Big week for ex-Stanford stars; BNP tickets on sale

Bob, left, and Mike Bryan, shown after their first-round
victory in the U.S. Open on Aug. 31, won their opener
in the ATP World Tour Finals. Photo by Paul Bauman

   The Bryan brothers and Bradley Klahn grew up in Southern California and won NCAA titles at Stanford.
   Other than that, they have little in common.
   The Bryan twins stayed at Stanford for two years, helping the Cardinal win the NCAA team title in 1997 and 1998. Bob Bryan achieved a rare "Triple Crown" -- the NCAA singles, doubles (with Mike) and team titles -- in 1998. Then the pair embarked on a career as arguably the greatest men's doubles team ever.
   Klahn won the 2010 NCAA singles title as a sophomore, underwent the first of his two back operations in 2011 and graduated in economics in 2012. He rose to a career-high No. 63 in singles in 2014 and his second surgery in February 2015.
   This is a big week for all three players. The Bryans, 38, are trying to salvage a disappointing year with a fifth doubles title in the ATP World Tour Finals in London. The 26-year-old Klahn, playing in his first tournament since his second operation for a herniated disc, qualified today for the $50,000 Champaign (Ill.) Challenger.
   The third-seeded Bryans, from Camarillo in the Los Angeles area, beat sixth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia and Marcelo Melo of Brazil 7-6 (3), 6-0 in a round-robin opener on Sunday. The Bryans -- who won the title in 2003 and 2004 in Houston, 2009 in Shanghai and 2014 in London -- will play second-seeded Jamie Murray of Great Britain and Bruno Soares of Brazil on Tuesday.
   While Murray and Soares won the Australian Open and U.S. Open this year for their first Grand Slam men's doubles titles individually or together, the Bryans failed to capture a major for the second consecutive year. They won the last of their record 16 Slams in the 2014 U.S. Open.
   With three titles (all on clay) this year, the Bryans are in danger of finishing with their fewest since 2000. Not only have they been unable to win a title since the Italian Open in May, they have not reached a final since losing to Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez (no relation) of Spain in the French Open in early June.
   Still, the last half of the year has been eventful for the Bryans.
   They split with coach David MacPherson in August and hired 40-year-old Serbian Dusan Vemic, who coached his country's Olympic team in Rio de Janeiro that month. Vemic, a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist in doubles, played under the Bryans' father, Wayne, with the now-defunct Sacramento Capitals of World TeamTennis in 2010 and 2011.

Bradley Klahn, practicing in Sacramento last fall, is play-
ing in his first tournament in almost two years following
his second back operation. Photo by Paul Bauman

   The Bryan brothers became the first team to record 1,000 career victories in Vienna in October and received their 12th straight ATP Fan Favorite award in doubles last week.
   "We've been on the verge of having a breakthrough but haven't been able to get over that hump," Bob Bryan told reporters in London on Saturday. "We've had a coaching change this year and are very happy with Dusan Vemic as our new coach. We've been working hard on a lot of new things and are waiting for it to pay off. We have been putting in the time and the work.
   "It's tougher to be here competing for the No. 1 spot, but at the same time it's nice to be the underdog and take the guys by surprise. I feel like we're moving in the right direction and good things are coming. Hopefully sooner than later."  
   Klahn, a 6-foot (1.83-meter) left-hander from the San Diego suburb of Poway, dispatched Ruan Roelofse of South Africa 6-3, 6-2 today after edging second-seeded Peter Kobelt, a 6-foot-7 (2.01-meter) American, 4-6, 6-0, 7-6 (3) on Sunday.
   Klahn is scheduled to meet fifth-seeded Sam Groth of Australia on Tuesday in the first round of the indoor tournament. Groth, 6-foot-4 (1.93 meters) and 218 pounds (99 kilograms), holds the unofficial record for the world's fastest serve. He blasted a 163.7-mph (263.4-kph) delivery in the 2012 Busan (South Korea) Challenger.
   BNP Paribas Open -- Daily tickets and daily double packages for the 2017 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells recently went on sale.
   The tournament, scheduled for March 6-19, is offering a new grounds pass with access to all non-reserved seating in Stadiums 2-9. Prices range from $20 to $50.
   The daily double package guarantees the same seat for day and evening sessions. Series, mini, group and hotel packages also are available.
   Novak Djokovic captured the BNP men's singles title for the third consecutive year and fifth overall in 2016. Victoria Azarenka won the women's singles crown for the second time, but she is expecting her first child at the end of this year and hopes to return to the tour by the 2017 U.S. Open.

