French Open Day 13 highlights: Murray ousts Wawrinka

No. 2 seed Andy Murray beat No. 3 Stan Wawrinka,
the defending champion, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 today to
reach his first French Open Final. 2015 photo by
Paul Bauman

   Five highlights from Day 13 of the French Open in Paris:
   1. No. 2 seed Andy Murray topped No. 3 Stan Wawrinka, the defending champion, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 to reach his first French Open final.
   Murray became the first British man to advance to the final at Roland Garrros since Bunny Austin in 1937 and the 10th man in the Open era, which began in 1968, to gain the final at all four Grand Slam tournaments.
   Murray, a two-time Grand Slam champion, will face top-ranked Novak Djokovic in Sunday's final (6 a.m. PDT on NBC). Djokovic, seeking to become the eighth man to achieve a career Grand Slam in singles, dismissed No. 13 seed Dominic Thiem of Austria 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.
   Djokovic is 23-10 lifetime against Murray, who won the last meeting 6-3, 6-3 in the Italian Open final three weeks ago. But Djokovic was coming off tough matches against Kei Nishikori in the semifinals and Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals and playing with a bruised ankle.
   Murray is one week older than Djokovic; they turned 29 last month.
   Murray went undefeated in two appearances in the now-defunct SAP Open in San Jose, Calif., winning his first career ATP World Tour title there 10 years ago at 18 and repeating in 2007.
   2. No. 1 seed Serena Williams and No. 4 Garbine Muguruza will meet for the title on Saturday (6 a.m. on NBC) in a rematch of last year's Wimbledon final, which Williams won 6-4, 6-4.
   Williams, battling a thigh injury, downed unseeded Kiki Bertens, playing with an injured lower left leg, 7-6 (7), 6-4 to end the Dutchwoman's winning streak at 12 matches. Williams saved a set point in the first set.
   Muguruza beat No. 21 seed Samantha Storsur of Australia 6-2, 6-4.
   Williams will attempt to win her 22nd Grand Slam singles title, which would tie Steffi Graf for second all time behind Margaret Court with 24, and Muguruza her first.
   Williams, 34, is 3-1 against Muguruza, 22, but in their only meeting on clay, Muguruza romped 6-2, 6-2 in the second round of the 2014 French Open.
   Muguruza could become the second Spanish woman to win the title at Roland Garros. International Tennis Hall of Famer Arantxa Sanchez Vicario triumphed in 1989, 1994 and 1998.
   Both Williams and Muguruza have won titles in the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford. Williams prevailed in singles in 2011, 2012 and 2014, and Muguruza in women's doubles with countrywoman Carla Suarez Navarro in 2014.
   3. No. 5 seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, 38-year-old former Stanford stars, reached their second consecutive French Open men's doubles final with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over No. 9 Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Alexander Peya of Austria.
   The Bryans will face No. 15 Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez (no relation) of Spain in Saturday's final. Feliciano Lopez, a 34-year-old left-hander, and Marc Lopez, 33, eliminated No. 3 seeds and defending champions Ivan Dodig of Croatia and Marcelo Melo of Brazil 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.
   The Bryans have won a record 16 Grand Slam men's doubles titles, including the French Open in 2003 and 2013, but none since the 2014 U.S. Open.
   Lopez and Lopez, who saved six match points in the quarterfinal win over 2014 champions Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France, will try to become the first Spanish team to win the men's doubles title at Roland Garros since Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez in 1990.
   Neither Lopez has won a Grand Slam title, although Marc has been in two men's doubles finals with countryman Marcel Granollers, including the 2014 French Open.
   4. Fifth-seeded Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic became the first French team to reach the women's doubles final at Roland Garros since Gail Chanfreau and Francoise Durr won their second straight title 45 years ago in 1971.
   Garcia and Mladenovic beat unseeded Margarita Gasparyan and Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. In the other semifinal, seventh seeds and 2013 champions Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina of Russia downed unseeded Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic 6-4 6-2.
   Krejcikova and Siniakova, both 20, had ousted three seeded teams: No. 16 Chang Chia-Jung and Hsieh Su-Wei of Taiwan in the first round, No. 1 Martina Hingis of Switzerland and Sania Mirza of India in the third round and No. 6 and 2011 champions Andrea Hlavakova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals.
   Hsieh won the 2014 title with Peng Shuai of China.    
   5. Unseeded Hingis and Leander Paes of India completed a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles with a 4-6, 6-4 [10-8] victory over second-seeded Mirza of India and Ivan Dodig of Croatia.
   Hingis, a 35-year-old Hall of Famer, has won 22 Grand Slam titles (five in singles, 12 in women's doubles and five in mixed doubles) despite retiring twice because of injuries and a two-year suspension for cocaine use. Her last three major women's doubles crowns have come with Mirza.
   Paes, a 42-year-old future Hall of Famer, has won 18 Grand Slam championships (eight in men's doubles and 10 in mixed doubles).
   Both Hingis and Paes are tied for 11th all time in total major titles. They also own career Grand Slams in men's and women's doubles, respectively.

