WTT 2018: Venus Williams snatches victory for the Kastles over the Aviators, 21-20

July 25, 2018, Kastles Stadium at the Smith Center, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. – Down by three points, with the team behind by a score of 15-18, the Washington Kastles’ fortune was in the hands of Venus Williams.  For them to have a chance at all to defeat the San Diego Aviators, she had to win her singles game with a score of at least 5-1 – in order to give the Kastles a 20-19 win – or tie the team score at 20-20 with a 5-2 victory.  The latter scenario, then there would be a “Supertiebreaker” with 13-point played and whichever team wins 7 points would win the match.

Indeed, Williams single-handedly grabbed a win for the Kastles from the jaws of defeat.  She won her game, 5-2, thereby tying the team score at 20-20.  In the “Supertiebreaker”, a couple of loose points gave her opponent, the Aviators’ Naomi Broady (GBR), three match points.  Williams saved all of these, emerging victorious, 7-6.  And the rest is history!

WASHINGTON KASTLES def. San Diego Aviators 21-20 (7-6 STB)
Men’s Singles – Marcus Willis (Aviators) def. Tennys Sandgren (Kastles) 5-3
Mixed Doubles – Nicole Melichar\Robert Lindstedt (Kastles) def. Anna-Lena Groenefeld\Marcin Matkowski (Aviators) 5-3
Men’s Doubles – Marcin Matkowski\Marcus Willis (Aviators) def. Robert Lindstedt\Tennys Sandgren (Kastles) 5-4
Women’s Doubles – Naomi Broady\Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Aviators) def. Nicole Melichar\Venus Williams (Kastles) 5-3
Women’s Singles – Venus Williams (Kastles) def. Naomi Broady (Aviators) 5-2
Supertiebreaker – Women’s Singles – Venus Williams (Kastles) def. Naomi Broady (Aviators) 1-0 (7-6)

Photos: World TeamTennis 2018: Washington Kastles 21, San Diego Aviators 20
all photos by Kwai Chan / Meniscus Magazine

Video: Venus Williams press conference, Washington Kastles, July 25, 2018 (full transcript)
video by Mai D. Chan / Meniscus Magazine