Dominance comes in many different forms. In the last few years, the ATP has shown a tendency towards parity among the game’s elite, with four top players vying for the sport’s biggest titles. On the WTA, Serena Williams has proven that, at her best, she is simply a cut (or twenty) above most of her competition.
In Mylan World TeamTennis, the Washington Kastles have managed to blend ruthless efficiency with compellingly close calls over their 34-match winning streak, now the longest of any U.S. major professional sports team. The Kastles opened the season by tying the record held by the Los Angeles Lakers, who won 33 consecutive matches during the 1971-72 season. Last night, the Kastles went one better.
From the first match of the 2011 season, the Kastles have gone undefeated, winning two King Trophies and fending off strong challenges from teams featuring greats like Martina Hingis, John McEnroe and the Bryan Brothers. To win the 2012 Mylan WTT Championship last summer, the Kastles slipped past the feisty Sacramento Capitals on a knife’s edge 20-19 victory.
Against the Boston Lobsters on Tuesday evening, all eyes were on Washington to see whether the Kastles could go from chasing history to making it. The Lobsters entered the Kastles Stadium with a 1-1 record for the 2013 season, but began the match with the knowledge that were (and remain) the last team to claim a win over Washington. On July 22, 2010, the Lobsters edged the Kastles 24-15 in an overtime that eliminated the Kastles from the post-season and propelled Boston into the play-offs.
With all the pressure on the home team, the Kastles responded effortlessly, sweeping all five sets played to run away with a 25-12 decision with the help of 2013 Hall of Fame Inductee Hingis (who made her Kastles debut this season), multiple Grand Slam doubles titlist Leander Paes and 2012 Mylan WTT Male MVP Bobby Reynolds.
The winning streak is nearly triple the second longest in Mylan WTT history, made by the Newport Beach Dukes. In 1994, the Dukes went 14-0 in the regular season before losing in the playoff semifinals. In each of the 2011 and 2012 seasons, the Kastles have finished with perfect 16-0 records (including post-season play), and are already 2-0 to begin the 2013 season.
The Kastles’ winning streak has injected a strong overtone of competitive fire to the league. As the streak began to build steam, the Kastles adopted a “Refuse to Lose” mentality championed by head coach Murphy Jensen (named Coach of the Year for the 2011 and 2012 seasons). The other teams have responded in kind, all gunning for the opportunity to topple the Kastles and be the team that ends the streak.
There is no easy shortcut to 34 consecutive victories. Even the best teams have bad days, arrive under-manned or over-matched. Through the past two (going on three) seasons, the Kastles have overcome all obstacles put in front of them. After last night, their tenacity has been rewarded as the Kastles find themselves with a unique and deserved place in sports history.