The self-proclaimed "longest winning streak in major US pro sports history" is over.
The Washington Kastles of World TeamTennis lost on Wednesday night to the Texas Wild, ending a run of 34 straight wins that had lasted since 2010.
Eugenie Bouchard won the deciding match, in women's singles, over Anastasia Rodionova, giving the Wild a 23-18 win a day after they bested the mark set by a slightly more high profile team, the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers won 33 straight in the 1971-72 season.
Before Wednesday night, the Kastles' last loss in the summer league was on July 22, 2010.
The Kastles of World TeamTennis won their 34th consecutive match Tuesday night, routing the Boston Lobsters 25-12.
''We made history. Tonight is magic,'' coach Murphy Jensen said after that match. ''This experience has been beyond belief. These guys have made a masterpiece, and this team will never be forgotten.''
Such hyperbole is a matter for debate, considering that the WTT typically isn't considered a ''major'' sports league and that its top players appear only in selected matches, creating an atmosphere more comparable to that of a fan-friendly minor league baseball team.
The Lakers, on the other hand, had an undisputed landmark achievement that continues to stand as the high-water mark for the NBA, NHL, NFL and Major League Baseball.
Among those tipping a hat to the Kastles was Lakers executive Jeanie Buss, who was involved with World TeamTennis in the 1970s as an executive for the Los Angeles Strings.
''Winning 33 consecutive games was an amazing accomplishment by our 1971-72 Lakers team, as evidenced by the fact that no other team has come close to reaching it for over 40 years now,'' Buss said in a written statement. ''On behalf of the Buss family and the Lakers family, I want to congratulate the Washington Kastles, their players, and our good friends (WTT co-founder) Billie Jean King and (WTT commissioner) Ilana Kloss on this milestone accomplishment of theirs.''