Something's Bruin as Capitals pick another UCLA alum

   When the Sacramento Capitals open their World TeamTennis season on July 9, the roster will look like a meeting of the UCLA alumni association.
   The Capitals added yet another former Bruin when they selected Jean-Julien Rojer, the 2011 WTT Male Rookie of the Year for St. Louis, in the second round of Tuesday's WTT roster player draft.
   Ironically, Rojer and Liezel Huber won the fifth set to give St. Louis a 20-19 victory over Sacramento in last season's Western Conference finals. The Aces then lost to Washington in the WTT Finals and folded in the offseason. 
   Sacramento, picking seventh in the eight-team draft, protected ex-UCLA stars Mark Knowles in the first round and local resident Yasmin Schnack in the fourth and final round.
   The Capitals also picked 20-year-olds Asia Muhammad of Las Vegas in the third round and CoCo Vandeweghe of Rancho Santa Fe in the San Diego area as a supplemental, part-time player.
   "Based on (picking seventh), I think we did really well," Capitals co-owner Ramey Osborne said. " ... We didn't think Rojer would be available."
   Vandeweghe, a former Capital and the 6-foot-1 niece of former NBA star Kiki Vandeweghe, will play at least four or five of Sacramento's 14 regular-season matches, Osborne said.
   Mardy Fish, chosen by the Capitals in last month's marquee player draft, is scheduled to play home matches on July 12 and 13. Fish, a 30-year-old Los Angeles resident, leads all American men and women at No. 8 in the world but has started slowly this year. 
   Vania King and Dusan Vemic, who have played key roles for the Capitals in the past two seasons, were  bypassed in the draft.
   King, the 2009 WTT Female MVP for Springfield (Mo.), still could play some matches for Sacramento if she does not make the U.S. Olympic team, which will be based on the June 11 rankings. Osborne said last week, though, that he was not interested in bringing back the entertaining but erratic Vemic, a 35-year-old Serbian.
   Knowles, 40, and Rojer, 30, have more in common than UCLA. Both are doubles specialists from Caribbean nations. Knowles is from the Bahamas, near Miami, and Rojer from Netherlands Antilles, off the coast of Venezuela.
   Knowles will return for his 11th WTT season, all with Sacramento. Ranked No. 1 in the world in doubles in 2002 and 2004, he has won four Grand Slam titles (three in men's doubles and one in mixed doubles), 55 overall and three WTT Male MVP awards (2001, 2005 and 2007). Knowles has dropped to No. 61 but last month won the doubles crown in San Jose with Xavier Malisse.
   Rojer is ranked 38th, down from a career-high 17th last August. He has won five ATP doubles titles, all with former Capital Eric Butorac since October 2010, and reached the semifinals of last year's Australian Open with Butorac.
   The addition of Rojer addresses Sacramento's biggest weakness last year. The Capitals finished fourth or better in every category except men's doubles, in which they placed eighth. That was baffling, given Knowles' background and Vemic's appearances in two Grand Slam doubles semifinals.
   "We're very happy about men's doubles," Osborne said. "We're not done. We have a couple ideas we're working on. ... We're working on a possible trade for a singles player."
   If necessary, Rojer could play singles. He earned All-American honors in singles and doubles at UCLA and played singles regularly on the pro tour until 2008.
   Schnack, 23, played well as a WTT rookie last year. She helped Sacramento finish second in women's doubles and went 16-15 (.516) in singles games filling in for King, who missed the first week of the season to rest after Wimbledon.
   Muhammad, who will make her WTT debut, is ranked 186th in doubles and 387th in singles. She has won four minor-league doubles titles, including three last year. In 2009, Muhammad won the USTA girls 18 national doubles crown in Berkeley with Christina McHale, now the second-ranked American in singles at No. 35 in the world.
   Vandeweghe, the 2008 U.S. Open junior girls champion, played for the Capitals as a WTT rookie in 2009 and for Boston the past two seasons. As a qualifier in her hometown of San Diego in 2010, she beat Wimbledon runner-up Vera Zvonareva en route to the quarterfinals. Vandeweghe is ranked No. 159 in singles after reaching a career-high No. 89 last April.
   The Capitals have won a record six WTT titles but none since 2007.
   Maria Sanchez, a Modesto resident who led the league in women's doubles last year for St. Louis, went to Springfield in the second round. She plays doubles with Schnack on the regular circuit.
   Defending champion Washington, which last season became the first team in the WTT's 36-year history to go 16-0, returns largely intact. Former Capital Anastasia Rodionova joins her sister Arina and replaces Rennae Stubbs, the 2008 WTT Female MVP who turns 41 on March 26.
   See the full WTT draft and team rosters below.
   BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells -- In a matchup of former No. 1 players and Indian Wells champions, 15th-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia defeated fourth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-3, 6-2 in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. Wozniacki won the tournament last year and Ivanovic in 2008.
   Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka of Belarus improved to 20-0 this year with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 14 seed Julia Goerges of Germany.
   The last two American women lost in the fourth round. Eighteenth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany rallied from match points down against a U.S. teenager for the second straight round to beat No. 32 Christina McHale 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (4). Also, wild card Jamie Hampton retired because of cramps with No. 5 Agnieszka Radwanska leading 6-3, 4-6, 3-0.
   Kerber, a U.S. Open semifinalist last year, survived three match points against the 19-year-old McHale, who had upset No. 3 seed and reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the third round. Kerber had rallied from 6-2, 5-1 and two match points down to stun 18-year-old Sloane Stephens 26, 75, 64 in the previous round.
   France's Marion Bartoli, the No. 7 seed and last year's runner-up, dismissed 23rd-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-1. Bartoli won the 2009 Bank of the West Classic at Stanford and also reached the final there in 2011 and 2008.
   On the men's side, third-seeded Roger Federer extended his winning streak to 11 matches, but fifth-seeded David Ferrer's ended at 11.
   Federer, a three-time champion at Indian Wells (2004-06), outlasted 27th-seeded Milos Raonic, the two-time reigning SAP Open champion in San Jose, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4 in the third round. It was their first career meeting. Unseeded Denis Istomin, the runner-up in last month's SAP Open, ousted Ferrer 6-4, 6-3 for his first career victory over a top-10 player in 11 attempts.
   In the second round of men's doubles, unseeded John Isner and Sam Querrey, a San Francisco native, edged fourth-seeded Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau, the runners-up at Wimbledon for the past two years, 6-3, 5-7, 10-5 tiebreak.

2012 WTT Roster Player Draft

Roster Exempt Draft Selections (Roster Exempt players play a limited season)

Sacramento Capitals:  Coco Vandeweghe

2012 WTT Roster Draft - March 13, 2012

Round One 

1.  PHILADELPHIA:  Karolina Pliskova

2.  SPRINGFIELD:  Timea Babos

3.  ORANGE COUNTY:  Anna-lena Groenefeld

4.  NEW YORK:  Robert Kendrick (protection)

5.  KANSAS CITY:  Chanel Simmonds

6.  BOSTON:  Jan-Michael Gambill (protection)

7.  SACRAMENTO:  Mark Knowles (protection)

8.  WASHINGTON:  Arina Rodionova (protection)

Round Two 

1.  PHILADELPHIA:  Kristyna Pliskova

2.  SPRINGFIELD:  Maria Sanchez

3.  ORANGE COUNTY:  John-Patrick Smith

4.  NEW YORK:  Jesse Witten (protection)

5.  KANSAS CITY:  Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi

6.  BOSTON:  Eric Butorac (protection)

7.  SACRAMENTO:  Jean-Julien Rojer

8.  WASHINGTON:  Leander Paes (protection)

Round Three   

1.  PHILADELPHIA:  Luka Gregorc

2.  SPRINGFIELD:  Amir Weintraub

3.  ORANGE COUNTY:  Travis Parrott

4.  NEW YORK:  Ashley Harkleroad (protection)

5.  KANSAS CITY:  Nick Monroe

6.  BOSTON:  Irina Falconi (protection)

7.  SACRAMENTO:  Asia Muhammed

8.  WASHINGTON:  Bobby Reynolds (protection)

Round Four 

1.  PHILADELPHIA:  Jordan Kerr

2.  SPRINGFIELD:  Devin Britton

3.  ORANGE COUNTY:  PASS

4.  NEW YORK:  PASS

5.  KANSAS CITY:  Tetiana Luzhanska

6.  BOSTON:  Carly Gullickson

7.  SACRAMENTO:  Yasmin Schnack (protection)

8.  WASHINGTON:  Anastasia Rodionova (doubles protection)  

2012 WTT TEAM ROSTERS (including Marquee & Roster players):

Boston Lobsters:  John Isner, Jan-Michael Gambill, Eric Butorac, Irina Falconi and Carly Gullickson.  Coach: Bud Schultz

Kansas City Explorers:  Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Chanel Simmonds, Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, Nick Monroe, Tetiana Luzhanska.  Coach: Brent Haygarth

