Naming of female Davis Cup captain sparks debate

Sam Querrey, a U.S. Davis Cup veteran serving in his
6-3, 6-2 win today over Rhyne Williams in the second
round of the Tiburon Challenger, said it's "fine" that Spain
chose a female Cup captain. Photo by Paul Bauman

   TIBURON, Calif. -- Apparently, it's a generational thing.
   U.S. Davis Cup veteran Sam Querrey, who turned 27 on Tuesday, said today it's "fine" that Spain recently appointed Gala Leon as the first female captain (Davis Cup lingo for coach) in the 114-year history of the prestigious international men's competition.
   But Tom Gullikson, a 63-year-old former U.S. Davis Cup captain who's coaching Querrey part-time, called it "strange."
   Querrey, the top seed in this week's $100,000 First Republic Bank Tiburon Challenger, hadn't heard the news about Leon.
   But after dispatching countryman Rhyne Williams 6-3, 6-2 in 57 minutes to reach the quarterfinals at the Tiburon Peninsula Club, Querrey thought for a moment and opined: "I think it's fine. She's got a lot of guys to pick from, and I'm sure she'll do a good job. I'm sure it'll be a little different at first, but we've kind of seen it with (Amelie) Mauresmo coaching (Andy) Murray."
    Gullikson came to Tiburon, a wealthy enclave across the bay from Querrey's native San Francisco, for the first time this week. He had heard about the selection of the 40-year-old Leon, who reached a career-high No. 27 on the women's tour in 2000. 

