Capitals
advance to World TeamTennis Final on Sunday
Roseville, Calif. – (July 27, 2007) --
Minutes before tonight’s Western Conference Championship match, Mark Knowles of
the Sacramento Capitals was announced as the WTT Male MVP of the Year. The WTT veteran lived up to the title by
leading his Sacramento Capitals to a 23-17 victory over the Springfield Lasers
in front of 3,287 fans at the Caps’ home stadium in Roseville, Calif.
With the win, the Caps advance to Sunday’s WTT Finals where
they will face off against the winner of the New York Buzz-Philadelphia
Freedoms Eastern Conference Championship match on Saturday evening at Allstate
Stadium at the Westfield Galleria at Roseville. The Caps are making a record 17th playoff appearance and will
have the opportunity to win a record sixth WTT Championship on Sunday.
playoff appearance and will have the opportunity to win a record sixth WTT
Championship on Sunday.
“Playing at home was great, especially against the best team
in the League,” said Knowles. “We had a
great crowd and they really pushed us through it. Men’s doubles got us off to a good start and
Sam backed it up in men’s singles. It
was a great night for the Caps.”
Springfield faced off against the strength of the Capitals’ lineup in the opening set, taking
on one of the League’s top doubles teams in Mark Knowles and Sam Warburg. Back-to-back aces from Warburg put the Caps
up 4-2 before a lob winner by Knowles closed out the first set 5-2.
An energized Warburg was too strong in men’s singles, outgunning Martin Verkerk
5-3. Knowles continued the winning streak
in mixed doubles teaming with Elena Likhovtseva for a 5-3 victory over Glenn
Weiner and Andreea Vanc.
Trailing 15-8 at halftime, Springfield went to the heart of their lineup
for two matches with two of the strongest women in the League – Tamarine
Tanasugarn and Andreea Vanc. Tanasugarn,
who was named WTT Female MVP prior to the match, started strong by breaking
Likhovtseva’s serve in the first game.
Likhovtseva rallied to jump out to an early 2-1 lead before Tanasugarn
broke back to go up 3-2. The seesaw
battle continued until Tanasugarn broke Likhovtseva’s serve to go up 4-3 and
close out the set 5-3 for the Lasers only win of the night.
Down by five points going into the final set, the Lasers
fielded the top doubles team in the League but it was Sacramento that broke serve in the first
game. The 14-year-old Michelle Larcher
de Brito of Sacramento may be the youngest
player in WTT history, but she showed poise during the women’s doubles set to
get
out to a 2-0 lead. Tanasugarn and Vanc
rallied to a 3-2 lead before the momentum swung back to the Caps. Two volley winners from Likhovtseva in the
tiebreaker propelled
the Caps to a 5-4 victory and the Western Conference title.
Action continues at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday when the defending
champion Philadelphia Freedoms and the New York Buzz face off for the Eastern
Conference Championship. The winner
plays the Capitals at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday evening for the WTT title and the
King Trophy.
Final Results:
Western Conference
Championship: Sacramento
Capitals def.
Springfield Lasers 23-17
Men's Doubles - Mark Knowles\Sam Warburg (Capitals) def. Martin
Verkerk\Glenn Weiner (Lasers) 5-2
Men's Singles - Sam Warburg (Capitals) def. Martin Verkerk (Lasers) 5-3
Mixed Doubles - Elena Likhovtseva\Mark Knowles (Capitals) def. Andreea
Vanc\Glenn Weiner (Lasers) 5-3
Women's Singles - Tamarine Tanasugarn (Lasers) def. Elena Likhovtseva
(Capitals) 5-3
Women's Doubles - Michelle Larcher de Brito\Elena Likhovtseva (Capitals)
def. Tamarine Tanasugarn\Andreea Vanc (Lasers) 5-4
Next Matches:
Saturday, July 28, 2007 - Eastern Conference Championship:
Philadelphia Freedoms vs.
NEW YORK BUZZ, 7:30 p.m. (Pacific)
Sunday, July 29, 2007 - WTT Finals:
Sacramento Capitals vs. winner of Philadelphia Freedoms/New
York Buzz, 7:30 p.m. (Pacific)