The @OrlandoStormWTT End @PhillyFreedoms Win Streak in Early @WorldTeamTennis Saturday Action
The Philadelphia Freedoms rode a six match win streak into Saturday morning, and with 2020 Australian Open women’s singles champion Sofia Kenin on the roster, there was little reason to the think that the streak would not extend further. The Orlando Storm found themselves in a tight race to remain in the World Team Tennis top tier, as the top four teams in the league will contest the semifinals and final next weekend.
What followed was a blowout by WTT standards. So many sets in this competition end with a tiebreak that it was surprising to not see a 5-4 result on the scorecard today, where the Storm dominated the Freedom, 23-13.
Tennys Sandgren and Ken Skupski bageled Donald Young and Fabrice Martin to take a big 5-0 lead in men’s doubles. Jessica Pegula stepped up to the plate in route to a breezy 5-2 victory over Kenin and you had the feeling that it was going to be a good day for the Storm. Pegula followed up her singles win with a doubles victory with Darija Jurak. The pair beat Taylor Townsend and Caroline Dolehide, 5-3. Sandgren finished off the Freedoms with a 5-3 victory over Taylor Fritz and the rout was over. Pegula was selected as the “Chosen” Player of the Match for her efforts, although Sandgren must have been a close second for the nod.
The Storm badly needed to win today and their record now improves to 6-4. With the victory, the Storm maintain a one-half match lead over the Vegas Rollers and one full match lead on the Washington Kastles, who are currently outside of the playoff bubble.
Orlando will open tomorrow’s WTT action as well, taking on the 2019 league champion Springfield Lasers in a must-win match for Springfield.
—S. Fogleman in West Virginia
Tennis Atlantic 