New York Sportimes:  John McEnroe, Martina Hingis, Robert Kendrick, Jesse Witten, Ashley Harkleroad.   Coach: Chuck Adams

Orange County Breakers:  Lindsay Davenport, Anna-lena Groenefeld, John-Patrick Smith, Travis Parrott.  Coach:  Trevor Kronemann

Philadelphia Freedoms:   James Blake, Mark Philippoussis, Karolina Pliskova, Kristyna Pliskova, Luka Gregorc, Jordan Kerr.  Coach:  Josh Cohen

Sacramento Capitals:  Mardy Fish, Coco Vandeweghe, Mark Knowles, Jean-Julien Rojer, Asia Muhammed, Yasmin Schnack.  Coach: Wayne Bryan

Springfield Lasers:  Timea Babos, Maria Sanchez, Amir Weintraub, Devin Britton.    Coach:  John-Laffnie de Jager

Washington Kastles:  Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Arina Rodionova, Anastasia Rodionova, Leander Paes and Bobby Reynolds. Coach: Murphy Jensen

Advantage, Serbia: Tiny nation becomes power

   While training indoors during the winter at the Partizan Tennis Club in Belgrade, Serbia, in the early 1990s, Dusan Vemic couldn't help but notice a precocious 6-year-old on the next court.
   Vemic was 17 at the time. The boy's name was Novak Djokovic.
   "He was always an interesting little kid," recalled Vemic, who has played for the Sacramento Capitals of World TeamTennis for the past two seasons. "He was like a little professor. You could have a serious conversation with a 6-year-old. It doesn't happen that often.
   "He was talking about things he needed to work on and how to warm up. He was like a professional tennis player. He was not playing tennis; he was working tennis."
   Eight years later, Vemic played on the Davis Cup team when Djokovic was brought in as a hitting partner.
   "You could see he was a special talent," Vemic said. "He was a sponge as well. He would take all the advice we would give him. That's another quality he has. He will continue to get better and be a great champion when he looks back."
   Djokovic recently completed one of the greatest years in tennis history. He won three Grand Slam singles titles and 10 overall, rose to No. 1 in the world and went 70-6 (with two of the losses resulting from retirements), including 6-0 against Rafael Nadal (all in finals) and 4-1 against Roger Federer.
   And Djokovic is just the beginning for Serbia. Against all odds, the tiny country bombed by NATO forces in 1999 has produced four No. 1 players in the world in the past three years. Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic (both in women's singles) and Nenad Zimonjic (men's doubles) all climbed to the top in 2008.
   In the men's game, Serbia also has No. 9 Janko Tipsarevic and No. 22 Viktor Troicki. With Djokovic leading the way, the nation won its first Davis Cup title last year.
   How has Serbia, smaller in area than South Carolina and somewhat larger in population than Dallas-Fort Worth, become a tennis power?
   "It's definitely the spirit," said Serbia's Ilija Bozoljac, the runner-up at Challengers in Aptos in July and Tiburon in 2009. "Kids are really competitive and hungry. That's the key. If you lose in Serbia a couple of times, you feel ashamed.
   "If you're 200 in the world, it means nothing in Serbia," continued Bozoljac, a flashy player who uses two hands on both sides. "In the States, everyone thinks you're really good, which you are. But (the Serbian) mentality makes you want to go for more. In the States, it's the opposite. You can get a sponsor and support, but players are getting spoiled."
   The poor economy in Serbia has a lot to do with the motivation of juniors and their parents. According to the U.S. Department of State, the official unemployment rate last April was 22.2 percent.
   "Serbian kids are fighting for their life," said Vemic, a crowd pleaser with great athleticism who reached the doubles semifinals at the French Open in 2008 and Australian Open in 2010. "U.S. kids don't have that as the last option. They have education, a good lifestyle and many more opportunities. Serbian kids are a little more hungry. We've been struggling (economically) the last 20 years, that's for sure."
   Added Djokovic in the New York Times last September: "There is something in the mentality that obviously helps us, because we have all experienced the war, we have all experienced tough times, to have the right conditions to become a professional player."
   Jankovic agreed.
   "When you get used to (those) conditions and not-so-good facilities like some other countries have, I think it makes you stronger," she told espnW.com in September. "You feel good especially when you come to playing on those perfect courts like you have in the States. ... You feel like you're in heaven and you're ready for everything.
   "When it comes to our cases, we earned it the hard way. We came from a small country without really a tradition in tennis. We came a long way. It shows it doesn't matter where you come from, what kind of facilities you have. If you have the will and the desire and the motivation, the hunger to succeed, you can do it, so I think we showed that."
   Vemic said Serbia's rise to power in tennis has been "like a wave." On the men's side, he and Zimonjic, both 35, came first. Then came Tipsarevic, 27, Troicki, 25, and Djokovic, 24. On the women's side, Monica Seles, 38, paved the way for Jankovic, 26, and Ivanovic, 24.
   "There were a couple of good guys before Novak, Ana and Jelena became the best in the world," Vemic said. "Tipsarevic pulled everyone in the top 100. Novak was right behind at 16, 17 years old. Jelena was the No. 1 junior, and Ana also was good in the juniors. The whole timing of one of the veterans breaking through to the top level gave the others confidence. We all train together from time to time."
   Serbia's success, Vemic added, "makes me feel good. I enjoy every good result. I can only hope and believe that I contributed a little bit."
   Blake withdraws -- James Blake, the runner-up in the Sacramento Challenger in October, reportedly has withdrawn from the Brisbane International, which begins Sunday, and the Australian Open, Jan. 15-29, for personal reasons.
   Blake, 32, hopes to begin his year at the SAP Open in San Jose, where he reached the singles semifinals in 2009 and 2003 and won the doubles title in 2004 with Mardy Fish. Next year's tournament is set for Feb. 13-19.
   National junior tournament -- No. 22 seed Catherine Bellis of Atherton defeated Jaclyn Switkes of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to reach the girls 14 quarterfinals at the USTA Winter National Championships in Tucson, Ariz.
   Also in the girls 14s, No. 31 Jenna Friedel of Mill Valley lost to top-seeded Emma Higuchi of Los Angeles 6-2, 6-1.
   In boys 12 singles, third-seeded Sam Riffice of Roseville beat No. 22 Jenson Brooksby of Sacramento 6-3, 6-0 to advance to the quarters. No. 21 Paul Barretto of Bel Tiburon fell to No. 1 Noah Makarome of Wesley Chapel, Fla., 6-3, 6-3.
   Results of the boys and girls 18s and 16s in Scottsdale, Ariz., were not available.

