Same two teams, same outcome. In a rematch from the opening day of the 2020 World TeamTennis season, the San Diego Aviators defeated the Orange County Breakers 20-14 on July 19 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
The Aviators triumphed one week ago over the Breakers, 23-16.
Ryan Harrison helped the Aviators take flight by playing a major part in SD’s first three-set victories: Men’s Singles, Mixed Doubles and Men’s Doubles. Harrison set the tone in the first with a 5-1 win over Steve Johnson, followed by consecutive 5-4 tiebreaker wins in Mixed Doubles, with Coco Vandeweghe, and Men’s Doubles, with Jonny O’Mara.
Jennifer Brady would set-up an exciting final set by sweeping Christina McHale, 5-0, closing the Aviators advantage to 15-14. Brady and McHale would close the set with an epic minute-long, 56 stroke battle, leading Breakers coach Rick Leach to toss all four tennis balls he was holding in the air in celebration.
In Women’s Doubles, Vandeweghe and Melichar would land the plane for the Aviators with a dominating 5-0 final set victory over Gabby Dabrowski and Andreja Klepac.
Harrison on playing the first three sets: “It was actually easier to do back-to-back-to-back, this way I didn’t have a chance to cool off.”
Harrison on finding his groove: “I’ve been working on different parts of my game and in different matches, I’ve had some stages where different parts have clicked at different times. I never was able to pull it all together until tonight. I served well, returned well and I felt like my forehand was really a weapon, a lot of different things that have done well at times but tonight it all came together and I’m hoping to keep that momentum.”
San Diego Aviators defeat ORANGE COUNTY BREAKERS, 20-14
Men’s Singles: Ryan Harrison (Aviators) def. Stevie Johnson (Breakers), 5-1
Mixed Doubles: Harrison/Coco Vandeweghe (Aviators) def. Austin Krajicek/Gabby Dabrowski (Breakers), 5-4
Men’s Doubles: Jonny O’Mara/Harrison (Aviators) def. Krajicek/Stevie Johnson (Breakers), 5-4
Women’s Singles: Jennifer Brady (Breakers) def. Christina McHale (Aviators), 5-0
Women’s Doubles: Vandeweghe/Nichol Melichar (Aviators) def. Andreja Klepac/Dabrowski (Breakers), 5-0
The San Diego Aviators next play the Chicago Smash tomorrow at 3 PM ET/Noon PT. The Orange County Breakers immediately follow when they host the New York Empire at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT. Both matches will be televised on Tennis Channel.
WTT’s entire season schedule, and daily results can be viewed at WTT.com/schedule.