Washington tops Austin for fifth straight WTT title

Posing with the King Trophy are (women, left to right) Madison Brengle, Martina
Hingis and Anastasia Rodionova and (men, left to right) coach Murphy Jensen,
owner Mark Ein, Sam Querrey and Leander Paes. CameraworkUSA

   The Washington Kastles winning today's World TeamTennis Finals was about as surprising as an NFL player getting arrested.
   Or Tiger Woods having a crummy round.
   Nothing against the Austin Aces, mind you. They're a swell team.
   But a squad with International Tennis Hall of Famer Martina Hingis, future Hall of Famer Leander Paes and 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Sam Querrey? Plus WTT Co-Female MVP Anastasia Rodionova and top-50 player Madison Brengle? Playing at home? Come on. These guys and gals are the 1927 Yankees of WTT.
   Washington defeated Austin 24-18 in extended play for its fifth straight WTT title, breaking the record of the now-defunct Sacramento Capitals (1997-2000), and sixth in seven years. The Kastles' six overall crowns tie the mark of the Capitals, who also triumphed in 2002 and 2007.
   "It's just a beautiful moment to share," said the 42-year-old Paes, who was named the Finals MVP. "I've had a really long career and done some really special things, and this is way up there with the best of them.
   "I'd like to dedicate this MVP award to every single Kastles member, not only on the court but behind the scenes, and every single Kastles fan."
   Kastles coach Murphy Jensen called the latest title, which came in WTT's 40th season, "a dream come true. It's so different; you'd think this'd get old hat, but it doesn't. It was a bigger challenger because players were coming and going during the season, but to get them all to perform the way they did against an extremely tough team says a lot about our organization."
   Washington (12-4) won the first four sets, but Elina Svitolina of Austin (13-3) beat Brengle 5-3 in the final set. That sent the match into extended play, and Brengle won the next game to continue the Kastles' dominance.
   Austin routed California 25-14 on Thursday night in the Western Conference Championship, ending the Dream's inaugural season.

WASHINGTON KASTLES 24, AUSTIN ACES 18 (EP)

In Washington, D.C.

   Mixed doubles -- Martina Hingis and Leander Paes (Kastles) def. Alla Kudryavtseva and Teymuraz Gabashvili 5-2.
   Women's doubles -- Hingis and Anastasia Rodionova (Kastles) def. Elina Svitolina and Kudryavtseva 5-4.
   Men's doubles -- Paes and Sam Querrey (Kastles) def. Gabashvili and Jarmere Jenkins 5-3.
   Men's singles -- Querrey (Kastles) def. Gabashvili 5-4.
   Women's singles -- Svitolina (Aces) def. Madison Brengle 5-3.
   Extended play -- Brengle (Kastles) def. Svitolina 1-0.

Wimbledon Day 13 recap: Djokovic passes legends

Novak Djokovic won his ninth Grand Slam singles title, passing
Ivan Lendl, Ken Rosewall, Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors and
Fred Perry on the all-time list. 2015 photo by Paul Bauman

   Men's final -- Novak Djokovic is rising rapidly among the all-time greats, and the end is nowhere in sight.
   Djokovic, who arguably has the greatest return of serve in history, defeated Roger Federer in the final for the second straight year, 7-6 (1), 6-7 (10), 6-4, 6-3, to move into eighth place for most Grand Slam singles titles. With No. 9, Djokovic passed Ivan Lendl, Ken Rosewall, Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors and Fred Perry. If Djokovic wins the upcoming U.S. Open -- a distinct possibility -- he will tie Bill Tilden.
   Djokovic has racked up five titles in the Australian Open, three at Wimbledon (tying him with his coach, Boris Becker) and one in the U.S. Open.
   The 28-year-old Serb might never reach Federer's record of 17 Slams, but who's going to stop him from climbing the ladder in the next three years? Maybe Rafael Nadal, but he is in a prolonged slump at age 29. Conceivably 20-year-old Nick Kyrgios, who already has beaten Federer and Nadal. But Federer will be 34 next month. And Djokovic is 19-8 against Andy Murray and 17-4 against Stan Wawrinka.
   Watch out Tilden, Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg (11 Slams each), Roy Emerson (12), and Nadal and Pete Sampras (14 each).      
   Mixed doubles final -- Seventh-seeded Leander Paes of India and Martina Hingis of Switzerland drubbed fifth-seeded Alexander Peya of Austria and Timea Babos of Hungary 6-1, 6-1. Hingis also won the women's doubles title with Sania Mirza of India on Saturday.
   Stars and stripes -- An American won the boys singles title for the second straight Grand Slam tournament. Unseeded Reilly Opelka, who's 6-foot-10 (2.08 meters) at 17 years old, beat 12th-seeded Mikael Ymer of Sweden 7-6 (5), 6-4 after Tommy Paul took the French Open crown last month.
   Opelka fell short of sweeping the boys titles as he and Japan's Akira Santillan, seeded fourth, lost to eighth-seeded Nam Hoang Ly of Vietnam and Sumit Nagal of India 7-6 (4), 6-4.
   Fast facts -- Djokovic evened his career record against Federer at 20-20. Djokovic also has reached 15 of the past 20 major finals, winning eight.
   Northern California connection -- Hingis has won all three Bank of the West Classic events in which she has played. She claimed the singles championship in 1996 in Oakland and swept the singles and doubles titles (with Lindsay Davenport) at Stanford in 1997.
   Quote -- Federer: "Novak played not only great today, but the whole two weeks, plus the whole year, plus last year, plus the year before that."

