With 32 consecutive wins and back-to-back perfect seasons, the Washington Kastles return to the Southwest Waterfront this month on the cusp of making history.
The three-time World TeamTennis champion Kastles have already surpassed the longest winning streaks in NFL, MLB, NHL, WNBA and MLS history. The 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers won 33 straight NBA games, but that mark is in jeopardy this month.
Venus Williams leads the Kastles in a pair of must-see home matches to start the season – against the New York Sportimes on July 8th and the Boston Lobsters on July 9th. Should the Kastles beat both the Sportimes and Lobsters, they will run their winning streak to 34 and pass the Lakers’ longstanding record.
Leander Paes, Bobby Reynolds, Anastasia Rodionova and Coach Murphy Jensen are all returning from Washington’s 2012 championship team. They will be joined by reigning WTT Female MVP and former singles and doubles World No. 1 Martina Hingis for matches July 15-24. But the competition coming to DC is fierce, highlighted by Andy Roddick of the Springfield Lasers on July 11th.
Washington is 14-0 at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf since the venue’s debut on July 5th, 2011, with tens of thousands of fans flocking to the Southwest Waterfront for world-class tennis. The Kastles will be counting on the same home-court advantage this season, beginning on July 8th.
All fans in attendance on opening night will receive a complimentary Kastles championship T-shirt, courtesy of GEICO.
If history is any indication, Win No. 33 in a row won’t come easy for the Kastles. Six prior matches between Washington and New York have ended in a Supertiebreaker, including three during the Kastles’ current unbeaten run. Washington saved a combined 10 match points to sweep the Sportimes in those matches.
Venus Williams and the Kastles return one night later on July 9th for a potential record-breaking match with the Lobsters. Washington is 10-0 all-time with Williams in the lineup, which bodes well for the Kastles as they play to extend their winning streak into the history books.
In Washington’s third home match of the season, former World No. 1 and US Open champion Andy Roddick heads the Springfield Lasers against the Kastles on July 11th. Roddick went 30-6 with three titles at DC’s Citi Open, where he routinely played to sold-out crowds. His debut at Kastles Stadium should be no different, so you’ll want to get your tickets before it’s too late.
Washington welcomes Martina Hingis to the team July 15-24 for the final four home matches of the regular season. The former Sportime led the league the last two seasons in women’s singles with a 20-4 record, defeating World No. 1 Serena Williams and 11 other players currently ranked in the WTA Top 200.
The Eastern and Western Conference teams that finish the regular season with the best records will host their respective conference championship matches on July 25, with the Eastern Conference champion hosting the WTT Finals on July 28.
That means that Kastles Stadium at The Wharf could play host to the Eastern Conference Championship match and the Finals, which would make for a total of nine matches on the Southwest Waterfront this summer.
Children 16-and-under are invited to come onto the court and get autographs from all home and visiting players after each match. The Kastles’ popular racquet giveaway program will continue for a sixth straight season, providing children at all home matches with a free junior racquet, based on availability.
No seat inside the intimate Kastles Stadium is further than 15 rows from the court, and tickets start at only $15 through Ticketmaster.com. All seven home matches during the regular season begin at 7:00 p.m. Members of the Southwest community can enjoy a 10% discount by entering the code SWDC10.