Capitals suffer key loss

   Despite suffering a heartbreaking loss Wednesday night, the Sacramento Capitals can earn their first berth in the World TeamTennis playoffs since 2008 tonight.
   Former Capitals Coco Vandeweghe and Eric Butorac won 5-2 in the final set to give the Boston Lobsters a 22-21 victory over Sacramento at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights.
   Sacramento (7-6) dropped into a second-place tie with the St. Louis Aces in the Western Conference. They trail the Kansas City Explorers (8-5).
   The Capitals end the regular season tonight at home against the Springfield (Mo.) Lasers (4-9). St. Louis, meanwhile, hosts Kansas City.
   The top two teams in each conference advance to the WTT playoffs, Friday through Sunday in Charleston, S.C. The Eastern Conference finals are scheduled for Friday night, and the Western Conference finals set for Saturday night.
   Boston (6-7) was trying to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. Each of the first four sets went to tiebreakers, with the Capitals leading 19-17. Vandeweghe, 19, and Butorac then dominated Vania King and Mark Knowles in mixed doubles to pull out the match.
   Boston 22, Capitals 21
   Men's singles -- Dusan Vemic, Capitals, def. Jan-Michael Gambill, Bos., 5-4.
   Women's doubles -- Mashona Washington and Coco Vandeweghe, Bos., def. Vania King and Yasmin Schnack, Capitals, 5-4.
   Men's doubles -- Mark Knowles and Vemic, Capitals, def. Eric Butorac and Gambill, Bos., 5-4.
   Women's singles -- King, Capitals, def. Vandeweghe, Bos., 5-4.
   Mixed doubles -- Vandeweghe and Butorac, Bos., def. King and Knowles, Capitals, 5-2.