Wimbledon Day 12: Serena on track for Grand Slam

Serena Williams moved with one tournament of the first
calendar-year Grand Slam in more than a quarter century.
2014 photo by Paul Bauman

   Women's final -- The only thing that will keep Serena Williams from winning a calendar-year Grand Slam is nerves. Even that probably won't stop her. She's that much better than everyone else.
   Overcoming early and late jitters, the top-seeded Williams defeated No. 20 Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 6-4 to win her fourth straight major title. Williams will try to become the first player in more than quarter century to win a calendar-year Grand Slam beginning late next month in the U.S. Open.
   Only three women have won all four majors in one season: Maureen Connolly in 1953, Margaret Court in 1970 and Steffi Graf in 1988. Graf added the Olympic gold medal in singles that year. Unfortunately for Williams, the Olympics are next year.
   The 33-year-old Williams collected her 21st major singles title, third in history behind Court's 24 and Graf's 22. It was Williams' sixth Wimbledon singles crown, also third behind Martina Navratilova's nine and Graf's seven. Muguruza, 21, was playing in her first Grand Slam final.
   Williams double-faulted three times in the opening game and eight times overall. Muguruza led 4-2 in the first set before Williams took five straight games and nine of the next 10. She almost squandered a 5-1 lead in the second set.    
   Doubles finals -- Martina Hingis of Switzerland won her first Wimbledon title in 17 years, teaming with Sania Mirza of India to edge Russians Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 5-7, 7-6 (4), 7-5. The top-seeded Hingis, 34, and Mirza trailed the second seeds 5-2 in the final set.
   Hingis also won Wimbledon titles in singles in 1997 and doubles in 1996 and 1998. She quit tennis in 2002 because of foot and leg injuries but returned in 2006. Hingis retired again in 2007, when she was suspended for two years because of a positive cocaine test, and came back in 2013 to play doubles only.
   Hingis can add another Wimbledon trophy today, when she and Leander Paes of India play Timea Babos of Hungary and Alexander Peya of Austria in mixed doubles.
   In the men's doubles final, fourth-seeded Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands and Horia Tecau of Romania beat 13th-seeded Jamie Murray of Great Britain and John Peers of Australia 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-4.
   Tecau had been 0-3 in Wimbledon men's doubles, losing with Robert Lindstedt of Sweden from 2010 through 2012. Murray is Andy Murray's older brother.
   Men's final matchup -- Second-seeded Roger Federer leads top-seeded Novak Djokovic 20-19 in the head-to-head series. They are 6-6 in majors and 1-1 at Wimbledon.
   Djokovic has won the last two meetings, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2 in the final at Indian Wells (hardcourt) in March and 6-4, 6-3 in the final at Rome (clay) in May. See my story on the Indian Wells final.
   Stars and stripes -- In the boys doubles semifinals, fourth-seeded Reilly Opelka and Akira Santillan knocked off top-seeded Taylor Fritz and Michael Mmoh 6-3, 6-4. All but Santillan, who's from Japan, are American.
  Opelka, who's 6-foot-10 (2.08 meters) at 17 years old, and Santillan will face eighth-seeded Nam Hoang Ly of Vietnam and Sumit Nagal of India in today's final.
   Fast fact -- Williams, who will turn 34 on Sept. 26, became the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam singles title in the Open era (since 1968).
   Northern California connection -- Williams and Muguruza are scheduled to defend titles in the Bank of the West Classic, Aug. 3-9 at Stanford.
   Williams defeated Angelique Kerber last year for her third Bank of the West singles championship, and Muguruza teamed with countrywoman Carla Suarez Navarro for the doubles crown.
   Kerber and Suarez Navarro also plan to return to Stanford.
   Quote -- Williams on holding the winner's silver dish and balancing it on her head: "I was peaceful, feeling really good. Maybe a little after that, I started thinking about New York."
   Today on TV (beginning at 6 a.m. California time, ESPN; replay at noon on ABC) -- Men's singles final, Djokovic (1) vs. Federer (2); mixed doubles final, Peya and Babos (5) vs. Paes and Hingis (7).

