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by Christopher Gerby The threatening gray clouds overhead as the New York Buzz took the court for their third match of the 2004 World Team Tennis season felt all too appropriate. Already sporting an 0-2 record, the Buzz would be heavy underdogs against the Delaware Smash, the league's reigning champions. The Smash, two nights removed from a 24-12 win over the Buzz, feature a mostly unchanged roster from their dominant title campaign. 2003 WTT MVP Paul Goldstein, doubles stalwart Liezel Huber, and plucky Samantha Reeves wear Delaware's red and black again. The only absentee is Scott Humphries, currently confined to his new career as Jennifer Capriati's hitting partner. Taking his place is the redoubtable David Wheaton -- years past his prime, but coming off a title victory of his own. Wheaton and "Matchpoint America" co-host T.J. Middleton managed to claim the 35 & Over doubles title at Wimbledon last week. On the very same day, Huber played in the women's doubles final. The visitors from Delaware are clearly hitting their stride. First set: men's singles -- Justin Bower vs Paul Goldstein Without the late arriving "Buzz Boys" on hand to boost his morale, Justin Bower got off to a sluggish start against Paul Goldstein. The matchup would be a tricky one for him under the best of circumstances. The brainy, scrappy Goldstein is just the kind of steady competitor who can be counted on to neutralize Bower's flashy hit-or-miss attack. Goldstein broke serve in the evening's opening game and rolled to a 3-1 lead, while teammates Samantha Reeves and David Wheaton fished through his bag for a new racket grip. "Goldie" made the racket adjustment during the ensuing changeover and came out playing even better tennis. Game 5 featured one absolutely extraordinary exchange of lobs, smashes, volleys, and drop shots. Bower threw everything but the kitchen sink at a tireless Goldstein, who eventually knocked off a winning volley. Paul's teammates (and enthusiastic Smash coach Brad Dancer) jumped to their feet in unison to celebrate. Goldstein went ahead from there to break at love and hold at 30, securing a very tidy 5-1 win of the first set. It was an early punch in the gut for the Buzz, whose charismatic team leader had been humbled in blistering fashion. OVERALL SCORE: SMASH 5, BUZZ 1 Second set: mixed doubles -- Bower/Stewart vs. Wheaton/Huber With the rowdy back row Buzz Boys still absent, a perennial season ticket holder waved her trademark bumblebee inner tube and tried to fire up the troops. "Get some sting into those serves!" she shouted to Justin Bower and Bryanne Stewart. It was little help, as David Wheaton and Lizel Huber opened up an early 2-0 advantage. However, a rare chink in the Smash armor was revealed in the following game. After just one service point, Liezel Huber asked for a substitution, deciding her taped up wrist was too tender for serving duty. "I'm so nervous to do it that I'd rather not do it," she explained to Coach Dancer, who sent Samantha Reeves onto the court in her place. Coincidentally (or not), Reeves had her serve broken just as the Buzz Boys were filing into their traditional seats below the scoreboard. Due in part to some really dodgy volleying by Stewart, the Buzz fell behind 1-4. As for Justin Bower, even chants of "Bower Power" and "JB bringin' it home!" couldn't take the unforced errors out of his game. After coughing up a double fault and yet another errant forehand in Game 6, he attempted to strike a deal with the umpire. "Please can I break my racket? Just once. The crowd will love it." Bower's racket stayed intact, but the request itself was enough to get him back on track. The Buzz held to 2-4 and forced a game point on the Reeves serve. Wheaton had a chance to take the set, but muffed a backhand volley and let out an anguished squeal, back on serve at 3-4. The big 35-year-old looked downright rusty in the following game, shanking multiple returns as New York won their third straight game to force a tiebreak... Justin Bower pumped his fist triumphantly, having teamed with Bryanne Stewart for an unlikely comeback in the mixed doubles. The tenuous state of Liezel Huber's wrist, increasing volume of the Buzz Boys, and improving play from Bower gave the distinct impression that New York was still in this one. OVERALL SCORE: SMASH 9, BUZZ 6 Third set: women's doubles -- Kutuzova/Stewart vs. Huber/Reeves Chasing one erratic ball toss after another, Bryanne Stewart had her serve broken to open the third event. Stewart's growing frustration (she feigned a racket toss after one double fault) and the very green doubles play of young Viktoriya Kutuzova stalled whatever momentum the Buzz had coming off the mixed doubles win. Kutuzova did manage one wicked, eye-popping backhand return winner late in the set, but it was one