Lipsky advances in Cincinnati doubles; new rankings

   Although Scott Lipsky was born and raised on Long Island and lives in Huntington Beach, he has several Northern California ties.
   Lipsky starred at Stanford, won the doubles titles in the 2005 (inaugural) Sacramento Challenger and this year's SAP Open in San Jose, and is coached by Woodland product Scott McCain.
   Lipsky, a 30-year-old doubles specialist, continued his strong year Monday night as he and Bruno Soares of Brazil defeated Mark Knowles of the Sacramento Capitals and Xavier Malisse of Belgium 6-4, 7-5 in the first round of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
   The winners will meet seventh-seeded Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski, both of Poland, in the second round.
   Lipsky has improved from No. 55 in the world in doubles at the beginning of the year to No. 29, three spots below his career high last month. In addition to winning his first Grand Slam title (French Open mixed doubles with Casey Dellacqua of Australia), he has captured three men's doubles titles on the ATP Tour and three on the Challenger circuit this year.
   In the Barcelona final on clay in April, Lipsky and Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico edged Bob and Mike Bryan, arguably the greatest men's doubles team of all time, 5-7, 6-2 (10-8 match tiebreaker).
   New rankings -- Following are this week's world rankings of other players with Northern California connections (change from last week in parentheses):

Women

   Vania King, Capitals -- No. 7 in doubles (no change), No. 89 in singles (-6).
   Raquel Kops-Jones, 2003 NCAA doubles champion from Cal -- No. 52 in doubles (+2), no singles ranking.
   Christina Fusano, Sacramento native, 2003 NCAA doubles champion from Cal, Plymouth resident -- No. 175 in doubles (+1), no singles ranking.
   Yasmin Schnack, Elk Grove resident -- No. 221 in doubles (no change), No. 381 in singles (-2).

Men

   Bob Bryan, 1998 NCAA doubles champion from Stanford -- No. 1 in doubles, no singles ranking.
   Mike Bryan, 1998 NCAA doubles champion from Stanford --  No. 1 in doubles, no singles ranking.
   Knowles -- No. 31 in doubles (-1), no singles ranking.
   Dmitry Tursunov, Folsom resident -- No. 44 in singles (+1), No. 94 in doubles (no change).
   David Martin, former Stanford All-American -- No. 102 in doubles (-4), No. 698 in singles (+6).
   Jimmy Wang, Folsom resident -- No. 383 in singles (+1), No. 672 in doubles (-3).
   Dusan Vemic, Capitals -- No. 496 in doubles (-210), No. 1,496 in singles (+2).
   Kiryl Harbatsiuk, former Sacramento State star -- No. 710 in singles (+83), No. 1,027 in doubles (+151).
        

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.

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.
 

King stars in Capitals' easy win

   This time, there was no suspense.
   Vania King helped see to that.
   One night after eking out a one-point victory over Newport Beach, the Sacramento Capitals dominated the host Breakers 22-11 in overtime Saturday night.
    King won her three sets by a combined score of 15-1. She breezed 5-1 in the opening set (mixed doubles with Mark Knowles), 5-0 in the next set (women's doubles with Yasmin Schnack) and 5-0 in the fourth set (women's singles).
    King, who rested during the week after Wimbledon and joined the Capitals in their fifth match, ranks second among 10 WTT players in women's singles (21-14, .600), third among 19 in women's doubles (21-12, .636) and fourth among 18 in mixed doubles (21-16, .568).
   The Capitals led 19-6 after four sets Saturday, but the Breakers' Lester Cook beat Dusan Vemic 5-2 in the last set to send the match to overtime. Vemic won the first game to end it.
   First-place Sacramento (6-4) leads the Kansas City Explorers (5-4) by one-half match and the St. Louis Aces (5-5) by one match in the Western Conference of World TeamTennis. The top two teams in each conference after the 14-match regular season advance to the WTT playoffs, Friday through next Sunday in Charleston, S.C.
   After starting the season 1-3, the Capitals have won five of their last six matches. They have a rare day off today before facing the host Washington Kastles (10-0) Monday in a showdown of conference leaders.  
   Capitals 22, Newport Beach 11 (OT)
   Mixed doubles -- Mark Knowles and Vania King, Capitals, def. Travis Rettenmaier and Marie-Eve Pelletier, NB, 5-1. 
   Women's doubles -- King and Yasmin Schnack, Capitals, def. Pelletier and Anne Keothavong, NB, 5-0.
   Men's doubles -- Lester Cook and Trevor Kronemann, NB, def. Dusan Vemic and Knowles, Capitals, 5-4.
   Women's singles -- King, Capitals, def. Keothavong, Breakers, 5-0.
   Men's singles -- Cook, NB, def. Vemic, Capitals, 5-2.
   Overtime -- Vemic, Capitals, def. Cook, NB, 1-0.

Capitals nip Breakers in thriller

   Mark Knowles wasn't even sure he would be able to play Friday night.
   The three-time World TeamTennis MVP not only played, he practically willed the Sacramento Capitals to a critical victory.
   In a match that came down to the last point, Sacramento rallied for a 19-18 victory over the rival Newport Beach Breakers at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights.
   At 4-4 in the decisive tiebreaker, Knowles put away a volley in mixed doubles to end the thriller before a delirious announced crowd of 2,112 at 2,500-seat Capitals Stadium.
   Facing Travis Rettenmaier and Marie-Eve Pelletier, Knowles and Vania King overcame deficits of 0-2 in the set and 1-3 in the tiebreaker.
    Sacramento, which started the season 1-3, moved back into first place in the Western Conference at 5-4. St. Louis (5-5) and Kansas City (4-4) trail by one-half match.
   With the Capitals' next three matches on the road, including Monday night at 9-0 Washington, they needed a victory over Newport Beach  (3-6). Realistically, Sacramento must finish at least 8-6 in the regular season to reach the playoffs.
   Knowles, who will turn 40 in September, was questionable for Friday's match after hurting his right (playing) shoulder Thursday night at Kansas City.
   Mardy Fish, the top American among men or women at No. 9 in the world in singles, had been scheduled to join the Capitals for the match and could have substituted for Knowles. But Fish withdrew Thursday morning because of an abdominal muscle injury.
   As a precautionary measure, Sam Warburg came out of retirement for one night. The 28-year-old Sacramento native played for the Capitals from 2005 through 2009, helping them win their record sixth WTT title in 2007.
   Warburg, however, remained on the bench. Knowles lost 5-3 in his other set, men's doubles with Dusan Vemic.
   Sacramento led 10-4 behind Vemic (men's singles) and King and Yasmin Schnack (women's doubles), but Newport Beach came back to tie the score 14-14 entering the last set before nearly pulling out the match.
    The Breakers won't have to wait long for a chance at revenge. They host the Capitals tonight at 7:15.  