Aussie Open Day 14: Djokovic wins fifth Melbourne title

Novak Djokovic, shown at Indian Wells in 2012, wore down
Andy Murray in four sets for his eighth Grand Slam singles title.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   Men's final -- Novak Djokovic became the first man in the Open era (since 1968) to win five Australian Open singles titles as he wore down Andy Murray 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-0 today in 3 hours, 40 minutes at Melbourne Park.
   The first two sets lasted 2 hours, 32 minutes, but Djokovic won the last nine games of the match. In the second and third sets, he stumbled around the court several times but quickly recovered. Djokovic later attributed the lapses to fatigue.
   Murray, meanwhile, won only 34 percent of the points on his second serve, which averaged just 83 mph (134 kph).
   Djokovic, just beginning his prime at 27, tied Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Fred Perry and Ken Rosewall with eight Grand Slam singles crowns.
   Murray, a two-time Grand Slam champion and an Olympic gold medalist, fell to 0-4 in Australian Open finals. He spent last year rebounding from "minor" back surgery in September 2013.
   Notable -- Martina Hingis won her first Grand Slam title since coming back from retirement, teaming with 41-year-old Leander Paes of India to beat defending champions Kristina Mladenovic of France and 42-year-old Daniel Nestor of Canada 6-4, 6-3 in mixed doubles.
   Hingis, 34, has won 16 Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, including nine in the Australian Open. She returned to competition in 2013 to play doubles only.  
   Stars and stripes -- U.S. men have gone 45 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments without winning a singles title. Andy Roddick is the last to accomplish the feat, in the 2003 U.S. Open.
   Robby Ginepri, 32, is the only active American man to have reached a major semifinal. He lost to Andre Agassi in five sets in the 2005 U.S. Open semis.
   Ginepri, a right-hander, broke his left elbow in 2010 when he fell off his bicycle trying to avoid a squirrel and underwent surgery. Ranked a career-high No. 15 in December 2005, he is now No. 222.
   Northern California connection -- Murray won the first of his 31 career Grand Slam or ATP World Tour titles in San Jose at 18 in 2006 and repeated the following year. He never returned, and the tournament folded after 2013. Murray also won the Comerica Bank Challenger in Aptos at 18 in 2005. Djokovic has never played in Northern California.
   Fast facts -- Djokovic has captured four of the last five Australian Open titles. This was the third time he and Murray have met in the Melbourne final; Djokovic won in straight sets in 2011 and in four sets in 2013.
   Djokovic has won the last five meetings against Murray and eight of the last nine. The exception was the 2013 Wimbledon final as Murray became the first British man in 77 years to capture the title.
   Murray was born one week before Djokovic, who said they have known each other since they were "11 or 12."
   Quote -- Murray, when asked if he thought Djokovic stumbled intentionally: "I would hope that wouldn't be the case."

Minus Hingis, Washington routs Capitals

   Martina Hingis of the Washington Kastles missed Saturday night's match against the host Sacramento Capitals.
   But Hingis, last year's World TeamTennis Female MVP for the New York Sportimes, had a good excuse. The 32-year-old Swiss was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., on Saturday.
   Even without Hingis, Washington routed the Capitals 23-14 in the Sacramento suburb of Citrus Heights n a rematch of last year's WTT Finals.
   Washington (3-2) had lost two straight matches after winning 34 in a row dating to 2010. The Los Angeles Lakers hold the record for major U.S. pro teams with 33 straight victories in 1971-72.
   The Kastles edged the Capitals 20-19 last year in Charleston, S.C., for their second consecutive World TeamTennis title.
   Even Washington's substitutes are top-notch. Raquel Kops-Jones, a former NCAA doubles champion from Cal now ranked No. 17 in the world in women's doubles, split her two sets (women's doubles and mixed doubles). 
   The Kastles received strong contributions from Bobby Reynolds, the 2012 WTT Male MVP; 40-year-old Leander Paes, who has won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles (seven men's and six mixed); and Anastasia Rodionova, a former Capital.
   Sacramento (3-2) wasn't at full strength, either. Mardy Fish, a former top-10 player who returned Sunday from his latest battle with an irregular heartbeat, sat out after suffering a groin injury in Friday night's loss to Boston. Taylor Townsend, 17, played with a strained abdominal muscle.
   The Capitals won only in women's doubles behind Megan Moulton-Levy and Townsend. Sacramento has lost two straight matches after winning its first three. All five contests were at home.
   The Capitals will play at Texas (3-2) tonight and at Orange County (3-3) on Monday night before returning home to face Texas, featuring Bob and Mike Bryan this time, on Wednesday night.
  The Bryans, the 35-year-old identical twin sons of Sacramento coach Wayne Bryan, recently became the first doubles team to hold all four Grand Slam titles and the Olympic gold medal.

WASHINGTON 23, CAPITALS 14

In Citrus Heights, Calif.