Tom Gullikson, a USTA coach and former U.S.
Davis Cup captain, said he probably wouldn't
  pick a woman to lead a men's team.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   "Very interesting choice because Spain has had so many great former players who would probably be well qualified from their playing days to be the captain," said Gullikson, a lead national coach for the USTA. "I'm not really privy to the why and the how, so I wouldn't want to speculate why they hired her.
   "It probably wouldn't be my first choice if I was hiring a Davis Cup captain. Even in Fed Cup (the women's version of the Davis Cup), I think it's better to hire a female coach. They know women's tennis, and they've been in the women's locker room. It just makes sense to me. Strange hire, I think."
   Toni Nadal, Rafael's coach and uncle, strongly opposes the choice of Leon. He argues that she poses logistical problems in the locker room and "doesn't know men's tennis."
   But as the esteemed Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated noted in his Sept. 24 Tennis Mailbag at si.com, Toni Nadal "never played at a competitive level, male or female, yet grasps the game just fine."
   Similarly, Querrey dismissed concerns about the locker room and Gala's knowledge of men's tennis.
   "You don't always have to stay in the locker room," said Querrey, who has won 14 straight matches since losing to top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the third round of the U.S. Open. "You can change in the locker room and then go to a common room and hang out there. That's what we do a lot of times anyway, so I don't think that's a huge issue.
   "She hasn't played (men's tennis), but I'm sure she watches it a lot. I'm sure she's up to date on how the men play, the strategy, things like that. I'm sure they asked her those questions and (about) her philosophy before hiring her."
   Gullikson, who led the United States to the 1995 Davis Cup title, disagreed about Leon's ability to coach men, even though men commonly work with women on the WTA tour.
   Men's and women's tennis, Gullikson said, "are different sports. I think both the women and the men would say that. Men are men, and women are women. We're different. The men play a lot different than the women. They're different emotionally as well.
   "The men can really dominate a match with their serve and forehand, and (they're) obviously very athletic.They can hit amazing shots when they're off balance and out of position. The top four or five players also can defend the court incredibly well. Outside the doubles lines, they can still defend the ball and even hit good shots.
   "Serena (Williams) dominates the women's tour with her serve. She's got a lot of power and a lot of weapons, but you look at somebody like (Caroline) Wozniacki, who was No. 1 in the world without ever winning a Slam, and she really doesn't make winners. She wins on other girls' mistakes, and she's very consistent and competes well. Obviously, she's had a nice run this summer, getting to the final of the (U.S.) Open, but she doesn't have the power to win points like the guys do."
   Gullikson -- who has coached Jim Courier, Todd Martin, Jennifer Capriati and CoCo Vandeweghe, among other men and women -- added that "the women get a little more emotional than the guys do, in my experience."
   Maybe it doesn't matter who serves as a nation's Davis Cup captain. As Wertheim wrote: "Davis Cup captaincy is not exactly a deep dive into the inner works of tennis. The job requirements: Pick a lineup, go to some ITF dinners and, once you learn the ins and outs, tell players Vamos on changeovers."
   Gullikson also discussed:
   --On-court coaching, which is allowed on the WTA tour but not the men's ATP World Tour.
   "I'm not a big fan of on-court coaching in the WTA events. It makes it look like the girls can't figure it out themselves. That's wrong because most of the girls who get into the top 100 know how to play, construct points and compete. Otherwise, they wouldn't be there. Figuring out how to play and being responsible for your own tennis is a big part of growing and maturing as a player.
   "I hate it when players have to look at their coach after every point for either approval or some hand signal of what to do next. I don't believe in that. Twin brother Tim (Gullikson) coached Pete Sampras for five years until he got stricken with the brain cancer (and died in 1996). Pete never looked up at Tim. Tim would yell encouragement from the stands, but (Sampras) knew how to play and handle different situations on the court.
   "If you do a good enough job coaching, your players should be ready to handle anything that happens on the court. They should be ready for any kind of contingency and be able to change tactics and patterns themselves."
   --Whether there has been a changing of the guard in men's tennis this year.
   "I think (Marin) Cilic's win this year, beating (Kei) Nishikori in the (U.S. Open) final, was great. Having (Stan) Wawrinka and Cilic win a Slam this year gives all those guys in the next tier below the Big Four hope that, "Maybe I'm the next guy. I can do it, too.'
   "I think it's healthy. When you see all the same guys winning all the Slams, as great of tennis players as they are and as good as the story lines are, I think it's healthy for the sport when other people come up and break through."
   --Whether Roger Federer, 33, will add to his record 17 Grand Slam singles titles.
   "I hope so. I'd love to see him win one more. I think his best chance is at Wimbledon on the grass because that's where his slice backhand is most effective. Of all the top players, he is by far the best volleyer. And working with Stefan Edberg, who volleyed unbelievably well, I'm sure Stefan is encouraging Roger as he gets older to shorten the points and try to win more points at the net."
   --Whether the struggling United States has any potential Grand Slam champions in men's singles.
   "We have a lot of good young players. The birth year '96, '97 and '98, I think we've got the best players in the world at that age. This year, we had (seven) kids in the round of 16 at (junior) Wimbledon and three of the four semifinalists.
   "Young Jared Donaldson is doing well here, Stefan Kozlov got to the final last week in Sacramento, Francis Tiafoe won the Orange Bowl last year, and Taylor Fritz from Southern Cal has done pretty well in some of the Futures events."
   --American Jack Sock, who's ranked 60th in the world at age 22.
   "Sock beat Nishikori today in the second round in Shanghai. He's starting to have some signature wins. That's his first win over a top-10 player.
   "So, yeah, there's light at the end of the tunnel." 

$100,000 FIRST REPUBLIC BANK TIBURON CHALLENGER

At Tiburon Peninsula Club

Second-round singles

   Bjorn Fratangelo, United States, def. Louk Sorensen, Ireland, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
   Matt Reid, Australia, def. Fritz Wolmarans, South Africa, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.
   James McGee, Ireland, def. Jordan Thompson, Australia, 7-6 (0), 6-3.
   Sam Querrey (1), United States, def. Rhyne Williams, United States, 6-3, 6-2.

First-round doubles

   James Cluskey, Ireland, and Frederik Nielsen, Denmark, def. Adam Hubble and John-Patrick Smith, Australia, 2-6, 6-3 [10-5].
   Thomas Fabbiano and Luca Vanni, Italy, def. Alex Bolt, Australia, and Frank Dancevic, Canada, 6-4, 6-2.
   Chase Buchanan and Tennys Sandgren, United States, def. Nils Langer, Germany, and Louk Sorensen, Ireland, 5-1, retired.
   Sekou Bangoura and Vahid Mirzadeh, United States, def. Sebastian Bader, Austria, and Erik Elliott, United States, 5-7, 6-4 [10-8].
   Carsten Ball and Matt Reid, Australia, def. Thiemo de Bakker and Wesley Koolhof, Netherlands, 6-3, 7-6 (4).
   Bradley Klahn, United States, and Adil Shamasdin (2), Canada, def. Dennis Novikov, San Jose, and Greg Ouellette, United States, 4-6, 6-1 [10-5].

