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A winning streak three seasons in the making hit the record books Tuesday night when the Washington Kastles defeated the Boston Lobsters, 25-12, for their 34th consecutive victory.
Washington swept all five sets from Boston to secure the longest win streak in major U.S. pro sports history, passing the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers team that won 33 straight NBA games.
Lakers executive vice president Jeanie Buss, who was involved with World TeamTennis in the 1970s as an executive for the Los Angeles Strings, issued a congratulations statement Tuesday evening after the Kastles' win.
"Winning 33 consecutive games was an amazing accomplishment by our 1971-72 Lakers team, as evidenced by the fact that no other team has come close to reaching it for over 40 years now," said Buss. "On behalf of the Buss family and the Lakers family, I want to congratulate the Washington Kastles, their players, and our good friends Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss on this milestone accomplishment of theirs."
Six-foot-eight Kevin Anderson got the Kastles off to a fast start, winning 16 of 18 points on his speedy serve to win men's singles 5-2. The women's doubles team of Martina Hingis and Anastasia Rodionova followed suit with a 5-3 victory.
Hingis remained on court for the third set, teaming with 13-time Grand Slam doubles champion Leander Paes to claim mixed doubles 5-3 and give Washington a 15-8 advantage overall at the half. Hingis then defeated Jill Craybas 5-2 in women's singles to put the Kastles ahead, 20-10, going into the final set of men's doubles.
That left Paes and Bobby Reynolds in prime position to close out the Kastles' 34th straight win, which they did when Paes hit a service winner on Washington's first match point. Reynolds, nicknamed the Kastles closer, has been on court to clinch 21 of Washington's record 34 consecutive victories.
The Kastles have not lost since falling to the Lobsters on July 22, 2010. They have won four matches in a Supertiebreaker and seven matches by one game, saving 10 match points along the way.
The Kastles' celebration won't last long. They'll try to extend the streak in Dallas Wednesday night against the Texas Wild.
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