   Men's singles -- Bobby Reynolds (Washington) def. Ryan Sweeting, 5-4.
   Women's singles -- Anastasia Rodionova (Washington) def. Taylor Townsend, 5-2.
   Men's doubles -- Reynolds and Leander Paes (Washington) def. Mark Knowles and Sweeting, 5-1.
   Women's doubles -- Megan Moulton-Levy  and Townsend (Capitals) def. Raquel Kops-Jones and Rodionova 5-3.
   Mixed doubles -- Paes and Kops-Jones (Washington) def. Knowles and Moulton-Levy, 5-2.

Analysis: Capitals make net gains

   Although the season still wasn't up to the Sacramento Capitals' lofty standards, they made progress in 2011.
   After suffering only the second and third losing seasons in their 26-year history, the Capitals went 8-6 in the regular season, returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and came within two games of reaching the WTT Finals.
   The Capitals lost to the St. Louis Aces 20-19 Saturday in the Western Conference finals in Charleston, S.C. The Washington Kastles (16-0)  beat St. Louis 23-19 in overtime in the WTT Finals on Sunday to become the first team in the league's 36-year history to complete an undefeated season.
   Sacramento owns WTT records of six league titles, 19 playoff appearances and seven consecutive playoff appearances. The Capitals went a combined 108-35 (.755) in the regular season with all six of their titles from 1997 through 2007. Since then, they are 28-28.
   Sacramento started this season 1-3, splitting two road matches and then losing at home to teams featuring future International Tennis Hall of Famers Martina Hingis and Serena Williams.
   But the Capitals won five of their next six matches to get back in the playoff race. Among the victories was a home contest against a Kansas City team featuring three reigning Wimbledon doubles champions (Bob and Mike Bryan and Kveta Peschke).
   Sacramento beat the Springfield (Mo.) Lasers in the regular-season finale for both teams to eke out a playoff berth.
   The Capitals were shut out of the WTT awards, but here are some unofficial team honors:
   MVP -- Vania King was the only regular to play three events for Sacramento, and she performed well in each. King, the WTT Female MVP in 2009 for Springfield Lasers, finished third (of nine players) in women's singles, third (of 19) in women's doubles and seventh (of 19) in mixed doubles. The two-time Grand Slam women's doubles champion missed the Capitals' first five matches while resting after Wimbledon. Sacramento native Christina Fusano replaced her in women's doubles, finishing 10th.
   Top newcomer -- OK, so Yasmin Schnack was the Capitals' only newcomer this season. Still, the rookie from the Sacramento suburb of Elk Grove had remarkably little trouble adapting to WTT. Perhaps it was because of her experience playing for UCLA for four years (2006-10), which included the NCAA team title in 2008. Playing with her close friend King, Schnack finished fifth in women's doubles. She also filled in capably for King in singles and mixed doubles in the Capitals' first five matches. 
   Most disappointing -- Mark Knowles, a three-time WTT Male MVP (2001, 2005 and 2007), ranked 17th among 18 players in men's doubles. Knowles did better in mixed doubles, placing eighth. The four-time Grand Slam doubles champion, formerly ranked No. 1 in the world in men's doubles, will turn 40 in September.
   Most enigmatic -- Serbia's Dusan Vemic, who missed the Capitals' first two matches because of visa problems and was replaced by Nick Monroe,  finished third in men's singles and last in men's doubles. And he's a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist in men's doubles. Go figure.