Thursday's schedule

(Starting at 10 a.m.)

Stadium Court

   John Millman, Australia, vs. Liam Broady, Great Britain.
   Bradley Klahn (3), United States, vs. Marcos Giron, United States. (not before noon).
   Tim Smyczek (2), United States, vs. Jared Donaldson, United States (not before 3 p.m.).
   Bradley Klahn, United States, and Adil Shamasdin (2), Canada, vs. Julio Peralta, Chile, and Matt Seeberger, Los Altos (not before 4:30 p.m.).

Court 1

   Marcus Daniell and Artem Sitak (1), New Zealand, vs. Thomas Fabbiano and Luca Vanni, Italy.
   James Cluskey, Ireland, and Frederik Nielsen, Denmark, vs. Chase Buchanan and Tennys Sandgren, United States.
   John-Patrick Smith, Australia, vs. Nils Langer, Germany (not before 1:30 p.m.).
   Sekou Bangoura and Vahid Mirzadeh (4), United States, vs. Carsten Ball and Matt Reid, Australia.

Redding notes: Title puts Gullickson back on track

Qualifier Chelsey Gullickson rebounded from recent adversity
to win the $25,000 USTA Oak River Rehab Challenger
in Redding, Calif. Photos by Paul Bauman

   Leftovers from the recent $25,000 USTA Oak River Rehab Challenger in Redding, Calif.:
   That's more like it -- Chelsey Gullickson reversed a rough stretch by winning the singles title as a qualifier.
   Gullickson ended her college career on a bad note in May, then sprained her right ankle in practice the week before making her professional debut in Lexington, Ky., in July. She aggravated the injury in the second round of qualifying, lost the match and withdrew from Vancouver the following week. Redding was her first tournament since Lexington.
   Gullickson won the 2010 NCAA singles title on her home courts as a sophomore at Georgia. The tournament returned to Athens, Ga., this year, but Gullickson lost in the first round.
   "I put a bunch of pressure on myself to do the same thing," she said after reaching the Redding quarterfinals. "It was really upsetting. Then I go to Lexington and hurt my ankle. That was upsetting, but I just went back to the practice court. I'm happy to be out here."

Allie Will lost to Gullickson in the final. They were
Southeastern Conference rivals.

   The 5-foot-11Gullickson, 22, went on to beat former Southeastern Conference rival Allie Will 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in the final for her second title in a pro tournament. She won a $25,000 event on clay in Raleigh, N.C., as a high school senior in May 2008.
   The 5-foot-10 Will also turned pro in July, after leading Florida to its second consecutive NCAA team title as a junior.
   Gullickson's mother, Sandy, played tennis at Western Kentucky. She introduced the game to Chelsey's older sister, Carly, and Chelsey tagged along. Carly became a professional player and won the 2009 U.S. Open mixed doubles title with Travis Parrott.
   The sisters' father, Bill, pitched in the major leagues for 14 years (1979-94, including a stint in Japan). Chelsey, who was 4 when he retired, has only faint memories of him as a pitcher.
   "I remember he played for the (Detroit) Tigers, and they had family picture day," she said. "We all dressed in Tigers uniforms. He'd walk out of the house to go to work, and we'd all be hugging his feet not to go."
   So is Chelsey a baseball fan?
   "Actually, no. It's a slow-paced game for me. I'm used to tennis being fast, fast," she said, snapping her fingers.     
   Comeback kid -- Another player happy to be back on the court was 21-year-old Canadian Rebecca Marino, who lost in the second round after returning from a 6 1/2-month sabbatical.

Rebecca Marino, a former top-40 player,
says she "did the right thing" by taking
a 6 1/2-month sabbatical.

