Hingis, Rodionova, Paes Led Kastles to Fantastic Finish in 2014
What is it about Mylan World TeamTennis that brings out the best in the Washington Kastles? After capturing the King Trophy on July 27 for the fourth consecutive season and fifth time in six years, Kastles players took their winning ways with them on the WTA and ATP World Tour.
Leander Paes played for the doubles title at D.C.’s Citi Open one week after the Kastles routed the Springfield Lasers 25-13 in the Mylan WTT Finals.
Six days later, Venus Williams stunned her sister Serena Williams at the Rogers Cup in Montréal, defeating the World No. 1 for the first time in five years.
Four weeks after that, Martina Hingis competed in the 25th Grand Slam final of her Hall-of-Fame career following a Cinderella run with Flavia Pennetta at the US Open.
Hingis, Paes and Anastasia Rodionova all won doubles titles this fall, with Rodionova’s triumph at the Tianjin Open earning her a place in the prestigious year-end WTA Finals.
After another WTT title sparked a sensational end to their season, Kastles players are eager to return to action in Asia, Australia and New Zealand next week. Until they do, enjoy this exclusive Kastle-by-Kastle review of 2014 and a look ahead to the new year.
2014 Year-End Doubles Ranking: No. 11
2014 Tour Record: 27-11 with 3 Titles in 5 Finals
2014 KASTLES REVIEW: Since Hingis joined the Kastles in 2013, Washington is 22-2 with her in the lineup and 4-4 without. In 2014, Hingis went 7-2 in women’s singles, 9-2 in mixed doubles and 10-1 in women’s doubles, bringing her two-year total to 55 sets won and 12 lost. She swept all three of her sets during the Mylan WTT Finals to earn MVP honors and lead the Kastles to a 25-13 victory over the host Springfield Lasers.
BEST KASTLES WIN: Martina Hingis def. Olga Govortsova (Lasers) 5-2 in the Mylan WTT Finals. After Govortsova gave Springfield a 2-0 lead in that set and a 6-5 lead in the match, Hingis won four deciding points to turn the match around for the Kastles.
2014 TOUR REVIEW: Hingis peaked at No. 9 in the world doubles rankings on Oct. 20 despite playing only 14 events in 2014, fewest of any player in the Top 15. She made the most of her matches by capturing WTA Premier titles at Miami, Wuhan and Moscow. Hingis and Pennetta nearly won the US Open too, defeating three seeded teams before falling to Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in a terrific three-set final.
BEST TOUR WIN: Martina Hingis/Flavia Pennetta def. [3] Cara Black/Sania Mirza 6-2, 6-4 in the US Open semifinals. Hingis met Mirza and Black five times with four partners in 2014, highlighted by this win that sent her into her first Grand Slam final since 2006.
2015 PREVIEW: As the youngest women’s or men’s World No. 1 in both singles and doubles, Hingis was the greatest teen in tennis history. In 2015, when she turns 35, the Swiss could rewrite her story by reclaiming the No. 1 doubles ranking. Hingis has 10 ranking points to defend and as many as 7,490 to gain at four of the five biggest tournaments of the year (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, WTA Finals).
2014 Year-End Doubles Ranking: No. 18
2014 Tour Record: 37-20 with 3 Titles in 4 Finals
2014 KASTLES REVIEW: Rodionova and Hingis have won 16 of their last 18 doubles sets dating back to 2013. But Rodionova’s most valuable performance in 2014 came without the Swiss star by her side. Reeling from a 24-10 loss to Springfield, the Kastles needed a road spark against the Boston Lobsters on July 19. Rodionova provided it by sweeping the singles, doubles and mixed doubles sets — all by a 5-1 score.
BEST KASTLES WIN: Anastasia Rodionova def. Sharon Fichman (Lobsters) 5-1 on July 19. Rodionova dominated the 83rd-ranked Fichman all night long, including 5-1 wins in women’s doubles with substitute Shelby Rogers and mixed doubles with Paes.
2014 TOUR REVIEW: Rodionova entered 2014 having teamed with 100 different women during her career. She ended the year still at 100, and stability served her well. Rodionova and former Kastles substitute Alla Kudryavtseva won titles at Brisbane, Dubai and Tianjin; reached career-high rankings of No. 15 on Sept. 8; and defeated US Open champs Makarova and Vesnina 4-6, 6-2, [10-6] in their WTA Finals debut.
BEST TOUR WIN: [6] Anastasia Rodionova/Alla Kudryavtseva def. [1] Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci 7-6(3), 2-6, [10-8] in the China Open quarterfinals. Rodionova was 0-8 against the World No. 1s before beating them in Beijing with Kudryavtseva.
2015 PREVIEW: Coming off a stellar season with Rodionova, Kudryavtseva is reportedly playing with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in 2015. Having a new partner is anything but new for Rodionova; she has teamed with 11 different women at the Australian Open alone. Don’t be surprised to see her back with younger sister and ex-Kastle Arina Rodionova, who ended 2014 at a career-high No. 65 in doubles.
2014 Year-End Doubles Ranking: No. 29
2014 Tour Record: 26-16 with 1 Title in 2 Finals
2014 KASTLES REVIEW: Paes was back at his best for Washington after missing five matches in 2013 with a hamstring injury. The two-time WTT Male MVP won 11 of 16 mixed doubles sets with four different partners and improved to 48-21 all-time in men’s doubles with Bobby Reynolds. A major change awaits Paes in 2015 as the Kastles seek a replacement for Reynolds, who retired following the 2014 Mylan WTT Finals.
BEST KASTLES WIN: Leander Paes/Bobby Reynolds def. Ross Hutchins/Michael Russell (Lasers) 5-2 in the Mylan WTT Finals. The Kastles duo avenged a regular-season loss to Hutchins and Russell, giving Reynolds one last win before retirement.
2014 TOUR REVIEW: Paes extended his run of 18 consecutive seasons with an ATP World Tour doubles title when he and Marcin Matkowski won the Malaysian Open in September. But two of Paes’ other impressive streaks came to an end this year. The 14-time Grand Slam champion failed to reach a major final for the first time since 2002, then he missed out on a 10th-straight appearance at the year-end championships.
BEST TOUR WIN: Leander Paes/Rohan Bopanna def. Ilija Bozoljac/Nenad Zimonjic 1-6, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3, 8-6 in the Davis Cup World Group Playoffs. Paes rallied for his 41st Davis Cup doubles win, one shy of the record set by Nicola Pietrangeli in 1972.
2015 PREVIEW: An important year awaits Paes, who hopes to strengthen his ranking in an effort to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. Paes begins his 2015 campaign with the 99th men’s doubles partner of his career, 2014 Australian Open finalist Raven Klaasen, who plays Mylan WTT for the San Diego Aviators. In mixed doubles, Paes and his Kastles teammate Hingis will make their much-anticipated tour debut at the Australian Open.
Topics: Anastasia Rodionova, Atp, Leander Paes, Mark Eins, Martina Hingis, Mylan WTT, Tennis, Tennis News, Washington Kastles, World Team Tennis, Wta
TEAM #TENNIS NEWS / MARK EINS 2014 @WashKastles YEAR IN REVIEW; 2015 TOUR PREVIEW; CATCH UP ON HIS PLAYERS- http://t.co/v00DefLsuy #MylanWTT
RT @10sBalls_com: TEAM #TENNIS NEWS / MARK EINS 2014 @WashKastles YEAR IN REVIEW; 2015 TOUR PREVIEW; CATCH UP ON HIS PLAYERS- http://t.co/v…
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