Marquees aren’t the key for Breakers

Rick Devereux

Small steps forward are better than standing still. This was the case

for the Newport Beach Breakers this season.

In 2003, the team finished, 7-7, in third place in the Western

Conference with a 5-2 record at the Palisades Tennis Club. This year,

the Breakers finished 8-6, 6-1 at home, and qualified for the

playoffs.

“I think I did a little better with our lineup,” second-year coach

Dick Leach said. “The home team has the first serve in the first,

third and fifth sets of the match. I tried to get the men playing

those three matches, with mixed doubles, men’s doubles and men’s

singles, so we would get the serves.”

Leach could only set the lineup. It was up to the players to

perform. Though Newport featured Wimbledon winner Maria Sharapova and

the top-ranked men’s doubles team of brothers Bob and Mike Bryan,

Leach said he would rather play with his regular lineup.

“I don’t think I like the disruption of the marquee players on the

lineup,” Leach said. “As much as I love having the Bryan brothers on

the team -- they are fun and energetic and fan friendly -- I would

rather not play with the Bryans. I would rather play with Ramon

[Delgado] than with the Bryans.”

Delgado was a force in men’s singles. He won 48 of 81 games, the

highest winning percentage (.593) of any male with more than 80 games

played. He brought the Breakers back in the first two matches of the

season by winning a tiebreaker and super tiebreaker.

“Ramon was probably our strongest suit,” Leach said. “[Before the

season started] I heard Ramon was good, but that guy is unbelievable.

I firmly believe that if it wasn’t for an injury he had two years

ago, he would be in the top 50 [in the Association of Tennis

Professionals].”

Another player Leach could count on for an automatic win was

women’s singles specialist Aniko Kapros. The 20-year old from Hungary

lost one set all year, a 5-2 decision to Sacramento’s Nicole

Vaidisova, despite playing with an injured knee.

“I saw Aniko play with Kansas City last year where she played

really well and I knew she was a very underrated player,” Leach said.

“Aniko hurt her knee and played in the last home match against

Sacramento. I hope she is back and with us for the playoffs. I hope

she is healthy.”

The playoffs begin Aug. 27 at the United States Tennis Association

Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., site of the U.S. Open. The

Breakers will face the Sacramento Capitals, who finished atop the

Western Conference at 13-1, the best record in the league. Newport

dealt the Capitals their lone loss at Palisades July 14.

But Leach is not pleased with the playoff situation.

“The playoff system is kind of moronic,” he said. “I think this is

protecting the Eastern Conference, and that’s not right. The balance

of power is definitely in the West.”