Owner of former Capitals team charged, jailed

Ex-Capitals owner Deepal Wannakuwatte and his wife, Betsy,
pose with Mike, left, and Bob Bryan of the visiting Texas Wild
after a match last July. The Capitals announced on Feb. 4 that
they are moving to Las Vegas after 28 years in Sacramento.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   Welcome to World TeamTennis, Las Vegas.
   Less than three weeks after the Sacramento Capitals announced they were moving to Las Vegas and becoming the Neon, team owner Deepal Wannakuwatte was accused in federal court in Sacramento of defrauding investors in one of his companies.
   Wannakuwatte was arrested Thursday and charged with conspiracy and mail, wire and bank fraud, The Sacramento Bee reported. The 63-year-old native of Sri Lanka will remain in jail pending a bail hearing next Thursday.
   According to an FBI affidavit filed in court Friday, documents seized from Wannakuwatte's residence in Sacramento "appear to indicate a larger fraud and Ponzi scheme than the agents were previously aware of."
   The alleged fraud involves Wannakuwatte's medical supply business, International Manufacturing Group in West Sacramento. He is the third consecutive Capitals owner, all in the last four years, to encounter legal troubles. 
   Lonnie Nielson pleaded guilty to grand theft related to his real estate business in the fall of 2010 and was released from prison last summer. Bob Cook, a Sacramento real estate developer, declared bankruptcy after the 2011 season.
   The Capitals were the longest-running franchise in WTT at 28 years and won a record six league titles, including four straight (1997-2000).

COLLEGE RESULTS

Men

   No. 9 Cal def. No. 39 Stanford 7-0 at Stanford. No. 1 singles: Ben McLachlan, ranked 62nd, def. John Morrissey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4) [10-8]. Clinching match: At No. 5, Mads Engsted def. Yale Goldberg 6-2, 6-3. Records: Cal 7-2, Stanford 3-2. Note: The match does not count in the Pacific-12 Conference standings.
   No. 35 Texas Christian def. USF 6-1 in Fort Worth, Texas. No. 1 singles: Bernardo Saraiva (USF) def. No. 60 Facundo Lugones 7-6 (tiebreaker score unavailable), 3-6 [10-3]. Clinching match: At No. 4, Trey Daniel def. Germain Bahri 6-1, 6-4. Records: TCU 5-2, USF 3-4.
   USF def. South Carolina-Upstate 5-1 in Fort Worth, Texas. No. 1 singles: Ramon Simonetti (SCU) def. Bernardo Saraiva 6-4, 2-0, retired. Clinching match: At No. 6, Timothy Tan def. Pedro Carvalho 6-1, 7-5. Records: USF 4-4, South Carolina-Upstate 3-7.
   Saint Mary's def. Sacramento State 6-1 in Moraga. No. 1 singles: Joakim Norstrom (SM) def. Marek Marksoo 6-7 (7), 6-2, 4-3 (3). Clinching match: At No. 4, Nathan Lewis def. Tom Miller 5-7, 6-1, 6-4. Records: Saint Mary's 5-2, Sac State 2-5. Note: Sac State continued to play without first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection Sean Kolar (knee).

Women

   No. 9 USC def. No. 4 Cal 6-1 in Los Angeles. No. 1 singles: No. 26 Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. No. 37 Anett Schutting 6-2, 6-1. Clinching match: At No. 5, Zoe Katz def. Klara Fabikova 6-0, 6-4. Records: USC 7-2, Cal 5-3. Note: Cal's point came from No. 16 Zsofi Susanyi at No. 2 singles.
   No. 5 Florida def. Saint Mary's 4-0 at Stanford. No. 1 singles: No. 11 Olivia Janowicz led No. 13 Jenny Jullien 7-6 (tiebreaker score unavailable), 1-2, unfinished. Clinching match: At No. 5, 34th-ranked Kourtney Keegan def. Jade Frampton 6-0, 6-2. Records: Florida 8-1, Saint Mary's 3-4.
   No. 63 Santa Clara def. Boise State 4-1 in Fresno. No. 1 singles: Sandy Vo (BS) led No. 28 Katie Le 1-6, 7-5, 5-1, unfinished. Clinching match: At No. 6, Nicolette Wolny def. Megan LaLone 0-6, 6-3, 6-4. Records: Santa Clara 3-3, Boise State 4-3.
   San Jose State def. Pacific 5-2 in San Jose. No. 1 singles: Marie Klocker (SJS) def. Hana Ritterova 6-4, 6-4. Clinching match: At No. 6, Tipper Truong def. Gergana Bonocheva 6-3, 6-1. Records: San Jose State 4-8, Pacific 4-3.