After nearly a two-month lull, the Newport Beach Breakers begin their
quest tonight in the playoffs to defend their World Team Tennis
crown.
Last year's King Trophy winners, the Breakers face Western
Conference champion Sacramento in the conference semifinal at 7 p.m.
at Allstate Stadium at Sunrise Mall in the Sacramento area.
"I know that everybody wants to do well," said Breakers Coach Dick
Leach, whose team enters the playoffs the conference's No. 2 seed
behind the Capitals. "They're all great young people [on the
Breakers] and they all know this is a professional sport on a
professional team. I know they're going to play really hard."
Ramon Delgado, named last year's finals MVP after leading the
Breakers to a 23-17 victory over the Delaware Smash, is expected to
be the team's horse in the playoffs this year, Leach said. Delgado
finished this year's regular season the league's best men's singles
player, going 62-40 in games. The native of Paraguay defeated
two-time Grand Slam champion Patrick Rafter and world No. 3 Andy
Roddick this season.
Devin Bowen, Katerina Bondarenko and Anastassia Rodionova join
Delgado in the lineup.
The final is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday.
-- Chris Yemma
