Granted, Wimbledon women's doubles finalist Rennae Stubbs hasn't joined the Washington Kastles yet.
But based on the Capitals' season opener, Monday's four-player trade looks awfully good for Sacramento.
Angela Haynes blitzed Olga Puchkova 5-0 to lead the Capitals to a 22-18 victory over Washington on Friday night before an announced crowd of 1,932 at Allstate Stadium at the Galleria at Roseville.
Sacramento traded Stubbs and Puchkova for Haynes and CoCo Vandeweghe, 17.
"I was a bit nervous, but I really wanted to get Washington back for trading me," Haynes said.
Haynes' victory gave the Capitals a 9-5 lead. Washington (0-2) pulled within one game three times in the last set (mixed doubles). But Sam Warburg, playing with Vandeweghe, nailed a return-of-serve passing shot to give Sacramento a 5-4 (5-3 tiebreaker) victory and end the match.
The match featured two of the most exuberant coaches in tennis. Washington's Murphy Jensen, though, makes the Capitals' Wayne Bryan look like a wallflower.
Jensen hosts Tennis Channel's "Open Access," a behind-the-scenes look at professional tournaments. Before the match, Jensen climbed on the umpire's stand and joked, "I'm going to coach from up here. Anybody got a problem with that?" Then he bellowed in jest to his players warming up, "Move your feet!"
Fittingly, Warburg, a lifelong Sacramentan and the Capitals' only returning player Friday night, served to open the team's 24th season. After Lester Cook ripped a beautiful backhand passing shot down the line to save his fourth consecutive set point and even the set 4-4, Jensen gave him a chest bump.
Cook – substituting for Leander Paes, who's in Sunday's mixed doubles final at Wimbledon – took the tiebreaker 5-1, winning the last five points.
Washington trimmed its deficit to 12-10 at intermission with a 5-3 victory by Cook and Scott Oudsema over Brian MacPhie and Warburg in men's doubles.
MacPhie substituted for Mark Knowles, who's scheduled to play in the Wimbledon mixed doubles final.
MacPhie helped the Capitals win five WTT titles in his seven seasons with the team (1996-2002), and won three consecutive league Male MVP awards (1996-98). He retired in 2005.
Jensen – the 1993 French Open doubles champion with his brother, Luke – continued to lighten the mood during the Capitals' 5-4 victory in women's doubles. "C'mon, Kastles fans, let's hear it! Sorry, Wayne. We've got one guy at the top," Jensen said.
CAPITALS 22, KASTLES 18
Men's singles
Lester Cook, Wash. def. Sam Warburg 5-4 (5-1 tiebreaker).
Women's singles
Angela Haynes, Sac., def. Olga Puchkova 5-0.
Men's doubles
Cook and Scott Oudsema, Wash., def. Brian MacPhie and Warburg 5-3.
Women's doubles
Haynes and CoCo Vandeweghe, Sac., def. Lindsey Nelson and Puchkova 5-4 (5-3 tiebreaker).
Mixed doubles
Warburg and Vandeweghe, Sac., def. Oudsema and Puchkova 5-4 (5-3).
Call The Bee's Paul Bauman, (916) 326-5515.
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