Newport Beach in semis tonight

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