   "I was at the point where my body was telling me I needed a break," said the 6-foot Marino, who reached a career-high No. 38 in the world last year. "I could either listen to my body and prolong my career or keep going and struggle more. There were also some personal matters that I'd rather not discuss. I feel I did the right thing."
   Added Marino: "It was not an easy decision. There's a coaching team depending on you, and it's my source of income."
   Marino spent most of her time off at home in Vancouver, British Columbia.
   "I reconnected with a lot of friends and had a lot of family time," she said. "I spent time with my brother (a junior rower at Cal) and learned to snowboard. It went miserably for me. I did a backflip and landed on my face."
   Marino said she watched "bits and pieces" of the U.S. Open women's final, in which Serena Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka, on television.
   Marino played on the same court, Arthur Ashe Stadium, two years ago in the U.S. Open. As a qualifier, she lost to Venus Williams 7-6 (3), 6-3 in a second-round day match televised across the United States and Canada.
   Two things about that encounter stand out to Marino. 
   "Firstly, I felt really comfortable in that situation," she recalled. "It surprised me, because it was new territory for me.
   "And Venus is such a great athlete. She's intimidating in a sense because she's tall with a cut physique. She hit so hard, it was unbelievable. It was a great experience and helped build my game a lot."
   The tennis whisperer -- Mercifully, no players shrieked like Maria Sharapova or Azarenka during matches on Tuesday or Wednesday of the Redding tournament.
   But Angelina Gabueva made a whistling noise while blowing every time she hit the ball.
   The 23-year-old Russian reached the quarterfinals before losing to qualifier Kristie Ahn, a Stanford junior.
   Unlikely partners -- Elizabeth Ferris, who lost to Gabueva in the second round, tells a humorous story about how she hooked up with fellow American Nadia Echeverria Alam in doubles at the $50,000 FSP Gold River Women's Challenger in the Sacramento area in May.
   Ferris, 26, of Anaheim, had beaten Echeverria Alam, 17, of Miami, in singles one year previously.
   "We didn't have the best on-court relationship," Ferris said in Gold River. "It was rocky. Out of the blue, she asked me to play doubles. It's funny how it worked out."
   Ferris elaborated on the friction between her and Echeverria Alam.
   "She's young and probably felt she should have beaten me. She was making fun of the way I played. I use slice, placement and spin. My game is the opposite of hers. She's a typical young player with a lot of pace," Ferris said. 
   "She was making comments to her parents: 'This is girls 12s, not women's tennis.' I was pretty shocked by her behavior, but I got to know her, and everything's been fine."
   At Echeverria Alam's request, she and Ferris wore multicolored knee socks on their right legs only during their first-round loss in Gold River to second seeds and eventual champions Asia Muhammad and Yasmin Schnack.
   "(Echeverria Alam) has a fun personality, and it loosens her up," Ferris said. "Whatever I can do to loosen her up and make it fun, I'll be glad to do as her doubles partner."
   Echeverria Alam, a Venezuela native, also wore pink war paint -- actually lipstick -- under her eyes.
   "She tried to get me to do it, but I sweat a lot," Ferris said. "I knew it would be all over my face."