   Capitals 19, Newport Beach 18

   Men's singles -- Dusan Vemic, Capitals, def. Lester Cook, NB, 5-3.  
   Women's doubles -- Vania King and Yasmin Schnack, Capitals, def. Marie-Eve Pelletier and Anne Keothavong, NB, 5-1.
   Men's doubles -- Cook and Travis Rettenmaier, NB, def. Vemic and Mark Knowles, Capitals, 5-3.
   Women's singles -- Keothavong, NB, def. King, Capitals, 5-1.
   Mixed doubles -- Knowles and King, Capitals, def. Rettenmaier and Pelletier, NB, 5-4.

Capitals fall out of first place; Fish withdraws

   The Sacramento Capitals have had better days.
   Their marquee player, Mardy Fish, on Thursday withdrew from tonight's match with an abdominal muscle injury. They lost to the host Kansas City Explorers 20-15, ending their three-match winning streak. And they dropped out of first place in the Western Conference of World TeamTennis.
   The good news for Sacramento is that none of the setbacks is serious.
   Fish, the highest-ranked American among men or women at No. 9 in the world, was scheduled to make his only appearance of the season for Sacramento at 7:30 p.m. against rival Newport Beach at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights.
   The Capitals (4-4) are fully capable of beating Newport Beach (3-5) without Fish, especially at home, although the Breakers will be more rested. They played at home Wednesday night and were off Thursday. Sacramento, in contrast, will fly home today.
   Against Kansas City, Sacramento's Dusan Vemic won 5-2 in men's singles to tie the overall score 15-15 entering the last set. Then Bob and Mike Bryan, the identical twin sons of Capitals coach Wayne Bryan and probably the greatest men's doubles team ever, stepped on the court.
   So much for any notions of victory for Sacramento. The Bryans crushed Mark Knowles and Vemic 5-0 in 13 minutes to help Kansas City avenge a 23-12 loss to the host Capitals on Tuesday.
   In that match, newly crowned Wimbledon women's doubles champion Kveta Peschke of the Explorers lost her two sets by a combined score of 10-2. This time, she won her two sets by a combined 10-5.
   Still, Sacramento trails first-place St. Louis (5-4) by only one-half match with six matches left in the regular season for the Capitals.  
   Kansas City 20, Capitals 15
   Women’s singles -- Vania King, Capitals, def. Madison Brengle, Kansas City, 5-3.
   Women’s doubles -- Kveta Peschke and Brengle, Kansas City, def. Yasmin Schnack and King, Capitals, 5-3.
   Mixed doubles -- Bob Bryan and Peschke, Kansas City, def. Mark Knowles and King, Capitals, 5-2.
   Men’s singles -- Dusan Vemic, Capitals, def. Alex Kuznetsov, Kansas City, 5-2.
   Men’s doubles -- Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan, Kansas City, def. Knowles and Vemic, Capitals, 5-0.
    

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 edge St. Louis, take conference lead

   After starting 1-3, the Sacramento Capitals find themselves in first place in the Western Conference halfway through the World TeamTennis regular season.
   Sacramento beat host St. Louis 20-19 in a Supertiebreaker on Wednesday night for its third straight victory and wrested the conference lead from the Aces.
   Mark Knowles and Dusan Vemic won 5-1 in men's doubles, ending a four-set losing streak, to give the Capitals (4-3) a 13-9 lead at intermission. But St. Louis (4-4) won 5-3 in women's doubles and mixed doubles to tie the score 19-19 after regulation.
   Knowles and Vania King then beat Jean-Julien Rojer and Liezel Huber 7-2 in the Supertiebreaker.  
   Knowles, a 39-year-old Bahamian, and Huber, a 34-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from South Africa, formerly were ranked No. 1 in doubles. All but Rojer have won Wimbledon doubles titles.
   Huber and Rojer served for the match at 4-2 in the final set, but Knowles and King broke serve to give Sacramento a 19-18 overall lead. Huber and Rojer then held serve to force the Supertiebreaker.
    King, the 2009 WTT Female MVP as a member of the Springfield (Mo.) Lasers, was playing in her second match since joining the Capitals on Tuesday for her second season with the team. She rested the week after Wimbledon.
   St. Louis suffered a blow on the day of its season opener when reigning WTT Female MVP Lindsay Davenport, 35, announced she was pregnant with her third child and under doctor's orders to skip the season.
   Sacramento will face identical twins Bob and Mike Bryan, the No. 1 doubles team in the world, and WTT defending champion Kansas City (3-4) for the second time in three days tonight in Kansas City, Mo.
   The Explorers will try to avenge a 23-12 loss Tuesday night to the host Capitals, coached by Wayne Bryan, Bob and Mike's father.

Capitals 20, St. Louis 19 (STB)
   Men’s singles – Roman Borvanov (Aces) def. Dusan Vemic (Capitals) 5-3.
   Women’s singles – Vania King (Capitals) def. Maria Sanchez (Aces) 5-3.
   Men’s doubles – Mark Knowles and Dusan Vemic (Capitals) def. Roman Borvanov and Jean-Julien Rojer (Aces) 5-1.
   Women’s doubles – Liezel Huber and Sanchez (Aces) def. King and Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) 5-3.
   Mixed doubles – Rojer and Huber (Aces) def. Knowles and King (Capitals) 5-3.
   Supertiebreaker – Knowles and King (Capitals) def. Huber and Rojer (Aces) 1-0 (7-2).

