San Diego Aviators win first World TeamTennis title

NEW YORK (AP) - Ryan Harrison won a doubles match after qualifying for the U.S. Open to help the San Diego Aviators win their first Mylan World TeamTennis title.

Darija Jurak, Shelby Rogers and Raven Klaasen each won twice Friday in the Aviators' 25-14 victory over the Orange County at historic Forest Hills Stadium at The West Side Tennis Club.

Harrison beat Henri Laaksonen 6-3, 6-2 at nearby Flushing Meadow to earn a spot in the U.S. Open main draw, then rushed over to Forest Hills.

"You're trying not to get ahead of yourself," Harrison said about his Queens doubleheader. "You're focusing completely on your match, but in the back of your mind you'd like to win quickly. I tried to focus in on my service games, get ahead and put them away."

Klaasen was selected the Finals MVP. He teamed with Jurak and Harrison for two 5-2 wins.

"It feels really nice to get the MVP award, but it feels a bit undeserving because our whole team played very well," Klaasen said. "We were apart for four days and when we saw each other again last night, it felt like we had been apart for a year. Our team chemistry has been great. We will friends for the rest of our lives."

Jurak and Klaasen opened with a 5-2 mixed-doubles triumph over Alla Kudryavtseva and Scott Lipsky. Rogers then topped Nicole Gibbs 5-2 in women's singles.

"It's different playing for your team than just singles for myself," Rogers said.

In men's doubles, Harrison and Klaasen extended the lead to 15-6 with a 5-2 victory over Lipsky and Dennis Novikov. Rogers and Jurak topped Gibbs and Kudryavtseva 5-2 in women's doubles, Novikov beat Harrison 5-4 in men's singles for the Breakers' only victory, and Harrison closed out the championship by tying Novikov in the extended-play game.