In defense of World TeamTennis

   It's fashionable to belittle World TeamTennis.
   The refrain goes something like this: WTT is a circus. It's not real tennis. The players don't care who wins because their world rankings (which determine tournament entries and seedings) are unaffected.
   WTT's critics probably have rarely, if ever, attended a match. The league actually works on many levels and complements tournament tennis well. There are reasons WTT has lasted 36 years. It has much to offer, such as:
   --Variety. In one night, fans see everything tennis offers: men's singles and doubles, women's singles and doubles, and mixed doubles.
   --Societal benefits. WTT promotes gender equality because men and women work together for a common goal, with their results counting equally. This sets a good example for children -- and adults, for that matter -- in the stands.
   "We're teaching them without them realizing it, which makes it even more fun," WTT co-founder Billie Jean King said in an interview last year. "They're learning through experience."   
   --A fast pace. To ensure that matches finish in 2 1/2 or three hours, the first team to reach five games instead of six wins each set. There are no deuces, and players don't have to win by two games in a set or two points in a tiebreaker.
   If a set is tied 4-4, the first team to win five points in a tiebreaker prevails. If a match is tied after regulation play, the first team to win seven points in a Supertiebreaker earns the overall victory.
   No lead is insurmountable. The team that's ahead must win the last set, or play continues until 1) the leading team wins one game, or 2) the trailing team ties the match score, in which case a Supertiebreaker is played.
   --High drama. Every point is critical. Games, sets and even matches can be decided by one point. The latter occurred Friday night as the host Sacramento Capitals edged the Newport Beach Breakers 19-18.
   With the overall score tied 18-18, the last set (mixed doubles) tied 4-4 and the tiebreaker tied 4-4, Sacramento won the final point and the match. Had Newport Beach won the last point, the Breakers would have prevailed.
   Fans love the tension, and the heightened pressure helps players when they return to their respective international circuits. What's not to like?
   --A rooting interest. Fans have an emotional stake because players represent their city.
   --Promotional and health benefits. WTT brings superstars and legends to cities such as Sacramento, Kansas City, Mo., Springfield, Mo., Boston and Philadelphia that wouldn't otherwise wouldn't attract them. For example, Serena Williams, Martina Hingis and Bob and Mike Bryan have played in Sacramento this season. The pros, including the lesser-known players, inspire children and adults to take up a sport they can play for the rest of their lives.
    --Young and old players. Fans can see everyone from teenage prospects to players in their 50s, such as the temperamental but supremely gifted John McEnroe.
   In an effort to prevent burnout and injuries, the WTA Tour limits the number of tournaments that girls aged 14 to 17 can play. Team tennis gives them a chance to gain experience, play in front of crowds and learn from their coach and veteran teammates.
   Legends, meanwhile, can remain in the game because they play less than one set per event, perhaps only doubles, rather than two out of three sets.
    --Hometown players. Competitors such as Yasmin Schnack of Sacramento can play for their hometown team, and youngsters can dream of doing the same.
   As for players not caring, granted, WTT isn't Wimbledon. But they're professionals. They're being paid well, they receive performance bonuses, they're playing in front of paying fans, WTT helps them compete under pressure, and the will to win is ingrained in them.
   Furthermore, players sign up for WTT because it's a refreshing break in their predominately individual sport. They do not want to let their cities or their teammates down.
   If the players don't care, why do the better ones usually win? The Washington Kastles, who are loaded with talent, are 10-0. True, Venus Williams stunk up Allstate (now Capitals) Stadium in the Sacramento area in 2005 shortly after winning Wimbledon, but that's an exception.
   Are there problems with WTT? Sure.
   The biggest one was solved, at least for this season. The playoffs will be held at a neutral site, Charleston, S.C., named the "Best Tennis Town" in America by the United States Tennis Association last year.
   In past years, the playoffs have been held in a league city to try to capitalize at the gate on that team's following. WTT has chosen a city with a strong team, which has usually made the playoffs and then gained a huge advantage. In three of the past four years, a team has won the league title on its home court.
   Also, teams sometimes sacrifice winning for money by using retired, ineffective marquee players (hello Anna Kournikova), and playing "let" serves is awkward and unnecessary.
   But let's look at the big picture. The WTT season lasts only three weeks. Fans have the rest of the year to follow tournament tennis.   

Capitals midseason analysis

   Against all odds, the Sacramento Capitals sit atop the Western Conference midway through their World TeamTennis season.
   The Capitals (4-3) should not get too giddy, though. They came within a Supertiebreaker on Wednesday of being 3-4 and trailing by 1 1/2 matches in the conference.
   After losing three of its first four matches, Sacramento has won three in a row.
   The Capitals opened the season with two road matches, then faced future International Tennis Hall of Famers Martina Hingis and Serena Williams in consecutive matches. Also, half of Sacramento's full-time roster joined the team late.
   Vania King, a two-time Grand Slam women's doubles champion and the 2009 WTT Female MVP for the Springfield (Mo.) Lasers, sat out the Capitals' first five matches to rest after Wimbledon. Dusan Vemic, who plays men's singles and doubles for Sacramento, missed the first two matches because of visa problems in Serbia.
   With a full roster for the first time, the Capitals routed the WTT defending champion Kansas City Explorers 23-12 in the Sacramento suburb of Citrus Heights on Tueday night. Kansas City's roster featured three reigning Wimbledon doubles champions (Bob and Mike Bryan and Kveta Peschke).
   Less than 24 hours later, Sacramento met the Aces in St. Louis with first place on the line. The Capitals prevailed in a thriller, 20-19 (7-2 Supertiebreaker).
   Fortunately for Sacramento, St. Louis' Lindsay Davenport, the reigning WTT Female MVP and a former Capitals star, announced on the day of the Aces' opener that she's pregnant with her third child and under doctor's orders to skip the season.
   Meanwhile, WTT rookie Yasmin Schnack and substitutes Christina Fusano and Nick Monroe filled in capably for King and Vemic. Schnack, in her first full year as a professional after an All-America career at UCLA, and Fusano, a 30-year-old doubles specialist, are from the Sacramento area and part-time doubles partners on the women's circuit.
   Schnack, who now plays women's doubles only for the Capitals, ranks fourth among 10 WTT players in women's singles and ninth among 17 in mixed doubles.
   Overall, the Capitals rank second in the nine-team league in women's singles, third in women's doubles, third in mixed doubles, sixth in men's singles and a surprisingly low eighth in men's doubles.
   The latter figured to be one of Sacramento's strongest events with Mark Knowles and Vemic. Although Knowles will turn 40 in September, he is a three Grand Slam men's doubles champion (most recently in 2007) and former world No. 1 in men's doubles. Vemic, 35, has reached two Grand Slam semifinals in the event (most recently in January 2010).
   Knowles and Vemic ended a four-set losing streak with a 5-1 victory against St. Louis on Wednesday.
   It doesn't get any easier for Sacramento. Four of the Capitals' next five matches are on the road, beginning tonight against the Bryan brothers in Kansas City and including Monday's contest at 7-0 Washington. Sacramento ends the regular season with two home matches.
   The top two teams in each conference advance to the WTT playoffs, July 22-24 in Charleston, S.C.
   Sacramento figures to lose to Kansas City and Washington, so the Capitals probably must win four of their other five remaining matches to have a chance of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The winners of a record six WTT titles will face Newport Beach (3-5) twice, Springfield (2-5) twice and Boston (4-4) once.
   The Capitals conceivably could reach the WTT Finals, but they would be heavy underdogs to Washington or New York (6-2).

