washington (11-0) lost in both the men’s and women’s doubles, the Kastles were down 13-11. But Gallovits-Hall, who made her Kastles debut on Friday night, broke in the fifth game of the women’s singles to take control against Pliskova in a 5-3 victory that drew the match even, setting the scene for Washington’s “closer” Bobby Reynolds.
During the Kastles’ streak, Reynolds has finished off 17 of the matches. Tuesday was more clutch work from the 30-year-old as his powerful serve, crisp work on the baseline and intensity were too much for Luka Gregorc in a 5-0 sweep. Reynolds closed out the match with a service winner and dropped to his back with both fists clenched.
Considering the crew of new teammates he led, it might have been his most satisfying closeout as a Kastle.
“I felt like I could go out there and get the 5-4. That’s all that was needed,” Reynolds said. “[The new players] did unbelievable. They got us the lead, gave us a lot of confidence going in. I think we’ll be able to build on it.”
The Kastles play their final three matches on the road in a span of four days.
