Black Tennis Pros

The Washington Kastles's home schedule this season will feature uncommon star wattage, including a match between former world No. 1 players Venus Williams and Martina Hingis, who faced off for the 1997 U.S. Open title, clashing for the first time since 2006.

Venus was added to the roster of the defending World TeamTennis champion Kastles in the offseason, joining sister Serena, who has played for Washington's franchise its first two years.

As the Kastles' designated "marquee players," the Williams sisters make just one home appearance, each on different nights.

Venus will lead the Kastles against Hingis and the New York Buzz in a home match on July 7 and play for the squad the next night in Philadelphia.

Serena will join the Kastles at home for a July 14 match against the Kansas City Explorers and play three matches on the road.

Anchored by the strong doubles play of Leander Paes and Rennae Stubbs, the Kastles won the World TeamTennis championship in their second season last year.

Team owner Mark Ein re-signed Paes, ranked sixth in the world in doubles, and Stubbs, ranked 7th in doubles, along with current world No. 1 Serena Williams. To round out the roster, Ein traded for the No. 1 pick in Tuesday's draft. The Kastles used that pick to select Bobby Reynolds, who ranked as high as 63rd in the world in 2009, to shoulder the men's singles duties. Ein also acquired the rights to Angela Haynes from Sacramento.

All told, Kastles players have won 61 Grand Slam event titles among them.

The Kastles will play seven away matches and seven at home from July 5 through July 22, with John McEnroe and Anna Kournikova as the headliners scheduled to visit Washington.

Read the rest of this post...........

In just its second season fielding a World TeamTennis franchise, Washington will host the professional tennis league's championship finals this summer.

The Washington Kastles once again will play their seven home matches on the site of the city's former convention center, 11th and H streets NW, at a 3,000-seat stadium that's roughly 30 percent bigger than the one constructed for the team's inaugural season.

In addition, Washington will host the 2009 Advanta WTT Championships finals on July 26.

The Kastles' seven-game home stand opens July 7 with a visit from former world No. 1 Venus Williams, who competes for the Philadelphia Freedom. That's just three days after Wimbledon women's final is schedule to be played. Venus is a five-time and defending champion of the grass-court classic.

For a second consecutive year, Serena Williams headlines the Kastles' roster, but she won't be in the lineup for a head-to-head meeting with her elder sister. Serena's lone home match for the Kastles will be July 14.

Other top names visiting Washington to take on this Kastles this summer include John McEnroe and Anna Kournikova.

Tickets go on sale Monday at 10 a.m., available through the team's Web site, www.washingtonkastles.com and Ticketmaster. Group and box seats can be bought by phone, 202-483-6647.

The Kastles home schedule is below:

July 7 -- Philadelphia Freedom (Venus Williams)

July 8 -- St. Louis Aces (Anna Kournikova)

July 12 -- N.Y. Buzz

July 14 -- Newport Beach Breakers (Serena Williams' only home match)

July 16 -- N.Y. Sportimes (John McEnroe)

July 21 -- N.Y. Buzz

July 22 -- Springfield Lasers

July 26 -- Advanta WTT Championship Finals

Read the rest of this post...........