Capitals drop home opener to Hingis, Sportimes

   Dusan Vemic made his season debut for the Sacramento Capitals on Friday night, but it didn’t help against Martina Hingis and the New York Sportimes.

   New York bolted to a 15-3 lead at intermission and held on to beat Sacramento 21-12 in the Capitals' home opener before an announced crowd of 2,137 in Citrus Heights.

   The Capitals returned to their former home at Sunrise Mall for the first time since 2006. They played at the Galleria at Roseville for the past four seasons.

   Sacramento (1-2) lost each of the first three sets 5-1 before outscoring New York (3-1) 9-6 the rest of the way.

   Hingis, who almost certainly is headed to the International Hall of Fame, won in 5-1 in women’s singles and mixed doubles but lost by the same score in women’s doubles.

   She retired four years ago at 27 after winning 15 Grand Slam titles (five in singles, nine in women’s doubles and one in mixed doubles).

   Vemic’s arrival in the United States was delayed by visa problems in Serbia. In his two sets Friday, he lost in men’s singles to open the match and fell 5-4 with Mark Knowles in men’s doubles to close it.

   The Capitals will face Serena Williams and the Washington Kastles tonight at 7:30 at Sunrise Mall. It will be the first appearance in the Sacramento area for the 13-time Grand Slam singles champion.

Sportimes 21, Capitals 12
   Men's singles -- Jesse Witten (Sportimes) def. Dusan Vemic (Capitals) 5-1.
   Women's singles -- Martina Hingis (Sportimes) def. Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) 5-1.
   Mixed doubles -- Hingis and Travis Parrott (Sportimes) def. Schnack and Mark Knowles (Capitals) 5-1.
   Women's doubles -- Christina Fusano and Schnack (Capitals) def. Hingis and Katie O Brien (Sportimes) 5-1.
   Men's doubles -- Parrott and Witten (Sportimes) def. Knowles and Vemic (Capitals) 5-4.

This Martina also legendary

   When your name is Martina, the pressure is on from the beginning.   
   But Martina Hingis, named after legendary Martina Navratilova, lived up to massive expectations. Born in the former Czechoslovakia (like Navratilova) before moving to Switzerland as a child, Hingis forged a career that almost certainly will land her in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
   Hingis, 31, won 15 Grand Slam titles (five in singles, nine in doubles and one in mixed doubles). She became the fourth woman in history to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam in doubles in 1998 and came within one match of winning the singles Grand Slam in 1997.
   At 15, Hingis became the youngest player to win a Grand Slam title, triumphing in women's doubles at Wimbledon with Helena Sukova in 1996. Hingis also became the youngest player to reach No. 1 in singles at 16 years, 6 months in 1997.
   She returns to the Sacramento area for the first time in six years Friday night. Hingis and the New York Sportimes of World TeamTennis will face Sacramento in the Capitals' home opener at 7:30 p.m. at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights.
   Hingis led New York to the 2005 WTT title at the same site before launching a tour comeback from essentially a three-year layoff in 2006. She underwent surgery to repair ligaments in her left ankle in 2002 and eventually returned to win three titles and climb to No. 6 in the world.
   "Team tennis in 2005 made me come back and play again," Hingis said during a recent conference call. "It made me hungry. I wanted to see if I still had my game, and I have no regrets. I'm very proud of what I achieved."
   Hingis retired from the tour in November 2007 because of a left hip injury and a positive cocaine test. She denied using the drug but chose not to fight a two-year ban.
   Hingis remains a formidable player, winning the ladies invitational (senior) doubles title at Wimbledon with Lindsay Davenport last week without dropping a set.
   Listed at 5-foot-7 and 130 pounds, Hingis relied on craftiness, agility and consistency.
   "She had a very intelligent game, and she moved very well," said tennis journalist and historian Bud Collins. "One of the best quotes I ever heard about her came from Nick Bollettieri (who briefly coached Hingis). He said, 'Wherever the ball is, you'll see her.'
   "She was a very good volleyer. She didn't have the power that others have, but she was very smart. She knew where to put the ball and how to change speeds and spins."
   L. Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated assessed Hingis' career in his online tennis mailbag last April.
   "I don't disagree with the contention that she caught a 'soft spot' in the WTA lineage, coming on the scene when (Steffi) Graf and (Monica) Seles were fading and the Williams sisters had yet to establish full dominance," he wrote. "Still, her record is a formidable one."
   In addition to playing legends tournaments and exhibitions, Hingis has a new tennis line, Tonic by Martina, and rides horses. She married French show jumper Thibault Hutin last December in Paris.
   Collins said Hingis' positive test won't affect his vote if and when she is nominated for the Hall of Fame, possibly for the class of 2013. Consideration is given to "integrity, sportsmanship and character," according to the Hall's web site.
   "It was a one-time thing," said the 82-year-old Collins, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994. "She's a fine young woman. I can't speak for the Hall, but I would vote for her."
   Hingis sidestepped the issue.
   "This is the past," she said. "I don't really talk about this anymore. I don't really care. People will remember me as a player."

