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Lasers remain perfect with OT victory Even after a flat start to match, team improves to 6-0 for best start in franchise history. By Joe CressJCRESS@NEWS-LEADER.COM |
So how well are the Springfield Lasers playing these days?
Well enough to overcome a weird night with frequent stops in play and a performance their coach called their flattest of the season.
And well enough to remain unbeaten and off to the best start in franchise history.
The Lasers lost the first and final sets to visiting Kansas City, but dominated the middle three sets to win 20-15 in overtime Thursday night in front of a season-high crowd of 1,602 at Cooper Tennis Complex. The win improved Springfield to 6-0, 2 ½ games ahead of Sacramento in World TeamTennis Western Conference.
“I can’t say anything negative about the bond this team has formed,” Lasers coach Trevor Kronemann said. “But we still have work to do. We want to make the playoffs, and I think we have a team that can win this thing.”
It was the second win in many nights over the Explorers, with Springfield winning 24-16 Wednesday in Kansas City. Fatigue should have affected both teams, but it was the Lasers who looked sluggish, especially early.
Former Laser David Macpherson teamed with Corina Morariu to beat Springfield’s Alex Vlaski and Andreea Vanc 5-2 in mixed doubles to start the night.
As they have at time this season, Vlaski and Nick Monroe turned the match around in men’s doubles. In a wild set that featured three stoppages of play to challenge calls, Springfield broke serve twice, winning 5-2 to even the match 7-all.
Perhaps the key point of the entire match came at 2-2 in men’s doubles. Kansas City’s Brian MacPhie’s serve on a 3-all game point was ruled out, but the Explorers challenged the call, just as Springfield’s Vlaski had successfully done a few games earlier. Members of both teams’ huddles around a courtside monitor, along with the chair umpire, who ultimately ruled that the serve was indeed out.
Clearly frustrated MacPhie’s second serve sent into the net for a double fault, putting Springfield up a break.
“(The challenges) get the crowd involved,” Vlaski said.” “And it’s also effective. Officials do make mistakes sometimes and it allows you to solve that problem.”
Boosted by the men’s play, Anastasia Myskina and Victoria Azarenka blitzed Morariu and reigning Wimbledon juniors champion, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 5-2. Myskina then put on a stellar display of shot-making in beating Wozniacki 5-0 in singles, with even her opponent applauding a few of Myskina’s shots.
MacPhie beat Monroe in singles to force overtime, but Monroe closed out the match in the second extra game.
The Lasers reach the midway point of the regular season tonight, facing St. Louis at 7:05 at Cooper. It will be Myskina’s final appearance with the team this season.
Dedication today: The Springfield-Greene County Park Board will hold a dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. today at Cooper, for the completion of its new $4 million indoor tennis facility.
Paid for by a combination of public and private funds, the 49,000 square-foot project includes six new indoor courts with a mezzanine viewing level and meeting and locker rooms.
Cooper now has 12 indoor tennis courts, 16 exterior courts and the outdoor stadium facility.