King leads Capitals over Bryans, Kansas City

   In a matchup of players making their World TeamTennis season debuts, Vania King upstaged Bob and Mike Bryan on Tuesday night.
   King won all three of her sets as the Sacramento Capitals routed the Kansas City Explorers, featuring three reigning Wimbledon doubles champions, 23-12 before an announced sellout crowd of 2,500 at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights.
   King, the 2009 WTT Female MVP as a member of the Springfield (Mo.) Lasers, took the week after Wimbledon off while the Bryans increased their U.S. Davis Cup record to 17 men's doubles victories in a loss to Spain in Austin, Texas.
   After starting the season 1-3, Sacramento (3-3) can move into first place in the Western Conference with a victory tonight in St. Louis (4-3).
   The Bryans, the identical twin sons of Capitals coach Wayne Bryan and probably the greatest men's doubles team ever, took the opening set against Kansas City 5-3. But Sacramento won the last four sets by a combined score of 20-7 to rout the WTT defending champions.
   The Bryans recently won their second Wimbledon men's doubles title, giving them 11 in Grand Slam tournaments to tie the Open Era (since 1968) record of Australians Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde.
   Also playing for Kansas City was Kveta Peschke, who won the Wimbledon women's doubles crown with Katarina Srebotnik. But Jarmila Gajdosova, ranked 29th in the world in women's singles, did not return to WTT this season. Madison Brengle, ranked  No. 222, replaced her for Kansas City.
   King won 5-1 in mixed doubles with Mark Knowles, 5-1 in women's doubles with close friend and WTT rookie Yasmin Schnack and 5-3 in women's singles. King and Schnack have known each other since meeting at a tournament in Costa Rica when they were 11 and 12, respectively.
   Four Wimbledon champions graced the court in mixed doubles, the second set of the night, as King (2010 women's doubles) and Knowles (2009 mixed doubles) faced Peschke and Mike Bryan. Peschke, though, lost both of her sets 5-1.
   The Capitals' Dusan Vemic, playing against his former team, cut his double faults from five in men's doubles to two in men's singles. That helped him beat Ricardo Mello 5-2 to give Sacramento a 13-8 lead at intermission, and the Capitals' women took over from there.    
   When King was asked if she was surprised by the one-sided victory, she said: "Yes and no. We're always capable of it as a team. I have a lot of faith in Yasmin. I'm surprised we won the mixed doubles so easily, but Mark and I played really well. In women's doubles, (Brengle and Peschke) don't know each other as well as Yasmin and I."
   Wayne Bryan improved to 3-1 against his sons even though Bob and Mike have won in men's doubles each time. The twins said the meetings are harder on their father than on them.
   "We're just playing the ball and two guys on the other side of the net," Bob said. "Our dad is our biggest fan and supporter. He's never rooted against us in his life. He's rooting for a great serve out of me and a great return out of Mike. He's relieved when the match is over."
   Bob, who married Florida attorney Michelle Alvarez in December, said he and Mike, who remains single but has a longtime girlfriend, "are best friends. We do fight, but we have a loyal bond that's never going to break. Twins have that special connection other people can't understand unless they're twins."
   It also helps make them a great doubles team.
   "Communication is huge, knowing your partner," Mike said. "We've played thousands matches together since we were 6. We complement each other well. He's left-handed, and I'm right-handed. He has a big serve, and I have a pretty good return."
   The Bryans, 33, have no plans to retire soon.
   "One thing we have not done is win a gold medal (in the Olympics)," said Bob, who earned a bronze medal with Bob in the 2008 Games in Beijing. "We're shooting for that next year (in London). We still love what we do. There are guys still playing great tennis at 39 and 40. This is something we'll probably do for the next four or five years."
   With that, Kansas City owner Jeff Launius pleaded, "The real question is, how long will both of you keep playing for the Kansas City Explorers?"
   Cracked Bob Bryan, "You guys have wheelchair tennis?"     

Capitals 23, Explorers 12
   Men's doubles -- Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (Explorers) def. Mark Knowles and Dusan Vemic (Capitals) 5-3.
   Mixed doubles -- Vania King and Knowles (Capitals) def. Kveta Peschke and Mike Bryan (Explorers) 5-1.
   Men's singles -- Vemic (Capitals) def. Ricardo Mello (Explorers) 5-2.
   Women's doubles -- King and Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) def. Peschke and Madison Brengle (Explorers) 5-1.
   Women's singles -- King (Capitals) def. Brengle (Explorers) 5-3.

Serena, Kastles beat Capitals

   The good news for the Sacramento Capitals is they won't face a future International Tennis Hall of Famer tonight. The bad news is that two more are coming to town Tuesday.
   For the second straight night at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, Calif., a future immortal led her team over Sacramento as Serena Williams and the Washington Kastles rallied for a 21-16 victory Saturday before an announced sellout crowd of 2,500. On Friday, Martina Hingis and the New York Sportimes triumphed 21-12.
   After hosting the rival Newport Beach Breakers (3-2) tonight at 7:30 and resting Monday, the Capitals (1-3) will take on the Kansas City Explorers (1-3) at Sunrise Mall.
   Identical twins Bob and Mike Bryan, arguably the greatest men's doubles team ever, will make their season debut for the defending champions of World TeamTennis against their father, Sacramento coach Wayne Bryan.
   After the Capitals took a 14-11 lead over Washington (5-0) at intermission, Williams crushed WTT rookie Yasmin Schnack 5-0 in 14 minutes.
   The Kastles' Leander Paes and Bobby Reynolds then beat Mark Knowles and Dusan Vemic 5-2 to preserve the victory. Paes, a 38-year-old Indian, has won 12 Grand Slam doubles titles (six men's and six mixed). Reynolds, a 28-year-old tour veteran, earned last year's WTT Male Rookie of the Year award.
   In Williams' other two sets, which opened the match, she lost 5-2 in mixed doubles and won 5-4 in women's doubles.
   Williams played in the Sacramento area for the first time. She recently returned to action after missing 11 months because of two foot operations and blood clots in both of her lungs.

Kastles 21, Capitals 16  
   Mixed doubles -- Mark Knowles and Yasmin Schnack, Capitals, def. Leander Paes and Serena Williams, Kastles, 5-2.
   Women’s doubles -- Rennae Stubbs and Williams, Kastles, def. Christina Fusano and Schnack, Capitals, def. 5-4.
   Men’s singles -- Dusan Vemic, Capitals, def. Bobby Reynolds, Kastles, 5-4.
   Women’s singles --Williams, Kastles, def. Schnack, Capitals, 5-0.
   Men’s doubles -- Reynolds and Paes, Kastles, def. Knowles and Vemic, Capitals, 5-2.

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.

Capitals rebound, beat Kansas City

   The Sacramento Capitals turned it around in one night.
   After falling behind 10-3 and losing their season opener at St. Louis on Wednesday, the Capitals jumped out to a big lead and held on to beat the host Kansas City Explorers, the World TeamTennis defending champions, 23-16 in overtime Thursday night.
   After the Capitals' Mark Knowles and Nick Monroe began the match with a 5-3 victory in men's doubles, Sacramento-area resident Yasmin Schnack demolished Madison Brengle 5-0 in 14 minutes in women's singles. Then Monroe beat Ricardo Mello 5-2 to give Sacramento a 15-5 lead at intermission.
   The Capitals held on from there to even their record at 1-1 and drop Kansas City, featuring newly crowned Wimbledon women's doubles champion Kveta Peschke, to 0-2.
   "I'm very happy with our play tonight," Sacramento coach Wayne Bryan said. "We improved dramatically over the course of the last three days (including practice before the season opener)."  
   For the second straight match, Monroe and Sacramento native Christina Fusano replaced regular players Dusan Vemic and Vania King. Vemic encountered visa problems leaving his home in Serbia, and King is resting after Wimbledon.
   Vemic is expected to play in tonight's home opener against Martina Hingis and the New York Sportimes at 7:30 at Sunrise Mall. King, the 2009 WTT Female MVP for the Springfield (Mo.) Lasers, will join the Capitals by Tuesday, general manager Matt McEvoy said.

