UCI’s Kronemann to lead Breakers in ’07

NEWPORT BEACH — Trevor Kronemann, the UC Irvine men’s tennis coach and a former Newport Beach Dukes player, has been named coach of the Newport Beach Breakers, the team announced Thursday.

Kronemann, the 1990 World Team Tennis Rookie of the Year and two-time league MVP who played with the Dukes in 1993 and ‘94, replaces Dick Leach. Leach criticized Pete Sampras last year for not being in shape for the matches.

Sampras returns to the Breakers this season and will compete in one home appearance at the Newport Beach Country Club on July 10, when the Breakers host the Sacramento Capitals.

Kronemann, 37, will try to guide the Breakers to their second straight trip to the WTT finals and their second WTT championship. He’s excited he gets to do it in Newport Beach, he said in a press release.

“I have been involved with Team Tennis for the last 18 years as a player, coach and TV commentator,” said Kronemann, who coached the Springfield Lasers the previous seven seasons. “The last seven months have been about returning to my roots, being near my family. My best memories as a student and player revolve around the Newport Beach community. It is a homecoming that I have looked forward to on many fronts, and this is an opportunity to be involved with a great organization that has been a part of this community for a long time in both golf and tennis. One of the final strokes of the canvas gets to be painted with the two Masters, Pete Sampras and Rick Leach.”

Kronemann played on the ATP Tour from 1990-98, ranking as high as No. 19. During his career, he won six ATP Tour doubles titles, was a finalist in five other championships, competed in all of tennis’ Grand Slams and served as vice president of the ATP Tour player council.

Kronemann started out at UC Irvine, where he played and graduated in 1990. He returned to his alma mater after compiling a 64-65 record in five seasons at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

He was an All-American at UC Irvine in singles each of his four years and in doubles in 1989, when he reached the finals with partner Mike Briggs. He helped UC Irvine to four Big West Conference championships and won four conference singles titles.

Kronemann was inducted into the UCI Hall of Fame in 1999.