Kournikova is Newport bound

Chris Yemma

The Newport Beach Breakers of the World Team Tennis professional

league are likely to draw a crowd this summer, with three major stars

of the tennis world scheduled to play matches at Palisades Tennis

Club.

But perhaps no greater draw will be that of Anna Kournikova,

scheduled to make her debut for the Sacramento Capitals when they

face the Breakers July 7 at Palisades.

Kournikova, who briefly visited Orange County to compete in the

WTT Smash Hits event at UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center in October,

said she is looking forward to her trip to Newport.

“I was only [in Orange County] for a few hours and I haven’t been

much around the area,” said Kournikova, speaking in a conference call

to reporters Wednesday. “I think I’m coming out a little earlier this

time to spend some time there.”

Entering her third year on the WTT tour, the two-time Grand Slam

doubles winner played the last two seasons with the Kansas City

Explorers.

Last summer’s Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova will be playing

one home match for the Breakers on July 23, while former world No. 1

player and two-time Grand Slam singles champion Patrick Rafter will

be visiting with the Philadelphia Freedoms July 11.

All three stars will be attracting attention at Palisades, but

it’s the two blond Russians who have the most notoriety.

“Let’s just say, [the fans] won’t be watching a whole lot of

tennis on those days,” said Devin Bowen, a current Breaker and former

Estancia High standout. “Those two girls are a huge draw.”

Kournikova, who announced her retirement from the Women’s Tennis

Association in March, 2004, has been hampered by a back injury this

past year.

Her Capitals debut is something the 24-year-old said she is

looking forward to.

“Physically, I’ve been working out a lot,” she said. “But it has

been raining a lot in Miami [where she resides], so I’ve been sitting

around waiting for it to stop so I can go out and hit some balls.”

Partnered with Martina Hingis, Kournikova won her Grand Slam

doubles titles in 1999 and 2002, both at the Australian Open.

She has numerous singles wins over players ranked No. 1 in the

world throughout her career, including Hingis, Steffi Graf, Monica

Seles, Lindsay Davenport and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.

But it’s her appearance that has attracted the most attention.

In 1998, she was one of two athletes selected to People Magazine’s

50 Most Beautiful People list. In 2002, she was named FHM Magazine’s

Sexiest Woman in the World and in 2003 was ranked No. 6 on Sports

Business Daily’s list of Most Marketable Female Athletes.

She has also appeared in fashion and entertainment magazines and

can be seen on television and in other media outlets as a popular

product endorser.

“She’s a great tennis player and obviously a great looking girl,”

Bowen said. “She might be better looking than she is at tennis.”