MVP Delgado fires up Breakers

Rick Devereux

Any doubt as to why Ramon Delgado was named the World Team Tennis

finals MVP last year was erased in the Newport Beach Breakers, 20-19,

victory over visiting Springfield Lasers in the season-opening match

Tuesday night at the Palisades Tennis Club.

Delgado and the Breakers entered the men’s single set -- the final

set of the match -- trailing, 19-15.

The Breakers needed a 5-0 victory by Delgado over Rik de Voest to

avoid overtime, which is exactly what he did.

“I knew it was going to be tough because I know Rik from the

[Association of Tennis Professionals] tour,” Delgado said.

Delgado overpowered de Voest with a blistering serve and precise

groundstrokes to only lose seven points in the set.

“Ramon is the man,” said Breakers Coach Dick Leach. “It was very

important [to win the season opener] because I think the fans were a

little down.”

The concern from those in attendance came from expectations of the

type of performance that resulted in the Breakers winning the WTT

championship last year. Instead, the team looked rusty at times.

“I think we’re going to be OK,” Leach said. “Katarina [Bondarenko]

just came off a long flight [Monday] so there may be a little jet

lag.”

The Ukrainian lost to Kelly McCain, 5-3, in the women’s single

set. She and partner Anastassia Rodionova lost to McCain and Kaysie

Smashey, 5-4, in women’s doubles. The Russian duo lost the

best-of-nine tiebreaker, 5-3.

Rodionova and Delgado won in mixed doubles, 5-4, beating Smashey

and Rick Leach, who is the son of the Breakers coach. The set went to

a tiebreaker, which Rodionova and Delgado won, 5-4.

The mixed doubles and Delgado’s dominance of men’s single was

enough to win as Delgado and teammate Devin Bowen lost, 5-3, in men’s

doubles to Leach and de Voest.

“I was a little nervous for my first match,” Bowen admitted. “I

thought I played OK. But any tennis player who loses is going to say

they could have played better.”

Bowen was a standout player for Estancia High and had a large fan

base at the match.

“My prize money went to tickets,” he joked.

The Russian duo of Rodionova and Bondarenko had flashes of

brilliance, such as when Rodionova fired a forehand shot down the

line in women’s doubles or Bondarenko made McCain travel sideline to

sideline in women’s single. But too many unforced errors gave the

Lasers easy points.

“Katarina is going to get a lot better,” Leach said. “[Bondarenko

and Rodionova] are good friends. They’ve known each other for quit

some time and have played together before. They’ll be fine.”

Even if they don’t improve, Delgado has shown he can carry the

team.

The Breakers play host to Anna Kournakova and Sacramento at 7 p.m.

Thursday.