Big weekend, Capitals' opener, etc.

   This weekend could be the biggest in Sacramento tennis history. Consider:
   --Martina Hingis, a likely future Hall of Famer, and the New York Sportimes will face the Capitals in a World TeamTennis match on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights.
   --Serena Williams -- the greatest female player in history, according to Sports Illustrated -- will make what is believed to be her first visit to the Sacramento area on Saturday. Williams and the Washington Kastles will take on the Capitals at 7:30 p.m. at Sunrise Mall.
   --Former Capital Andre Agassi will be inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., on Saturday (Tennis Channel, 9:30 a.m. PDT).
   --Bob and Mike Bryan, arguably the greatest men's doubles team ever and the identical twin sons of Capitals coach Wayne Bryan, will play for the United States on Saturday in the Davis Cup quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, noon PDT). The U.S. will meet Spain, minus the resting Rafael Nadal, beginning Friday (same station and time) in Austin, Texas, where team member Andy Roddick lives.
   Three-fourths of the U.S. team -- the Bryans and Mardy Fish -- will come to Sunrise Mall next week in separate WTT matches.
   --The USTA West Coast Junior Championships are scheduled for Saturday through Tuesday at the Rio del Oro Racquet Club in Sacramento.
   Emmett Egger of Issaquah, Wash., and Christina Makarova of San Diego are seeded first in boys and girls 18 singles, respectively. Matthew Alves of Gold River, Calif., a Sacramento suburb, is seeded third in boys 18 singles. Egger is ranked fifth nationally, Makarova 40th and Alves 43rd.
   Depleted Capitals lose -- Playing on the road without half of their regular roster, the Capitals opened their 26th WTT season with a 26-21 loss to the St. Louis Aces on Wednesday night.
   Vania King (resting after Wimbledon) and Serbia's Dusan Vemic (visa problems), missed the match and will be absent again Thursday night at defending WTT champion Kansas City, said Capitals general manager Matt McEvoy.
   Vemic will play Friday night in the Capitals' home opener, and King might play then, McEvoy added. At the latest, King will play Tuesday, in which case she will have missed five of the Capitals' 14 regular-season matches.
   King won the Wimbledon women's doubles title last year with Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan, but they lost in the second round this year.
   Christina Fusano, a Sacramento native and area resident, and Nick Monroe of Chapel Hill, N.C., replaced King and Vemic, respectively, against St. Louis.
   The Aces meanwhile, played without Lindsay Davenport, the reigning WTT Female MVP. The team announced Tuesday that the former Capital is pregnant with her third child and will miss the season under doctor's orders. She was replaced by former USC All-American Maria Sanchez of Modesto, Calif.
   Yasmin Schnack made her WTT debut for the Capitals. The resident of Elk Grove, a Sacramento suburb, won in mixed doubles and women's singles but lost in women's doubles.
   Complete results:
   Men's doubles -- Jean-Julien Rojer/Roman Borvanov (Aces) def. Monroe/Mark Knowles (Capitals) 5-2.
   Men's singles -- Borvanov (Aces) def. Monroe (Capitals) 5-1.
   Mixed doubles -- Knowles/Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) def. Rojer/Liezel Huber (Aces) 5-3.
   Women's singles -- Schnack (Capitals) def. Sanchez (Aces) 5-3.
   Women's doubles -- Huber/Sanchez (Aces) def. Fusano/Schnack (Capitals) 5-3.
   Strong field -- Three of the four semifinalists in women's singles at Wimbledon last week are entered in the Bank of the West Classic, July 25-31 in Stanford, Calif.
   Set to play are defending champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 2010 runner-up Maria Sharapova of Russia and Sabine Lisicki of Germany. The field also includes Williams, who recently returned from an 11-month injury/illness layoff and lost in the fourth round at Wimbledon.
   Unfortunately for Bank of the West organizers, Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is not entered.
   Tickets are available at 866-WTA-TIXS (866-982-8497) or http://www.bankofthewestclassic.com/. Single-session tickets for the tournament's opening round start at $26.