While Orange County continues its fall in the absence of Coco Vandeweghe, the Springfield Lasers needed a win over the New York Sportimes Sunday night to fend-off the surging Texas Wild in the Western Conference. While Texas won easily over the Freedoms (the team that defeated the Lasers on Springfield’s home court the night before), the Lasers responded to the pressure with convincing wins in Mixed Doubles, Mens Doubles, and Womens Singles – one of Springfield’s most challenging events this year.
With Vania King and Alisa Kleybanova now struggling in Womens Doubles, the Lasers strongest event over the first half of the season, Coach JL de Jager elected to end the night with Jean-Julien Rojer and Rik DeVoest in Mens Doubles. Up first, Rojer and Kleybanova delivered a 5-2 win over Robert Kendrick and Kveta Peschke in Mixed. Vania and Alisa dropped the Womens Doubles set 3-5 to the strong pairing of Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Peschke. In Mens Singles, Rik DeVoest delivered 4-games for the Lasers, losing the set in the tiebreak to Jesse Witten. Then, in Springfield’s least productive event, Alisa Kleybanova delivered a convincing 5-2 win over Groenefeld, leading the Lasers into the final set 17-14. With a 5-2 win from Rojer and DeVoest over Witten and Kendrick, the Lasers improved to 7-4 on the season with a 22-16 win over the New York Sportimes.
Springfield heads to Boston Monday night, faces a tough battle with Sacramento on Tuesday (a team now featuring Sam Querrey), and then finishes the regular season in Orange County on Wednesday. Don West and I will have the call on Medicom Connections 22 Tuesday at Cooper Tennis Complex.
Should the Lasers finish the season as the top team in the West, we’ll have one final home match on Thursday for the Western Conference Championship. The winner of the West will most likely play the Kastles in Washington this Sunday in the World Team Tennis finals.
7/21 – WIN 22-16 over the New York Sportimes
MXD (W) 5-2 Rojer/Kleybanova vs. Kendrick/Peschke
WD (L) 3-5 King/Kleybanova vs. Groenefeld/Peschke
MS (L) 4-5 DeVoest vs. Witten
WS (W) 5-2 Kleybanova vs. Groenefeld
MD (W) 5-2 Rojer/DeVoest vs. Witten/Kendrick
2013 WORLD TEAM TENNIS STANDINGS
Western Conference
- Springfield Lasers 7-4
- Texas Wild 7-5
- Orange County Breakers 6-6
- Sacramento Capitals 4-7
Eastern Conference
- Washington Kastles 9-2
- New York Sportimes 4-7
- Boston Lobsters 4-7
- Philadelphia Freedoms 4-7
