World Team Tennis Hingis and Venus As Teammates?

Written by: on 20th March 2014
Dubai Tennis WTA Championships
World Team Tennis Hingis and Venus As Teammates?

epa04095998 Venus Williams of the US celebrates after winning the final match against Alize Cornet of France for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis WTA Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 22 February 2014. EPA/ALI HAIDER  |

The tease of a new Dynamic Duo?

 

Once again, the Washington Kastles – reigning champions of WorldTeam Tennis and owner of the longest unbeaten streak in major league sports – are teasing history.

 

If all goes as planned, longtime bitter rivals Martina Hingis and Venus Williams will be playing for the same team – the Kastles – at the same time when the 2014 Mylan WTT season begins in July. That will be a first. Whether they play in the same match or actually play together in doubles perhaps remains to be seen, but the latest news release from the Kastles teases that possibility.

 

“Hingis will compete in all seven of Washington’s home matches July 6-23, while Williams will play in one home match. Hingis and Williams are also scheduled for one road match each,” according to the March 11 release.

 

As written, that suggests both will be in attendance at one home match together and will “compete” or “play.” That would be a first for the two competitors and am amazing publicity boost to both the Kastles and the league.

 

There is one stumbling block: WTT rules that restrict a team to using only one so-called “marquee player” to play in one match. (For example, one rule states “Each team has a coach and four players; two men and two women – five players if there is a marquee player on the team.”) Williams and Hingis are both “marquee players.”

 

Rules aside, how could it happen? There is the tantalizing possibility of them being a doubles team, which would indeed be historic. The other variants are one plays singles, one plays mixed doubles and then either of them pair with the third woman on the squad — Anastasia Rodionova – for women’s doubles.

 

Hingis and Williams have faced each other countless times in one of tennis’s greatest rivalries. Last year both were on the squad of the champion Kastles, but never on the bench at the same time as players — part of an uneasy handoff where the female leadership shifted from an injured Williams to an ascending Hingis.

 

Their careers have intersected many times. The two stars turned pro within one year of each other, Hingis in October 1994 and Serena in September 1995. Their 1997 U.S. Open final showdown was notable for, among other things, having the two youngest finalists ever.

 

Williams and Hingis met 21 times during their careers. Their overall head-to-head series is 11–10 in Hingis’ favor, with Hingis winning the last battle in the 2006 Italian Open semi-finals in three sets. Their rivalry is one of the best in women’s sports and has been called a “rivalry for the ages.”

 

Now, thanks to WorldTeam Tennis, that rivalry got a rebirth for a few years with Hingis playing for two New York WTT squads and Williams for Washington. That ended last year when Hingis jumped to the Kastles – but not before some memorable battles ranging from their first WTT meeting in July 2010 – in which Williams rallied to win in a tie breaker – to a huge comeback by Williams in July 2012 to snare a 13 point Super Tiebreaker to prevail in the showdown set, giving Washington a 21-20 win and run their unbeaten mark to 25 en route to their eventual record.

 

Hingis and Williams, both former world No. 1s, have combined to win 37 Grand Slam championships in women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles, which comprise three of WTT’s five events.

 

Williams secured the 2012 Eastern Conference and WTT Championships for the Kastles by winning the deciding set in both of those matches. She is off to a terrific start in 2014, capturing the Dubai singles title on Feb. 22 after defeating former World No. 1s Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki. She missed the 2013 WTT season with a back injury.

 

In Williams’ absence, her old rival Hingis helped the Kastles win their fourth overall title in 2013. Hingis is 30-5 in WTT singles play dating back to her first season with New York, highlighted by wins over current World No. 1 Serena Williams and 2014 Australian Open semifinalist Eugenie Bouchard.

 

Williams and Hingis were signed by Washington in the WTT Marquee Draft on Feb. 11. The full roster draft was on March 10 and the Kastles brought back stalwarts Leander Paes, Bobby Reynolds and Anastasia Rodionova, the core of the team that led the Kastles to three straight championships, two perfect seasons and one record-breaking win streak. The Kastles were 14-2 en route to the WTT title last season.

 

Murphy Jensen, two time winner of the WTT Coach of the Year, returns as well.

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