Venus, Kastles edge Capitals for WTT title

   Once again, CoCo Vandeweghe was in control against a Williams sister in a final.
   And once again, Vandeweghe lost.
   Venus Williams defeated Vandeweghe in a tiebreaker Sunday to give the Washington Kastles a 20-19 victory in the WTT Finals in Charleston, S.C. Two months ago, Vandeweghe held a set point in the first set against Serena Williams only to fall in straight sets in the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford. In both cases, the 20-year-old Vandeweghe self-destructed with double faults and unforced errors.
   Washington went 16-0 for the second straight year and won its third WTT title in the last four years. With a victory in their season opener next July, the Kastles can tie the Los Angeles Lakers for the longest winning streak in the history of U.S. team sports at 33.
   Sacramento (8-8) was trying to add to its record six WTT titles. Their last one came on their home court five years ago.
   Venus Williams, a five-time Wimbledon singles champion, was named the Finals MVP after winning all three of her sets (women's doubles, mixed doubles and the decisive women's singles). She continues to cope with a strength-sapping autoimmune disease that sidelined her from September 2011 through last March.
   Although Williams played on championship teams in Philadelphia and Washington, this was the first WTT Finals for the 32-year-old veteran.
   Vandeweghe, the 2008 U.S. Open girls singles champion and niece of former NBA star Kiki Vandeweghe, was drafted by Washington in 2009 but traded to Sacramento before the season. She played one season for the Capitals and two for the Boston Lobsters before returning to Sacramento part-time this season.
   Sunday's match was tied 15-15 entering the last set between Williams and Vandeweghe, both 6-foot-1. Vandeweghe broke Williams' serve at love to lead 3-2, but the Washington star broke right back with the help of a double fault. Both players then held serve to force a best-of-nine-point tiebreaker.
   Williams committed two errors on her serve to trail 2-0. Washington called a timeout, and Leander Paes of the Kastles jogged onto the court to talk with Williams.
   "I just told her she's one of the greatest of all time," said the 39-year-old Paes, who has won seven Grand Slam men's doubles crowns. " 'Go have fun and hit your shots.' "
   Williams won the next five points for the match and title. In order, Vandeweghe ripped a backhand barely wide, double-faulted, netted a forehand, flailed at a Williams service winner and swatted a forehand way long.
   After the last point, Vandeweghe slammed her racket to the court, and Williams was mobbed by her teammates and coach, Murphy Jensen.
   "CoCo played her heart out," said the Capitals' always-upbeat coach, Wayne Bryan. "I'm very proud of our team, and congratulations to the Kastles."
   See below for full results.
   Women's Challenger in Redding, Calif. -- In a battle of former Southeastern Conference rivals, qualifier Chelsey Gullickson of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., outlasted unseeded Allie Will of Boca Raton, Fla., 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 to win the $25,000 USTA Oak River Rehab Challenger at Sun Oaks Tennis & Fitness.
   Gullickson, 5-foot-11, won the 2010 NCAA singles title on her home courts as a sophomore at Georgia. Her father, Bill, went 162-136 as a pitcher during his 14-year major-league career, and her older sister, Carly, won the 2009 U.S. Open mixed doubles title with Travis Parrott.
   Will, 5-foot-10, turned pro after leading Florida to its second straight NCAA team title in May as a junior.
   In an All-American doubles final, fourth-seeded Jacqueline Cako and Sanaz Marand topped second-seeded Macall Harkins and Chieh-Yu Hsu 7-6 (5), 7-5.

 WASHINGTON 20, CAPITALS 19

   Men's singles -- Kevin Anderson (Capitals) def. Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) 5-3.
   Women's doubles -- Venus Williams-Anastasia Rodionova (Kastles) def. Yasmin Schnack-Asia Muhammad (Capitals) 5-1.
   Men's doubles -- Mark Knowles-Anderson (Capitals) def. Reynolds-Leander Paes (Kastles) 5-2.
   Mixed doubles -- Paes-Williams (Kastles) def. Knowles-Vandeweghe (Capitals) 5-4.
   Women's singles -- Williams (Kastles) def. Vandeweghe (Capitals) 5-4.

Capitals face daunting task in WTT final

   If the Sacramento Capitals win their seventh World TeamTennis title today to extend their record, they will have earned it.
   All Sacramento has to do is beat one of the most dominant teams in U.S. sports history.
   The defending champion Washington Kastles, led by Venus Williams, reached the WTT final with a 19-15 victory over the New York Sportimes on Saturday in Charleston, S.C.
   Washington (15-0) has won 31 consecutive matches, second to the Los Angeles Lakers' 33 straight in 1971-72 among U.S. teams, dating to July 22, 2010.
    Sacramento, meanwhile, barely qualified for the playoffs with a 7-7 record. The Capitals beat the Orange County Breakers 25-15 Friday in the Western Conference final in Charleston.
   Today's title match will be shown live on NBCSN at 12:30 p.m. PDT.
   The 32-year-old Williams has won 22 Grand Slam titles (seven in singles, 13 in women's doubles and two in mixed doubles). Joining her on the Kastles are 39-year-old Leander Paes, who has earned 13 Grand Slam crowns (seven in men's doubles and six in mixed doubles) and two WTT Male MVP awards; Bobby Reynolds, this year's WTT Male MVP and the 2010 league Rookie of the Year; and Anastasia Rodionova, a former Capital ranked 22nd in the world in women's doubles.
   Sacramento will counter with Kevin Anderson, a 6-foot-8 South African ranked 37th in the world in men's singles; 40-year-old Mark Knowles, a three-time WTT Male MVP formerly ranked No. 1 in men's doubles; CoCo Vandeweghe, a 6-foot-1 American who's 88th in the world in women's singles at 20 years old; and top-200 women's doubles players Yasmin Schnack and Asia Muhammad.
   In the only meeting between Washington and Sacramento during the regular season, the host Kastles won 21-19 in overtime on its sixth match point. And that was without Williams, a part-time player for Washington.
   Women's Challenger in Redding -- Former Southeastern Conference rivals Chelsey Gullickson and Allie Will reached today's singles final of the $25,000 USTA Oak River Rehab Challenge at Sun Oaks Tennis & Fitness.
   They will meet after the 12:30 p.m. doubles final between second-seeded Macall Harkins and Chieh-Yu Hsu and fourth-seeded Jacqueline Cako and Sanaz Marand.
   Gullickson, the 2010 NCAA singles champion from Georgia and daughter of former major-league pitcher Bill Gullickson, downed fellow qualifier Kristie Ahn 0-6, 6-1, 6-2. Ahn, a Stanford junior, eliminated top-seeded Florencia Molinero of Argentina in the first round.
   Will, who led Florida to the last two NCAA team titles, beat Sachie Ishizu of Japan 6-4, 6-4 in a matchup of unseeded players.
   The 5-foot-11 Gullickson completed her eligibility in May, and the 5-foot-10 Will turned pro in July after her junior year.
   Gullickson went 3-0 against Will in college. In their last meeting, Gullickson won 6-1, 6-4 in March.