of few highlights in a very sloppy showing from the Buzz ladies. Liezel Huber was able to serve without any apparent discomfort, teaming with Samantha Reeves for an easy 5-1 win. OVERALL SCORE: SMASH 14, BUZZ 7 Fourth set: women's singles -- Viktoriya Kutuzova vs. Samantha Reeves Viktoriya Kutuzova's tiebreak win over Samantha Reeves on Monday night was the bright spot in the Buzz's season-opening loss. Would lightning strike twice? It sure looked that way when Kutuzova sharply rattled off three winners in a set-opening break of serve. Kutuzova unleashed a devastating backhand winner to close out Game 2 and struck an even more impressive forehand pass on the dead run in Game 3. When a Reeves forehand floated long to make the score 3-0, the young Ukranian let out a shout of "let's go!" The Buzz Boys stepped up their own game from the stands, singing Viktoriya's first name to the tune of Duran Duran's "Notorious". However, it was Reeves who rallied to win the next couple games. Game 6 was one Kutuzova would rather forget. She double faulted three times and had to put up with the Buzz Boys calling her "Kournikova." The second time that happened, she turned around, looked right up at them, and sternly declared, "I'm not." After Reeves guided a forehand winner into the corner to break for 3-3, Buzz coach Jolene Watanabe jogged out to the court and had a few words with Kutuzova. That seemed to settle her down without dimming her intensity. "Yes!" she hissed after breaking right back for a 4-3 lead. Samantha Reeves is a solid, crafty baseliner who has taken up residence in the world's Top 100. On top of that, she was getting a steady stream of encouragement from her coach and all three teammates. Nevertheless, when Kutuzova was finding the range, Sam didn't have enough to counter her weapons. One last Reeves backhand sailed long on set point, prompting Viktoriya to whirl around and raise a clenched fist. She had prevailed over her far more experienced opponent for the second time in three nights, this time by a 5-3 tally. OVERALL SCORE: SMASH 17, BUZZ 12 Fifth set: men's doubles -- Bower/Rudman vs. Goldstein/Wheaton "You can't break that serve, Wheaton," announced one of the Buzz Boys (who were, for whatever reason, no longer wearing shirts) when Justin Bower stepped to the line to open the night's final event. He was right about that, but the Buzz were having no luck against the Smash serves either. Finally making good on his threat from earlier in the evening, Bower violently slammed his racket down, picking up a code violation warning in the process. The set went with serve until Game 7, when Paul Goldstein got a passing shot to skim off the tape and fall in for a break-clinching winner. Goldie had a bit of trouble serving it out, but Wheaton made it official by punching home a backhand volley winner on game point. Perhaps indicating the identity of the night's MVP, Wheaton pointed at Goldstein as the two savored their 5-3 victory. FINAL SCORE: SMASH 22, BUZZ 15 Predictably, the unstoppable Smash ran their record to a perfect 2-0 as the Buzz sank to a still winless 0-3. It was an entertaining night of tennis, however, and Buzz fans could take solace in the star-is-born singles performance from Viktoriya Kutuzova. The preternatural poise this 15-year-old displays on the court is just as evident when she's interviewed. Far from a giggly teenager, she makes direct eye contact while giving serious, diplomatic answers in pretty fluent English. Asked about her second consecutive win over Reeves, Viktoriya was matter of fact. "I just find my game. I was playing very good today. Sometimes I just get luck." WTA age eligibility restrictions limit Kutuzova to eight tournaments this year and ten next year, which is precisely why she signed on for a season of World Team Tennis. "That's why I play it, but it's so fun, I will play it next year." When I brought up the recent Wimbledon triumph by fellow teen phenom Maria Sharapova, Kutuzova said, "I know her very good. She's a very good person, very nice girl, and she's a great player. And, you know, the Russians are coming. We're very good." Asked why the Russians have been on that roll, she replied, "We're smart. Very smart and just, you know, doing our job every game and every single ball." The mention of one particular Russian seemed to rankle her during the match, but don't draw any conclusions about a juicy Kutuzova-Kournikova rivalry. "I just try to be myself, you know? We're all Russians (who) look like each other and I just wanna have my name, my surname. So I just don't want to be called Kournikova. I don't have nothing bad about her, because she's a nice person. She's a very good girl, but I want to be myself." Hopefully the Buzz Boys will keep that in mind on Thursday night, when the real Kournikova leads the Kansas City Explorers into Schenectady. |