Capitals def. Kansas City 23-16 (OT)
   Men's doubles -- Mark Knowles/Nick Monroe (Capitals) def. Alex Kuznetsov/Ricardo Mello (Explorers) 5-3.
   Women's singles -- Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) def. Madison Brengle (Explorers) 5-0.
   Men's singles -- Monroe (Capitals) def. Mello (Explorers) 5-2.
   Mixed doubles -- Kveta Peschke/Kuznetsov (Explorers) def. Schnack/Knowles (Capitals) 5-3.
   Women's doubles -- Brengle/Peschke (Explorers) def. Christina Fusano/Schnack (Capitals) 5-4.
   Overtime -- Brengle/Peschke (Explorers) tied Fusano/Schnack (Capitals) 1-1.

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.
  
  

Season preview: Capitals hope to rebound

   Since winning the last of their record six World TeamTennis titles in 2007, the Sacramento Capitals have endured trying times.
   From 1997 through 2007, Sacramento went 108-35 (.755) and won all six of their league crowns, including four in a row (1997-2000) and five in six years. Since then, however, the Capitals have gone 20-22 (.476) with one playoff appearance.
   After going 8-6 and falling in the Western Conference final at home in Roseville in 2008, the Capitals have gone 6-8 and missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.
   Only once before since joining the league in 1986 had Sacramento had suffered a losing record (also 6-8 in 1991). Only three times before had the Capitals missed the playoffs.
   Not coincidentally, 2007 was Elena Likhovtseva's last full-time year on the women's tour, and Mark Knowles has played only one full-time season for the Capitals since then. Knowles missed the 2008 season because of the birth of his second child and played only four matches last year because the team "decided to make more of a (financial) investment in Vania (King) than myself," he said.
   Likhovtseva and Knowles were named to The Sacramento Bee's all-time Capitals team last year (with Lindsay Davenport and Brian MacPhie).
   Nor did it help that Sacramento native Sam Warburg, a strong singles and doubles player, retired at 26 in October 2009 after five seasons with the Capitals.
   Most crushing of all, Lonnie Nielson, the team's owner or co-owner from 2000 until early this year, was sentenced in May to seven years in prison for embezzling more than $800,000 from real estate clients.
   Bob Cook, a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings, bought 50 percent of the Capitals from Nielson in 2008 and the rest this year. Cook also promoted Matt McEvoy, then 25, from assistant general manager to general manager in March 2010.
   The Capitals will try to rebound from their woes beginning tonight, when they open their 26th season against the host St. Louis Aces.
   Sacramento's playoff chances appear much better this year than last. Knowles, a three-time WTT Male MVP formerly ranked No. 1 in the world in men's doubles, returns full-time.
   "When I talked to (management), Bob and Matt, about this season, I said, 'I really want to get back to the playoffs,' " Knowles, 39, of the Bahamas said during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif., in March. "It's really all I know with Sacramento."
   Also, Mardy Fish replaces Michael Chang as the Capitals' marquee player for one match. Fish, a 29-year-old native of Edina, Minn., living in Tampa, Fla., is ranked a career-high No. 8 in the world in men's singles. Chang, an International Tennis Hall of Famer, retired in 2003 at 31.
   Meanwhile, four of the top five women's singles players in WTT last year are not returning, at least full-time. The only exception is No. 4 Martina Hingis, a likely future Hall of Famer, of the New York Sportimes.
   Sacramento received a huge boost when Davenport, the league's reigning female MVP for the St. Louis Aces, announced this week that she's pregnant with her third child and will not play this season under doctor's orders. Another Western Conference star who's not returning is No. 3 Jarmila Gajdosova of the defending champion Kansas City Explorers. Meanwhile, the top six men's singles players return.
   Women's singles and doubles are critical in WTT's abbreviated format because it's more difficult for the powerful men to break each other's serve.
   King and Dusan Vemic return for their second season with the Capitals. Rounding out the squad is WTT and tour rookie Yasmin Schnack from the Sacramento suburb of Elk Grove.
   "I like the team a lot," said Wayne Bryan, in his 10th year as the Capitals' coach. " ... Schnack has good size (5-foot-10), she's a big hitter, and she has a good volley. She'll be a big key. Other than Elena and Vania, she's the best (women's) doubles player I've had. Knowles is healthy. Vemic played singles and doubles last year. All the other teams are good as well."    
   Here's how the Capitals break down in each event:
   Men's singles -- Vemic, 35, of Serbia is flashy but inconsistent. He finished fifth among nine WTT regulars with a 54-53 (.505) record in games last season. Grade: C+.
   Women's singles -- Listed at 5-5, King is quick but can be overpowered by bigger players. A 22-year-old resident of Boynton Beach, Fla., who grew up in Long Beach, she finished sixth among 10 WTT regulars with a 50-48 (.510) mark in games last season. Against weaker competition in 2009, King placed first in singles for Springfield and earned the league's Female MVP award. Grade: B-.
   Men's doubles -- Knowles and Vemic, 35, of Serbia should form an excellent team after going 3-1 together last year. Although both have struggled this year, they have strong credentials. Knowles has won three Grand Slam men's doubles titles (2002 Australian Open, 2004 U.S. Open and 2007 French Open, all with Daniel Nestor). Vemic has reached two Grand Slam semifinals in the event (2008 French Open with Bruno Soares and 2010 Australian Open with Ivo Karlovic). Grade: A-.
   Women's doubles -- King and Schnack are close friends who complement each other well. King won the Wimbledon and U.S. Open women's doubles titles last year with Yaroslava Shvedova, and Schnack has reached three women's doubles finals in tennis' minor leagues this year. Grade: B.
   Mixed doubles -- Knowles, the 2009 Wimbledon mixed doubles champion with Anna-Lena Groenefeld, and King form perhaps the top team in the league. Grade: A.

Capitals schedule, capsules; WTT rosters

   The Sacramento Capitals begin their 26th season in World TeamTennis on Wednesday night against the host St. Louis Aces.

   Sacramento is coming off consecutive 6-8 seasons, only their second and third losing records. The Capitals have won a record six WTT titles, most recently in 2007.    

CAPITALS’ SCHEDULE

(Home matches at Capitals Stadium, Sunrise Mall)

Wednesday, July 6, at St. Louis, 5:15 p.m.

Thursday, July 7, at Kansas City, 5:35 p.m.

Friday, July 8, vs. New York, 7:30 p.m. (Martina Hingis plays for Sportimes)

Saturday, July 9, vs. Washington, 7:30 p.m. (Serena Williams plays for Kastles)

Sunday, July 10, vs. Newport Beach, 7:30  p.m.

Tuesday, July 12, vs. Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. (Bob and Mike Bryan play for Explorers)

Wednesday, July 13, at St. Louis, 5:15 p.m.

Thursday, July 14, at Kansas City, 5:35 p.m. (Bryans play for Explorers)

Friday, July 15, vs. Newport Beach, 7:30 p.m. (Mardy Fish plays for Capitals)

Saturday, July 16, at Newport Beach, 7:15 p.m.

Monday, July 18, at Washington, 4 p.m.