'Late bloomer' scores huge upset in Redding

Qualifier Katie Le, a junior at Santa Clara, stunned
second-seeded Veronica Cepede Royg of Paraguay
6-2, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals of the $25,000
USTA Oak River Rehab Challenger in Redding.
Photos by Paul Bauman

   REDDING, Calif. -- In an upset-filled tournament, Katie Le pulled off the biggest one Thursday.
   It seemed nothing could top qualifier Kristie Ahn's straight-set victory over top-seeded Florencia Molinero on Wednesday in the first round of the $25,000 USTA Oak River Rehab Challenger.
   But the 6-2, 6-4 triumph by Le, another qualifier, over second-seeded Veronica Cepede Royg in the second round at Sun Oaks Tennis & Fitness was even more stunning.
   Both Ahn and Le (pronounced Lee) will begin their junior year at universities in the San Francisco Bay Area this month. But Ahn is a high-profile, albeit injury-prone, player from powerful Stanford who qualified for the U.S. Open in women's singles at 16 years old and has won professional tournaments.
   Le, on the other hand, was lightly recruited out of high school in the Bay Area suburb of Milpitas and settled for a full scholarship at obscure Santa Clara, a few miles down the road from Stanford. She needed a wild card to get into the qualifying event for the Oak River Rehab Challenger, her first pro tournament. As amateurs, Le and Ahn can accept only expense money. 
   "I would have loved to (go to Cal or Stanford), but I wasn't good enough," the 5-foot-6 Le conceded. "You could say I'm a late bloomer."
   Also falling Thursday were No. 4 Chieh-Yu Hsu of San Antonio and No. 6 Rebecca Marino, a Canadian formerly ranked in the top 40 in the world. Only one seed, No. 7 Nicola Geuer of Germany, reached today's quarterfinals. But three qualifiers -- Le, Ahn and 2010 NCAA singles champion Chelsea Gullickson -- remain alive.

Qualifier Chelsey Gullickson, the daughter
of former major-league pitcher Bill Gullickson,
defeated fourth-seeded Chieh-Yu Hsu 6-4, 6-3.

   Last season, Le became the first player in Santa Clara history to earn a berth in the NCAA Division I Singles Championships, losing in the first round, and the second Bronco woman to be named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year in tennis.
   "I've improved a lot in college, maybe because of all the training and match play I got," said Le, who also was named to the WCC All-Academic team with a 3.81 grade-point average in computer engineering.
   Le now owns a victory over a top-200 player. Cepede Royg, a 20-year-old Paraguayan, is No. 188.
   Le was much fresher for the match, despite having played three matches to Cepede Royg's one in the tournament. Le lost only two games in two qualifying matches and dispatched Vojislava Lukic of Serbia 6-4, 6-3 Wednesday in the first round. 
   Cepede Royg, meanwhile, survived a draining 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (2) victory over Cal freshman Klara Fabikova of the Czech Republic on Wednesday. The match, played in 95-degree heat, lasted 3 hours, 7 minutes, but Royg said that wasn't a factor against Le.
   "I played some games OK and some not," said Cepede Royg, whose English is limited.
   The Fabikova match might have taken a mental, if not physical, toll on Cepede Royg.
   "She lost focus on some points, and I was able to take advantage," Le said. "She was still playing really well. She hit a lot of deep balls."
   Cepede Royg, only 5-foot-4, has a blistering forehand, but Le ran down a surprising number of shots.
   "On the first ball (back), she'll make it, but not the third or fourth," Le said.     

