Last night marked the beginning of the second season of the Washington Kastles, Washington, DC’s World Team Tennis team. Although the Kastles didn’t win (doh!), the night was a blast. Venus Williams headlined for the Philadelphia Freedom, and DC brought out doubles stars Rennae Stubbs and Leander Paes. I was particularly impressed with Venus – fresh off the plane from what must have been an exhausting two weeks at Wimbledon (and playing 5 sets on Sunday – doubles with Serena and singles against Serena), she played all three events she was eligible for: women’s singles, women’s dubs, and mixed dubs.
The mixed doubles match was especially fun to watch. Leander Paes and Rennae Stubbs faced off against Venus and Nathan Healey… Three out of the four players on court were 2009 Wimbledon finalists or champions! At one point, Rennae Stubbs dove outstretched to get a racket on a particularly tough crosscourt shot, and ended up sending a slow floater to Venus’ forehand just a few feet from the net. Venus, already playing at net, wound up on the short ball and it looked like she was about to unload a massive, punishing shot… and just as she was swinging forward Stubbs screamed out at the top of her lungs “TAKE IT EASY, VEE!!!” Venus and Stubbs burst out lauging together with the crowd. It was a memorable moment for sure.
Another fun moment came when Stubbs and Williams played mini-tennis with some of the kids at the event. Through a grant program, the Kastles invite several hundred local kids to each match so they can see world-class tennis up close and personal in the heart of downtown DC. We captured some footage of the event. It really gives a sense of the class and graciousness of these athletes, and of what World Team Tennis and the Kastles are bringing to DC. Here’s a short video!
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3pDQJB0FbM
FYB had a great relationship with the Kastles last season, and we are looking forward to continuing that relationship this year. The Kastles and their media partners Qorvis Communications allowed us to photograph and film all of the pros and action, and we can’t wait to bring more of it to FYB.com very soon.