The Washington Kastles have defeated the New York Empire for the third time this season, winning for the second time in Flushing Meadows by a score of 4-5 (3), 5-0, 5-4 (3), 5-4 (3), 5-1.
The Kastles improve to 5-2 on the season and are in a tight battle with Philadelphia and San Diego for one of the two spots in the final while the Empire remain winless on the season at 0-7.
Empire take the first set, Kastles cruise to second
Men's singles was the first set of the match with Mardy Fish making his season debut for the Empire against Tennys Sandgren of the Kastles.
Sandgren achieved the first break in the fifth game when Fish dumped a backhand into the net, but he hit a brilliant forehand to break in the seventh game, forcing a tiebreaker that he won convincingly 5-1.
Leading 5-4 after one set, New York sent out Tatjana Maria against Washington's Madison Brengle.
The set was no contest as Brengle served up a bagel, winning the set 5-0, to give the Kastles a 9-5 lead heading into the doubles, a major strength for the visitors.
Kastles take final three sets to keep Empire winless
Sandgren returned for men's doubles, partnering with Robert Lindstedt against the duo of Fish and Neal Skupski.
The teams traded breaks, Fish scooping a volley long in the fifth game, Lindstedt double-faulting in the eighth game trying to serve out the set. The key point of the tiebreaker was a smash winner by Sandgren to give the Kastles a 3-2 advantage, a lead they never relinquished, winning the tiebreaker 5-3.
Women's doubles was next with Brengle partnering Nicole Melichar for Washington, who now had a 14-9 lead, while New York sent out Maria and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. Neither team broke and for the third time on the night, a set would be decided in a tiebreaker.
Melichar was the star of the tiebreaker, winning three of the five points, including a forehand winner to give the Kastles a 5-4 tiebreak win.
Melichar and Lindstedt faced Martinez Sanchez and Skupski in the mixed doubles. Holding a 19-13 lead, the Kastles duo just needed to win the set to avoid extended play and they did just that, emphatically winning it 5-1.