Unseeded Sachie Ishizu of Japan beat sixth-seeded Rebecca Marino,
a former top-40 player returning from a 6 1/2-month sabbatical, 6-2, 6-2.

   Gullickson, 5-foot-11, overpowered Hsu, a slightly built left-hander, 6-4, 6-3.
   "These courts fit my game well," said Gullickson, who completed her eligibility at Georgia in May. "They're fast. She hits with more spin, and the courts don't suit her game well.
   "She was getting to most of my balls. It couldn't have gone either way if a few points were changed."
   Gullickson's father, Bill, went 162-136 as a major-league pitcher for 14 years, and her older sister, Carly, won the 2009 U.S. Open mixed doubles title with Travis Parrott.
   "Carly gives me tips on how to handle pressure and how to play these girls," Chelsea said. "My dad didn't play tennis, but he helps me after the tough times he had. It's a good support system."
   Sachie Ishizu of Japan used her pinpoint groundstrokes to defeat the 6-foot Marino 6-2, 6-2.
   "She seemed to be teeing off on everything and not missing anything," said Marino, who was playing in her first tournament after taking 6 1/2 months off because of fatigue and personal matters. "It was hard to get into the rhythm of the match."
   Marino, who reached a career-high No. 38 in the world last year, played her second consecutive Japanese opponent.
   "It definitely wasn't my best match," said Marino, who beat Miki Miyamura 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 Wednesday in the first round. "I think I was a bit tired from yesterday. For sure, I'll improve over the next few weeks."

Capitals end drought, reach playoffs

   The drought is over.
   In a tense match, the host Sacramento Capitals beat the last-place Springfield (Mo.) Lasers 21-17 Thursday night to reach the World TeamTennis playoffs for the first time since 2008.
   That's an eternity for Sacramento. The Capitals hold WTT records for most league titles (six), most playoff appearances (18) and most consecutive playoff appearances (seven).
   Sacramento will face the St. Louis Aces on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Western Conference finals in Charleston, S.C. Both teams finished 8-6 as the Capitals ended their streak of two consecutive losing seasons, a first in their 26-year history.
   In today's Eastern Conference finals, the Washington Kastles (14-0) will play the Boston Lobsters (7-7) at 4 p.m. in Charleston. Washington became the second team in WTT's 36-year history to go undefeated in the regular season. The other was the Newport Beach Dukes in 1994.
   The winners will meet Sunday at 2 p.m. in Charleston for the WTT title.
   For the second consecutive match, Sacramento led by two games entering the last set (mixed doubles with Mark Knowles and King) on Thursday night.
   The Capitals had lost the set and match to Boston on Wednesday night. This time, though, Knowles and King beat Rik de Voest and Carly Gullickson 5-3 to preserve Sacramento's victory. Springfield ended its season 4-10.
   The Capitals and Aces split their two regular-season matches, both in St. Louis.
   The Aces won 26-21 in the season opener for both teams. Half of the Capitals' roster missed the match because Vania King rested after Wimbledon and Dusan Vemic encountered visa problems in Serbia.  
   In its seventh match of the season, Sacramento edged St. Louis 20-19 in a Supertiebreaker.
   Capitals 21, Springfield 17
   Men's singles -- Dusan Vemic, Capitals, def. Greg A. Jones, Spr., 5-4.
   Women's doubles -- Vania King and Yasmin Schnack, Capitals, def. Carly Gullickson and Lilia Osterloh, Spr., 5-0.
   Men's doubles -- Jones and de Voest, Spr., def. Mark Knowles and Vemic, Capitals, 5-4.
   Women's singles -- Osterloh, Spr., def. King, Capitals, 5-2.
   Mixed doubles -- King and Knowles, Capitals, def. Gullickson and de Voest, Spr., 5-3.