Tuesday, July 19, at Springfield, 5:05 p.m.

Wednesday, July 20, vs. Boston, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 21, vs. Springfield, 7:30 p.m.

2011 CAPITALS CAPSULES

   Mardy Fish, 29, Tampa, Fla., fourth World TeamTennis season (first with Capitals). Will play one match for Capitals on July 15 against Newport Beach Breakers at Sunrise Mall. ... Top-ranked American man at career-high No. 8 in world. ... Equaled best Grand Slam result by reaching Wimbledon quarterfinals for first time last week as last American in tournament. ... Has won five career ATP World Tour titles in singles and eight in doubles (including San Jose in 2004 with James Blake and last year with Sam Querrey). ... In U.S. victory on clay at Colombia last September, became first American to win all three of his matches (two singles and one doubles) in single Davis Cup series since Pete Sampras in 1995 final in Moscow. ... Won singles silver medal in 2004 Olympics in Athens, losing to Nicolas Massu of Chile 6-4 in the fifth set after leads two sets to one. ... Named 2006 Comeback Player of Year after undergoing two operations on left wrist.  ... Has booming serve, excellent return of serve. ... Moved from Minnesota to Florida at age 4 and lived with Andy Roddick in 1999 during high school. ... Returns to WTT after five-year absence. Played for Hartford FoxForce in 2004 and Houston Wranglers in 2005 and 2006. Both teams later folded.  

   Vania King, 22, Boynton Beach, Fla., third WTT season (second with Capitals). Ranked No. 7 in world in doubles (No. 2 in U.S.) and No. 90 in singles (No. 4 in U.S.). ... Won first Grand Slam titles last year, prevailing in women's doubles at Wimbledon and U.S. Open with Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan. ... Has won 12 career WTA Tour titles in doubles and one in singles (2006 Bangkok). ... Member of U.S. Fed Cup team 2006-09, 2011. ... Led Springfield (Mo.) Lasers to 2009 WTT Western Division championship and was named WTT Female MVP. ... Acquired from Springfield in 2010 draft-day trade. ... Fell from first in WTT women's singles (among 10 regulars) in 2009 to sixth last season against tougher competition. ... Quick at only 5-foot-5. ... Attended same high school, Long Beach Poly, as Billie Jean King (no relation). ... Talented singer performed "American the Beautiful" in Arthur Ashe Stadium at 2006 U.S. Open.

   Mark Knowles, 39, Bahamas, 10th WTT season (all with Capitals). Doubles specialist ranked No. 28 in world after reaching No. 1 in 2002 and 2004. … Finished in top 10 for eight straight years (2002-09). … In April 2010, became fifth player in ATP World Tour history to record 700 doubles match wins. … Has won four Grand Slam titles: three in men’s doubles with ex-partner Daniel Nestor (2002 Australian Open, 2004 U.S. Open and 2007 French Open) and one in mixed doubles with Anna-Lena Groenefeld (2009 Wimbledon). … Overall, has won 53 men’s doubles crowns (20th in Open Era, which began in 1968). … Three-time WTT Male MVP (2001, 2005 and 2007), tied with ex-Capital Brian MacPhie (1996-98) for men’s record. ... Has textbook volley and return of serve.  

   Yasmin Schnack, 23, Elk Grove, WTT rookie. Ranked No. 221 in doubles and No. 379 in singles in first full year as pro. … Won doubles title at $25,000 tournament in Redding last September in pro debut with fellow Sacramento-area pro Christina Fusano. … Has reached three doubles finals in tennis' minor leagues this year, falling each time. ... Powerful, athletic at 5-10. ... Close friend of teammate King. … Graduated from UCLA in sociology last year after All-America career. … Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year and NCAA doubles semifinalist in 2010. … Member of Bruins’ 2008 national championship team.

   Dusan Vemic, 35, Serbia, sixth WTT season (second with Capitals). Ranked 290th in doubles (career-high No. 31 in 2009) and 1,474th in singles (career-high No. 146 in 2008). ... Reached doubles semifinals of 2008 French Open (with Bruno Soares of Brazil) and 2010 Australian Open (with Ivo Karlovic of Croatia) and doubles quarterfinals of 2008 U.S. Open (with Soares). ... Powerful, flashy player finished fifth among nine regulars in WTT men's singles last season. ...  Played WTT for St. Louis in 2002 and Kansas City Explorers from 2007 to 2009.    

   Wayne Bryan, coach, Camarillo, 11th WTT season (10^th with Capitals). Longest-tenured coach in the league. … Earned third consecutive WTT Coach of the Year in 2006. … Has led Capitals to two of their record six league titles (2002 and 2007). … Father of identical twins Bob and Mike Bryan, world’s top-ranked men’s doubles team. … Tennis’ unofficial ambassador. … Non-practicing attorney. … Author of 2004 book “Raising Your Child to be a Champion in Athletics, Arts and Academics.” … Front man for Bryan Bros. Band.

OTHER WTT ROSTERS

(Players available for all 14 matches unless otherwise noted in parentheses)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

   Kansas City Explorers (WTT defending champions) – Bob and Mike Bryan (six), Alex Kuznetsov, Kveta Peschke, Ricardo Mello, Madison Brengle. Coach: Brent Haygarth.

   Newport Beach Breakers – Pete Sampras (one), Anne Keothavong, Lester Cook, Travis Rettenmaier, Marie-Eve Pelletier. Coach: Trevor Kronemann.

   St. Louis Aces – Mark Philippoussis (three), Liezel Huber, Maria Sanchez, Jean-Julien Roger, Roman Borvanov. Coach: Rick Leach.

   Springfield (Mo.) Lasers – Carly Gullickson, Lilia Osterloh, Paul Hanley, Raven Klaasen, Rik de Voest. Coach: John Laffnie de Jager (two-time reigning WTT Coach of the Year).

EASTERN CONFERENCE

   Boston Lobsters – James Blake (one), John Isner (one), Coco Vandeweghe, Jan-Michael Gambill, Eric Butorac, Mashona Washington. Coach: Bud Schultz.

   New York Sportimes – John McEnroe (four), Kim Clijsters (two), Martina Hingis (seven), Robert Kendrick, Jesse Witten, Katie O’Brien. Coach: Fritz Buehning.

   Philadelphia Freedoms – Jimmy Connors (one), Melanie Oudin (three), Lisa Raymond, Beatrice Capra, Brendan Evans, Nathan Healey. Coach: Pascal Collard.

   Washington Kastles – Serena Williams (two), Venus Williams (two), Sam Querrey (one), Arina Rodionova, Leander Paes, Bobby Reynolds (2010 WTT Male Rookie of the Year), Rennae Stubbs. Coach: Murphy Jensen.

   For more information, call (916) 488-5000 or visit www.saccaps.com.