MARK EINS WASHINGTON KASTLES UPDATE: PAES BEGINS 25TH SEASON; HINGIS REUNITES WITH LISICKI; MURPHY PLAYS USTA NATIONALS

Written by: Staff on 7th January 2015

MARK EINS WASHINGTON KASTLES UPDATE: PAES BEGINS 25TH SEASON; HINGIS REUNITES WITH LISICKI; MURPHY PLAYS USTA NATIONALS

epa04191245 Swiss tennis player Martina Hingis (R) and German Sabine Lisicki (L) in action during their doubles match against Russian Alla Kudryavtseva and Australian Anastasia Rodionova in the first round of the Mutua Madrid Open played at Caja Magica complex in Madrid, Spain, 04 May 2014. EPA/EMILIO NARANJO |

KASTLES CLIPS

Paes Wins 1st Match of 25th Season with 99th Partner

Hingis Reunites with Lisicki and Federer in Brisbane

Anastasia and Arina Rodionova Teaming Up in 2015

Venus Breezes into Auckland Quarterfinals

Jensen and Son Win 3 Matches at USTA Nationals

Sloane Rehires Longtime Coach Nick Saviano

WTT Ends Year with Smash Hits, Mylan Extension

(Photo Courtesy of Chennai Open on Facebook)

PAES BEGINS 25th PRO SEASON

In the first match of his 25th season on the ATP World Tour, Kastles captain Leander Paes picked up a 6-4, 6-4 win at the Chennai Open (Highlights). Paes is playing with the 99th men’s doubles partner of his career, Raven Klaasen of the San Diego Aviators. The new pair will meet Saketh Myneni and Paes’ longtime partner Mahesh Bhupathi in today’s quarterfinals. Tributes to Paes have poured in, with the ATP publishing a feature on the Indian and the Chennai Open interviewing him for social media.

(Photo by Christopher Levy)

HINGIS BACK WITH OLD PARTNERS

Miami Open champions Martina Hingis and Sabine Lisicki have reunited and reached the semifinals at the Brisbane International without dropping a set. Hingis teamed with Lisicki last spring before beginning a partnership with Flavia Pennetta, who is playing at the Hopman Cup this week. It was 14 years ago at the Hopman Cup that Hingis and Roger Federer led Switzerland to the team title. The Swiss stars were back on the same side of the court for Kids Day in Brisbane. See more photos on Facebook.

(Photo by Kevin Koski)

RODIONOVA SISTERS REUNITE

In need of a partner for 2015, Anastasia Rodionova has turned to her sister Arina Rodionova. Anastasia, 32, and Arina, 25, won their opener in Brisbane before being edged 6-3, 2-6, [11-9] by No. 1 seeds Su-Wei Hsieh and Sania Mirza, who have combined to win five Grand Slam titles in women’s and mixed doubles. The Rodionovas have teamed off-and-on since 2004, winning two ITF titles and reaching six WTA semifinals. In 2012, Anastasia joined Arina on the Kastles’ roster and helped Washington go 16-0.

(Photo Courtesy of Photosport & NZ Festival of Tennis)

VENUS EASES INTO AUCKLAND QF

Coming off a 32-14 season, World No. 19 Venus Williams is starting 2015 just as she began 2014 at the ASB Classic. Though the event is 18 time zones from her Florida residence, Williams appears right at home in Auckland, where she reached last year’s final and lost only six games in wins this week over Jana Cepelova and Kurumi Nara. “My goal for this year is to try and perform the way I know that I can on the court,” Williams told WTAtennis.com. “I have a good feeling about playing tennis this year.”

(Photo Courtesy of Murphy Jensen on Facebook)

JENSEN & SON PLAY NATIONALS

Kastles coach Murphy Jensen returned to the court Dec. 5-6 at the USTA National Hard Court Championships. Jensen competed in the Father-Son division with his 15-year-old son Billy Givens, an active junior player at USTA Southern California events. The unseeded team of Jensen and Givens won three matches before falling in the Round of 16. USC men’s tennis coach Peter Smith and USC freshman Tanner Smith won the title. Jensen, himself, played for the Trojans in 1988 and 1989.

SAVIANO COACHING STEPHENS

Sloane Stephens is turning to a familiar face for guidance going into the Australian Open. Nick Saviano has signed on to be Stephens’ latest coach after Paul Annacone and Thomas Hogstedt worked with the 21-year-old American in 2014. Saviano served as Stephens’ coach throughout much of her youth, helping her win the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open junior doubles titles in 2010. Last season, Saviano led 20-year-old Eugenie Bouchard to the Wimbledon final and a Top 5 ranking.

WTT”S SMASHING END TO 2014

World No. 10 Martina Hingis swept her sets on Dec. 7 at Mylan WTT Smash Hits, the annual charity match benefiting the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Though her team lost 22-16 overall, Hingis won women’s doubles 5-4 with Heather Watson and mixed doubles 5-3 with her former New York Sportimes partner John McEnroe. There was more good news to come out of London last month: Mylan renewed its title sponsorship of World TeamTennis through 2017, which will be the Kastles’ 10th season in the league.

Topics: Anastasia Rodionova, Atp, Leander Paes, Mark Eins, Martina Hingis, Murphy Jensen, Sabine Lisicki, Sloane Stephens, Tennis, Venus Williams, Washington Kastles

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10sBalls_com says:

January 7, 2015 at 7:32 pm

MARK EINS @WashKastles UPDATE: @Leander BEGINS 25TH SEASON; @mhingis REUNITES WITH @sabinelisicki … http://t.co/uJHXae6zCQ #tennis